Purañjana is embraced by old age (Srimad Bhagavatam #71)

After a life of materialism, Purañjana finally reaches old age. His story serves as a graphic example to help us not fall into the same situation.

Aug 02, 2025

After being attacked by the forces of Caṇḍavega for many years, the defenses of the city of Purañjana are already worn out. This illustrates the period preceding old age, where one sees a great diminution of energy, and the body starts to give trouble. This is the age the scriptures recommend one retire from active family life and focus on one's self-realization. Purañjana, however, preferred to ignore the warnings, and now Kālakanyā, followed by Prajvāra and Yavana-rāja, will deliver the final blow.

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Purañjana is embraced by old age

"The great sage Nārada continued: My dear King Prācīnabarhiṣat, afterward the King of the Yavanas, whose name is fear itself, as well as Prajvāra, Kālakanyā, and his soldiers, began to travel all over the world.
Once the dangerous soldiers attacked the city of Purañjana with great force. Although the city was full of paraphernalia for sense gratification, it was being protected by the old serpent. Gradually Kālakanyā, with the help of dangerous soldiers, attacked all the inhabitants of Purañjana’s city and thus rendered them useless for all purposes. When Kālakanyā, daughter of Time, attacked the body, the dangerous soldiers of the King of the Yavanas entered the city through different gates. They then began to give severe trouble to all the citizens. When the city was thus endangered by the soldiers and Kālakanyā, King Purañjana, being overly absorbed in affection for his family, was placed in difficulty by the attack of Yavana-rāja and Kālakanyā." (SB 4.28.1-5)

Until the final attack of old age, the walls of the city were still unbleached, and Purañjana could still enjoy life unimpeded, despite the relentless attack of Caṇḍavega (time). However, when Kālakanyā (old age) attacked, the walls were finally breached, and her soldiers started giving trouble to all citizens. The serpent was still fighting, but it was now old and weak, incapable of properly protecting the city. At this point, the body falls under the influence of old age, with all the difficulties connected with that. The eyes then can't see properly, one becomes hard of hearing, there is difficulty sleeping, the teeth start to fall off, etc. One who remains interested only in sense gratification lives an increasingly desperate life after this point, seeing his body decaying in front of one's eyes, and everything dear being gradually taken away. Basically, we have the choice of voluntarily renouncing everything at a certain point and dedicating ourselves to spiritual practice, or having everything taken forcefully by the combined forces of time and old age. This world is not our place, and they make sure to remind us of that.

As Prabhupada explains in his purport to text 4.28.2: "As one’s body engages in sense gratification, it becomes weaker and weaker daily. Finally the vital force becomes so weak that it is herein compared to a weak serpent. The life air has already been compared to the serpent. When the vital force within the body becomes weak, the body itself also becomes weak. At such a time the death symptoms — that is, the dangerous soldiers of death’s superintendent, Yamarāja — begin to attack very severely. According to the Vedic system, before coming to such a stage one should leave home and take sannyāsa to preach the message of God for the duration of life. However, if one sits at home and is served by his beloved wife and children, he certainly becomes weaker and weaker due to sense gratification. When death finally comes, one leaves the body devoid of spiritual assets."

On his purport to text 4.28.3, Prabhupada summarizes the whole Vedic process of family planning, according to the Varnāśrama system:

"At the fag end of life, when the invalidity of old age attacks a man, his body becomes useless for all purposes. Therefore Vedic training dictates that when a man is in his boyhood he should be trained in the process of brahmacarya — that is, he should be completely engaged in the service of the Lord and should not in any way associate with women. When the boy becomes a young man, he marries between the ages of twenty and twenty-five. When he is married at the right age, he can immediately beget strong, healthy sons. Now female descendants are increasing because young men are very weak sexually. A male child will be born if the husband is sexually stronger than the wife, but if the female is stronger, a female child will be born. Thus it is essential to practice the system of brahmacarya if one wishes to beget a male child when one is married. When one reaches the age of fifty, he should give up family life. At that time one’s child should be grown up so that the father can leave the family responsibilities to him. The husband and wife may then go abroad to live a retired life and travel to different places of pilgrimage. When both the husband and wife lose their attachment for family and home, the wife returns home to live under the care of her grown-up children and to remain aloof from family affairs. The husband then takes sannyāsa to render some service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

