Chapter 26 - The Song of Aila (Purūravas)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The Lord said:

1. He who having obtained this human body (existence) capable of perceiving my real nature, and having adopted the path of devotion so pleasing to me, duly attains to me who am Supreme Bliss and the Supreme Soul abiding in his heart.

2. Emancipated completely by dint of his knowledge from the Jīva-hood constituted of guṇas, and though living in the midst of objects of senses which are unreal, he does not get attached to them, as they are created by (and hence dependent upon) Māyā (and as such) are perceived falsely.

3. One should never associate oneself with unworthy persons who seek to satiate their hunger and gratify their sexual desire. For like a blind man following another blind person, the followers of such sensualists fall into blinding darkness.

4. Emperor Purūravas^[1], the son of Ilā, who was well- known far and wide, became mad due to his separation from Urvaśī. When he regained his normalcy and decided to resign, he sang the following song:

5. As Urvaśī forsook him, the king lamented loudly and like a mad person, unaware of his nudity, followed her crying, “Wait, O cruel wife, do stop”.

6. His mind being completely fascinated by Urvaśī, he enjoyed trivial pleasures through nights year after year and remained unsated. He was not aware of the years that passed away nor those coming in.

Aila (Purūravas) said:

7. Alas! How terrifically vast is the extent of my infatuation! My mind has been soiled (and spoilt) by my libidinousness. I was not even aware of the loss of (the major part of) my life, while my neck was being clasped by the queen (Urvaśī).

8. Hypnotized by her, I could not know when the sun arose or set. What I pity, that being enamoured of her, I was unaware how days amounting to a number of years just flitted away.

9. hat a shocking self-delusion! I, the sovereign ruler of the world, the crest-jewel of kings, was made a pet-deer of women.

10. The woman who spurned me (contemptuously) like a blade of straw even though I was a ruler with royal grandeur (and paraphernalia). And I, weeping like a madman, went after her in nakedness.

11. What majestic lustre, power or Lordship could there be in me, who like a donkey kicked (by a she-donkey) followed the woman as she deserted me.

12. What is the value of that learning, penance, liberality, scriptural scholarship, resort to solitude or observance of silence in a man who has lost his heart to women.

13. Fie upon me I A fool who, though impervious to his self-interest, fancy myself to be a learned man and who, even after being installed as a sovereign ruler, was subdued and roped like a bull or a donkey by women.

14. Although I had been enjoying the intoxicating nectar of the lips of Urvaśī for years together, my inborn lust for her is not satiated, like fire fed with oblations (of ghee)^[2].

15. Who else than the glorious Lord Viṣṇu, the Lord of those who revel in the spiritual bliss of the Soul, is capable to deliver my mind from (the clutches) of a wench who captivated it.

16. Even though I was advised by the queen (Urvaśī) in well-argued speech (recorded in a Vedic Sūkta) the deep infatuation entrenched in my mind does not disappear, as I, being perverse-minded, had not controlled my mind.

17. What offence has been committed by her against me? Or what wrong can be attributed to a rope against a person who, not knowing its real nature, mistook it for a serpent? It is I who could not subdue my senses, am responsible (for this tragedy).

18. What a lot of difference there is between a (woman’s or a human) body full of dirt, stinking with bad odour and impure and the attributes of being like a flower (clean sweet-smelling, pure). But these attributes are superimposed on it (a woman’s body) through Nescience.

19. It cannot be definitely determined whether this human body belongs to parents (who procreated it), or to the wife (one’s life-parttier), or to the employer, or to the fire (which ultimately consumes it) or to dogs and vultures (in case it is not cremated but lies unclaimed) or whether it belongs to the Soul (who abides in it) or to friends and well- wishers?

20. What a pity that a man should be fascinated with this disgusting body which disintegrates into worms (if interred), faeces (if eaten by carnivorous animals), and ashes (if cremated), and appreciates it as a beautiful feminine countenance with shapely nose, beaming with charming smiles.

21. What difference is there between people like me who enjoy pleasure in a feminine body which is nothing but an accumulation of skin, flesh, blood, nerves, fat, marrow and bones and worms who enjoy themselves in feces, urine and pus.

22. A person knowing his personal interest, should under no circumstances associate himself with women or persons addicted to women; for the mind gets agitated only when there is a contact between objects of senses and senses and not otherwise.

23. A thing that is not spoken about, seen or heard creates no passion or desire for it. A person who does not direct his life-breath (mind or sense-organs to external objects), gets his mind steady and serene.

24. Therefore, one should not associate with women or women addicts through the medium of senses. For the group of six (internal) enemies (like lust, anger, greed and others) cannot be trusted even in the case of wise people. What need be said of (ignorant) persons like me?

The Lord resumed:

25. Singing loudly the song (of his life) in this way, Purūravas, the King of the Kings, left the realm of Urvaśī. He realized me as his own self, and having shaken off delusion by virtue of this knowledge, he retired from worldly life.

26. Therefore, an intelligent person should dissociate himself from evil company, and associate himself with the saintly people; for it is these pious saints who would cut off his deep attachment (to sense-objects) by their wise precepts.

27. The saints devote their minds to me without expecting anything in return. Being desireless, they are serene, viewing all beings as equals (as they are none else but Brahman). They have superseded the notions of mine-ness and I-ness (i.e. identification of the Soul with the body). They are not affected by the pair of opposites (like joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain) and are perfect have-nots (property-less).

28. It is in the company of these supremely fortunate persons, O highly blessed Uddhava, that my legends are told and these stories absolve the listeners from all sins.

29. Those persons who listen to these (my) stories, extol them in songs, devoutly appreciate them and are devoted to me with faith and reverence, get devotion engendered in them.

30. What else remains to be achieved by the saints who attained real devotion towards me, the Brahman, who am endowed with infinite qualities and potencies and who am conscious blissfulness incarnate.

31. Just as cold, fear (of darkness) and darkness fly away from a person who resorts to the fire, similarly, those who wait upon and worship saints, become free from fear, ignorance and apathy.

32. Even as a strong boat is to those who are drowningin the sea, saints, serene-minded knowers of the Brahman are the best life-savers to those who are tossed about and are drowning in the sea of Saṃsāra.

33. Just as food is the very life of living beings, I am the shelter to the afflicted. Righteousness (pious acts) is the wealth (investment) in the other world, the saints are the support (resort) of those who are afraid of repeated transmigration of the Soul in future.

34. The saints confer the (inner) vision (of the Brahman) on those who associate with them, even as the sun bestows the external eye (to see nature). Saints are deities, the near and dear relatives, the very soul, nay they are even myself.

35. It is traditionally recounted that Purūravas who divested himself of all longing for the realm of Urvaśī (and pleasures in her company), renounced all attachment, and revelling in the spiritual bliss of the Ātman, went about all over the world.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

For the legend of Purūravas vide Supra IX. 14.32-47.

[2]:

The famous verse attributed to King Yayāti in Mahābhārata Ādi. 85.12.

na jātu kāmaḥ kāmānām upabhogena śāmyati /
haviṣā kṛṣṇa-vartmeva bhūya evā'bhivardhate //