Puranjana: The Soul's Allegory

The city of nine gates

Narada narrates the allegorical tale of King Puranjana, representing the soul trapped in the body. The city of nine gates symbolizes the body with its senses. Through attachment to his queen (intelligence), Puranjana forgets his true identity, illustrating how souls become bound to material existence.

The Context: A King Lost in Ritual

King Prachinabarhi was a powerful monarch, devoted to Vedic rituals. He had performed so many animal sacrifices that the earth was carpeted with the sacred kusha grass pointing eastward, hence his name 'Prachina-barhi' (eastward kusha). Yet despite all his religiosity, he remained ignorant of the ultimate truth. He was attached to the fruits of karma, to the pleasures of existence, to the endless cycle of action and reaction.

Narada Muni, the wandering sage who appears whenever a soul is ready for higher knowledge, saw Prachinabarhi's condition. The king was spiritually mature enough to receive truth but caught in the web of ritualistic religion without understanding its deeper purpose. To awaken him, Narada did not lecture directly. Instead, he narrated one of the most sophisticated allegories in world literature, the story of King Puranjana.

'Listen carefully, O King,' Narada began, 'for this story is about you, about me, about every soul trapped in material existence. Understand its symbols, and you will understand the nature of your own bondage, and the path to liberation.'

The Wandering Soul

Once there was a king named Puranjana, which means 'one who enjoys the city' (pura = city; jana = one who animates). He had a dear friend named Avijnata, 'the unknown one.' Puranjana wandered the earth searching for a suitable place to enjoy. He examined many cities but found them all unsuitable, too few facilities, too many limitations, too imperfect for his desires.

This, Narada explained, represents the soul's search through countless births. The soul (jiva) has an eternal friend, the Supersoul (Paramatma), who accompanies him through all incarnations. But the soul, absorbed in seeking pleasure, forgets this companion. The soul examines body after body, animal bodies with too few sense organs, celestial bodies with duties that restrict enjoyment, human bodies of various qualities, searching for the perfect vehicle for experience.

The City of Nine Gates

Finally, Puranjana discovered a magnificent city with nine gates, located on the southern side of the Himalaya mountains. This city had everything: gardens, palaces, pleasure groves, and all facilities for enjoyment. It was guarded by a five-headed serpent, protected by walls and gates, and filled with inhabitants who served the city's welfare.