The system puts emphasis on begetting male sons because later in life, when one retires from family life, one is supposed to have at least one grown-up son who can take charge of the family after the parents enter into retired life, and take care of the mother after the father finally takes sannyāsa. In this system, the daughters leave home to live with their husbands when they get married, while the sons stay. Another reason is that in societies that follow the Varnāśrama system, many men don't get married at all, progressing directly from Brahmacārī life to the renounced order, and thus the male population should be greater, so all the girls can have the opportunity of getting married and constituting a family. In the Vedic system, polygamy is accepted when the female population is greater, but, as illustrated by the pastime of Lord Rama, it is not considered the best practice.

The next verses describe the deterioration of the situation of Purañjana, and how his life in the once attractive palace became gradually distasteful:

"When King Purañjana was embraced by Kālakanyā, he gradually lost all his beauty. Having been too much addicted to sex, he became very poor in intelligence and lost all his opulence. Being bereft of all possessions, he was conquered forcibly by the Gandharvas and the Yavanas. King Purañjana then saw that everything in his town was scattered and that his sons, grandsons, servants and ministers were all gradually opposing him. He also noted that his wife was becoming cold and indifferent. When King Purañjana saw that all his family members, relatives, followers, servants, secretaries and everyone else had turned against him, he certainly became very anxious. But he could not counteract the situation because he was thoroughly overwhelmed by Kālakanyā." (SB 4.28.6-8)

In the allegory, the sons, grandsons, ministers, etc., describe the different senses and limbs of the body, as well as his different material desires. All of this turns against us when we come close to death. The senses and limbs not only cease to work properly, but start to give us trouble, and the different desires we cultivated during life now give us pain, since it becomes impossible to satisfy them. Externally, our family members may turn against us, becoming disrespectful and inconsiderate. While one is strong, one may maintain his authority based on maintaining the house, but in old age, we ourselves become dependent and can't thus demand the same level of respect. Sometimes we may even be left in an asylum. All of this makes one anxious and pained.

As Prabhupada mentions in his purport to text seven: "A man keeps a family for enjoyment, and similarly family members demand enjoyment from the head of the family. When they do not receive sufficient money from him, they grow disinterested and ignore his commands or desires. This is all due to one’s being a kṛpaṇa (miser). This word kṛpaṇa, used in the sixth verse, is in opposition to the word brāhmaṇa. In the human form of life one should become a brāhmaṇa, which means that one should understand the constitutional position of the Absolute Truth, Brahman, and then engage in His service as a Vaiṣṇava. We get this facility in the human form of life, but if we do not properly utilize this opportunity, we become a kṛpaṇa, miser."

The description of the descending spiral of Purañjana then continues:

"The objects of enjoyment became stale by the influence of Kālakanyā. Due to the continuance of his lusty desires, King Purañjana became very poor in everything. Thus he did not understand the aim of life. He was still very affectionate toward his wife and children, and he worried about maintaining them." (SB 4.28.9)

Although in old age the body simply gives us trouble, a materialist remains attached to it until the last moment, and does everything to try to keep it in good condition, attached to the idea of somehow still enjoying one's senses. It is not uncommon to see very old persons doing plastic surgeries, undergoing expensive health treatments, or paying for personal trainers, desperate to somehow regain some of their youth, instead of using their last days to understand Krsna. Nārada prepared this allegory not only for Prācīnabarhi but in fact for all of us, creating this strong impression in our memory, so we may avoid committing the same mistake as Purañjana.

"The city of King Purañjana was overcome by the Gandharva and Yavana soldiers, and although the King had no desire to leave the city, he was circumstantially forced to do so, for it was smashed by Kālakanyā.
Under the circumstances, the elder brother of Yavana-rāja, known as Prajvāra, set fire to the city to please his younger brother, whose other name is fear itself. When the city was set ablaze, all the citizens and servants of the King, as well as all family members, sons, grandsons, wives, and other relatives, were within the fire. King Purañjana thus became very unhappy. (SB 4.28.10-12)

One may rent an apartment for a certain period and live there happily for some time, but when the contract ends, or one has no more money to pay, one has to leave. Similarly, the material body is never ours. We are allowed to use it for some time, but we all know that at some point, we will have to leave. We should thus make plans for where to go next, instead of just becoming overly attached to a helpless condition. One who tries to remain in the body, however, clinging to whatever small illusory gratification may still be present at old age, has to be forcefully evicted through the process described here.

At the terminal stage, after being smashed by the forces of Kālakanyā, the body is attacked by Prajvāra, the strong fever that precedes death, which is compared to a fire that burns the city, together with all its inhabitants. All the senses and limbs burn into that fire, causing one great misery until the body finally dies.

As Prabhupada explains: "There are many parts of the body — the senses, the limbs, the skin, the muscles, blood, marrow, etc. — and all these are considered here figuratively as sons, grandsons, citizens and dependents. When the body is attacked by the viṣṇu-jvāra, the fiery condition becomes so acute that sometimes one remains in a coma. This means that the body is in such severe pain that one becomes unconscious and cannot feel the miseries taking place within the body. Indeed, the living entity becomes so helpless at the time of death that, although unwilling, he is forced to give up the body and enter another."

The experience of a devotee, however, is different. Kālakanyā and Prajvāra have the mission of causing pain only to sinful persons, who are attached to their bodies and possessions. In the case of a devotee, they help one to remember Krsna and thus come closer to Him. A devotee is not attached to the body, nor is afraid of leaving it. A devotee lives in the eternal platform of service to Krsna, in one's original eternal position. While living in the body, a devotee uses it to serve the Lord, and after leaving it, one assumes a transcendental body to continue serving the Lord eternally.

"The city’s superintendent of police, the serpent, saw that the citizens were being attacked by Kālakanyā, and he became very aggrieved to see his own residence set ablaze after being attacked by the Yavanas.
As a serpent living within the cavity of a tree wishes to leave when there is a forest fire, so the city’s police superintendent, the snake, wished to leave the city due to the fire’s severe heat.
The limbs of the serpent’s body were slackened by the Gandharvas and Yavana soldiers, who had thoroughly defeated his bodily strength. When he attempted to leave the body, he was checked by his enemies. Being thus baffled in his attempt, he began to cry loudly." (SB 4.28.13-15)

In the allegory, the serpent describes the subtle vital airs that operate inside the body (prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, samāna, udāna), which follow the soul to the next body. There are many different passages through which the subtle body (transported by the vital air) can leave the body. One who is meant to attain liberation leaves through the top of the skull, while others who are meant to leave for the celestial planets may leave through the eye, mouth, nostril, or ear, according to the particular destination. In these cases, the subtle body (the serpent) is free to leave when the fever starts, and one doesn't experience the most acute phases of the process. However, in the case of a sinful person, all these passages are blocked, and the subtle body can leave only through the rectum. One is thus forced to go through all the suffering described in the final stages, until finally dragged by the Yamadūtas to hell.

Although Purañjana followed the general process of piety prescribed in the Vedas, he killed many animals and was excessively engaged in sex life. These past sins can be very easily nullified if one surrenders to the Lord, even if at the final stages of life, but Purañjana was not interested in doing so. Although he had practiced Krsna Consciousness for some time, he didn't take it seriously, and later became absorbed in his materialistic lifestyle until the very end, leading him to this result.

"King Purañjana then began to think of his daughters, sons, grandsons, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, servants and other associates, as well as his house, his household paraphernalia and his little accumulation of wealth.
King Purañjana was overly attached to his family and conceptions of “I” and “mine.” Because he was overly attracted to his wife, he was already quite poverty-stricken. At the time of separation, he became very sorry.
King Purañjana was anxiously thinking, “Alas, my wife is encumbered by so many children. When I pass from this body, how will she be able to maintain all these family members? Alas, she will be greatly harassed by thoughts of family maintenance." (SB 4.28.16-18)

In Vedic culture, women are encouraged to be devoted to their husbands, so even if they are not able to attain success in the transcendental process, they can obtain a male human body and continue their practice in the next life with better possibilities of performing austerities, freedom to choose the renounced path, and so on. Men, on the other hand, are advised to focus their minds directly on the Lord, aiming for liberation. If, instead, one leaves his body while still excessively attached to one's wife and family, he will come back in a female body, which will give him fewer facilities to follow the process of self-realization. In the process of Krsna Consciousness, this makes less of a difference because both men and women can chant and thus develop their love for Krsna, but in previous ages, the possibilities for ladies in the path of self-realization were much more limited. This is yet another opportunity granted by the mercy of Mahāprabhu. Anyone can achieve perfection in this age, irrespective of gender, social position, or any other factor.

Back to the point of family life, as Prabhupada explains in his purport to text 19, there is no problem in husband and wife being attached to each other if this attachment is based on their mutual service to Krsna. If a couple cooperate in making Krsna the center of their existence, both are benefited. However, if the attachment is just based on bodily affinity and common material plans, the result of this attachment is another material body for both, with the woman becoming a man and the man becoming a woman.

Apart from remembering his wife and family, Purañjana was also attached to his many material desires and plans. These are also stored in the subtle body and carry the soul to a new body, where one may have the opportunity of trying to satisfy them according to one's karma. As Prabhupada explains, "Plans for material enjoyment are made by the subtle body, and the gross body is the instrument for enjoying these plans. Thus the gross body can be compared to the wife, for the wife is the agent for all kinds of sense gratification. Because of long association with the gross body, the living entity becomes very sad to be separated from it. The mental activity of the living entity obliges him to accept another gross body and continue his material existence."

Purañjana was also very concerned about the maintenance of his wife and children after he passed away, just as a politician may worry about his country, or a businessman about his business, but this is also an illusion. The real maintainer of everyone is the Lord. We are empowered by Him to maintain a family or even a country for some time, and when it is time to go, the Lord will continue taking care of them by other means, according to their merits. The world was functioning before we were born, and similarly, after we go, it will continue as before. However, due to the influence of illusion, we think of ourselves as the maintainers, and become attached, and this attachment leads us to a new body. While we are still strong, we may perform the role of maintainers, but later in life, we need to relinquish this function back to the Lord and focus on our spiritual development. "Hariṁ vinā na mṛtiṁ taranti: one cannot conquer death without taking shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

As Prabhupada explains in his purport to text 21: "At the time of death every living entity worries about what will happen to his wife and children. Similarly, a politician also worries about what will happen to his country or his political party. Unless one is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, he has to accept a body in the next life according to his particular state of consciousness. Since Purañjana is thinking of his wife and children and is overly engrossed in thoughts of his wife, he will accept the body of a woman. Similarly, a politician or so-called nationalist who is inordinately attached to the land of his birth will certainly be reborn in the same land after ending his political career."

After all of this, the time came for Purañjana to be arrested by the servants of Yamaraja and be brought for judgment:

"Although King Purañjana should not have lamented over the fate of his wife and children, he nonetheless did so due to his miserly intelligence. In the meantime, Yavana-rāja, whose name was fear itself, immediately drew near to arrest him. When the Yavanas were taking King Purañjana away to their place, binding him like an animal, the King’s followers became greatly aggrieved. While they lamented, they were forced to go along with him." (SB 4.28.22-23)

Why is it said that Purañjana's family and followers went with him to hell? Prabhupada explains in his purport:

"When Yamarāja and his assistants take a living entity away to the place of judgment, the life, life air and desires, being followers of the living entity, also go with him. This is confirmed in the Vedas. When the living entity is taken away or arrested by Yamarāja (tam utkrāmantam), the life air also goes with him (prāṇo ’nūtkrāmati), and when the life air is gone (prāṇam anūtkrāmantam), all the senses (sarve prāṇāḥ) also go along (anūtkrāmanti). When the living entity and the life air are gone, the lump of matter produced of five elements — earth, water, air, fire and ether — is rejected and left behind. The living entity then goes to the court of judgment, and Yamarāja decides what kind of body he is going to get next. This process is unknown to modern scientists. Every living entity is responsible for his activities in this life, and after death he is taken to the court of Yamarāja, where it is decided what kind of body he will take next. Although the gross material body is left, the living entity and his desires, as well as the resultant reactions of his past activities, go on. It is Yamarāja who decides what kind of body one gets next in accordance with one’s past actions."

When the soul leaves the body, it does so with the subtle body, which includes the subtle senses, material desires, and the complete karmic stock of reactions for one's previous activities, which in the allegory are described as the followers of Purañjana. As soon as they left, the city was completely dismantled.

The senses have two components. One component is the organs of the senses, including the eyes, tongue, etc. These are part of the gross body and connected by nerves to the brain. These are, of course, destroyed with the body. Another component, however, is the subtle senses that are connected to the subtle mind. Just as the mind and intelligence, these go with the subtle body from one gross body to the other. The distinction between the subtle senses and the organs of the senses is just like the difference between the workers of a company and their offices. When the offices are dismantled, the workers just move to a new location.

The subtle body, in turn, is surrounded by the five vital airs, which also depart together with it. The soul is sometimes called prāna, because the vital airs are the only part of the entourage that may be seen (for higher beings with proper eyes), just like one may be able to see a plane flying in the sky, but not the passengers inside of it.

"When King Purañjana was being dragged with great force by the powerful Yavana, out of his gross ignorance he still could not remember his friend and well-wisher, the Supersoul. That most unkind king, Purañjana, had killed many animals in various sacrifices. Now, taking advantage of this opportunity, all these animals began to pierce him with their horns. It was as though he were being cut to pieces by axes. Due to his contaminated association with women, a living entity like King Purañjana eternally suffers all the pangs of material existence and remains in the dark region of material life, bereft of all remembrance for many, many years." (SB 4.28.25-27)

Ajāmila pitifully called for Narāyana when he was being dragged by the Yamadūtas, and similarly, Gajendra worshiped the Lord when he was in acute distress, being attacked by the crocodile. The soul stays voluntarily in this material world, victimized by lust and material desires, but one can at any time surrender to the Lord and become free. The problem is that the more we commit sinful activities, the more we become covered by ignorance, and the less propense we become to surrender to the Lord.

As Prabhupada explains in his purport to text 25: "The word sakhāyam, “friend,” is very significant in this verse because God is eternally present beside the living entity. The Supreme Lord is also described as suḥrdam, “ever well-wisher.” The Supreme Lord is always a well-wisher, just like a father or mother. Despite all the offenses of a son, the father and mother are always the son’s well-wisher. Similarly, despite all our offenses and defiance of the desires of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord will give us immediate relief from all the hardships offered by material nature if we simply surrender unto Him, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te). Unfortunately, due to our bad association and great attachment for sense gratification, we do not remember our best friend, the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

In the case of Purañjana, he was not able to remember his eternal friend, even when being dragged by the Yamadūtas. As a result, he had to suffer the results of his sinful activities, which started by being attacked the the animals he killed during his life on the road to hell. If they so desire, animals who are violently killed have the opportunity to assume strong, subtle bodies, with iron horns to punish their torturer. After avenging their deaths in this way, they continue to their next destinations.

As Prabhupada explains: "Those who are very enthusiastic about killing animals in the name of religion or for food must await similar punishment after death. The word māṁsa, “meat,” indicates that those animals whom we kill will be given an opportunity to kill us. Although in actuality no living entity is killed, the pains of being pierced by the horns of animals will be experienced after death. Not knowing this, rascals unhesitatingly go on killing poor animals."

Purañjana becomes a woman in his next life

According to the descriptions of the Puranas, with the exception of devotees, everyone has to face the judgment of Yamaraja and suffer punishment according to the gravity of their sins. Even if a materialist is very pious, he will still commit some sins, and because of them, he will still be eligible for punishment, even if for a short term. After being purified from sinful reactions, one is then free to proceed to one's next body, which, in the case of a pious person, will probably be human. As explained in the 6th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, however, devotees who sincerely chant the holy names are saved from this and are brought to their next bodies by the Viṣṇudutas, who are always traveling through the material universes in many missions to rescue and help devotees all over the material creation.

Nārada Muni uses the allegory to reveal Prācīnabarhi's future if he were to continue in the same direction. Just as Purañjana, he was materially pious, but at the same time, he was excessively attached to sex life and had killed many animals. Nārada already had shown how the animals he killed in his improper sacrifices were waiting to attack him on the road to hell, and now he reveals his destiny after that: a new material body.

"King Purañjana gave up his body while remembering his wife, and consequently in his next life he became a very beautiful and well-situated woman. He took his next birth as the daughter of King Vidarbha in the very house of the King.
It was fixed that Vaidarbhī, daughter of King Vidarbha, was to be married to a very powerful man, Malayadhvaja, an inhabitant of the Pāṇḍu country. After conquering other princes, he married the daughter of King Vidarbha.
King Malayadhvaja fathered one daughter, who had very black eyes. He also had seven sons, who later became rulers of that tract of land known as Draviḍa. Thus there were seven kings in that land." (SB 4.28.28-30)

Because of mutual attachment, men tend to become women in the next life, and women tend to come back as men. Whatever we are attached to, that's what we remember at the time of death, and this thought makes us assume that very form in our next life. A man thus has the opportunity to associate with a feminine body in the most intimate way possible, by wearing it, together with the opportunity of associating freely with other women, but now in a harmless way. Similarly, a woman becomes a man and can thus associate freely with other men. One who is attached to dogs may have the opportunity of taking birth in a dog family and so on.

The type of body is thus determined by desire, but the quality is determined by one's piety. A common man may take birth as an ordinary woman, but because Purañjana had executed many pious fruitive activities, he took birth in a very high-class woman's body, as Vaidarbhī, a princess who was married to Malayadhvaja, a handsome king, who defeated many rivals to take her hand. Nothing happens by chance; our next birth is determined by superior authorities taking all factors into consideration.

Prabhupada also connects the elevated birth of Purañjana with the destination of a devotee who is not capable of completing his practice. As Krsna explains in the Gītā, prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān, uṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe, yoga-bhraṣṭo ’bhijāyate: The devotee who tries, but falls after a short time of practice, has the opportunity of satisfying his material desires in the celestial planets, and then takes birth in a pious or rich family. Not only that, but in this next birth, the Lord tries to guide us, both from inside the heart and from the outside, appearing as the spiritual master and speaking to us through other people. Even though the material ocean is such a dangerous place, the devotee is secure under the protection of the Lord.

As Prabhupada explains, "The conclusion is that all our activities are taken into consideration before we are awarded another body. Nārada Muni therefore advised Vyāsadeva that one should take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service, and abandon all ordinary occupational duties. This advice was also given by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. Although a devotee may fall from the path of spiritual consciousness, he will nonetheless attain a human body in the home of a devotee or a rich man. In this way one can resume his devotional service."

"My dear King Prācīnabarhiṣat, the sons of Malayadhvaja gave birth to many thousands and thousands of sons, and all of these have been protecting the entire world up to the end of one Manu’s life span and even afterward. The great sage named Agastya married the first-born daughter of Malayadhvaja, the avowed devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. From her, one son was born, whose name was Dṛḍhacyuta, and from him another son was born, whose name was Idhmavāha. After this, the great saintly King Malayadhvaja divided his entire kingdom among his sons. Then, in order to worship Lord Kṛṣṇa with full attention, he went to a solitary place known as Kulācala. Just as the moonshine follows the moon at night, immediately after King Malayadhvaja departed for Kulācala, his devoted wife, whose eyes were very enchanting, followed him, giving up all homely happiness, despite family and children." (SB 4.28.31-34)

The allegory continues, with the seven sons becoming kings and fathering many thousands of sons, who protected the whole world, until the end of the manvantara, and even afterwards. The daughter, on the other hand, married the sage Agastya, who also fathered a son. Being thus successful in his family life, Malayadhvaja divided his kingdom between his sons and departed to a hermitage in the Kulā mountain to practice austerities in the final stage of his life. The devoted Vaidarbhī followed him, determined to continue her service to her husband up to the end.