*SKANDHA IV. CHAP. 25-29.*
There was a king called Puranjana. He had a friend, but the king knew
not his name nor his doings. Puranjana went in search of a place to live
in. He went about on all sides, but found no suitable abode. At last
while roaming south of the Himalayas, he found one Puri (town) in
Bharata Varsha (India), The marks were all favourable. There were nine
gateways. In one of the gardens he found a most beautiful young lady.
She had ten attendants. Each of them had hundreds of wives. One
five-headed serpent was the warder of the town and he constantly guarded
his mistress. The lady was on the look out for one to be her lord.
Puranjana broke forth into words of love, and asked who she was. "O thou
greatest of men!" exclaimed the lady, "I know not who I am or who thou
art. Nor do I know who made us both. This only I know, that I now exist.
I do not know even who made this town for me. These are my companions
male and female. This serpent guards the town, even when we are all
asleep. Luckily hast thou come here. I shall try with all my companions
to bring to thee all objects of desire. Be thou the lord of this Puri
for one hundred years. And accept all enjoyments brought by me."
Puranjana entered the Puri and lived in enjoyment there for one hundred
years.
Of the nine gateways, seven were upper and two lower -- five on the east
(Purva, which also means front), one on the south (Dakshina), one on the
north (Uttara) and two on the west (Paschima). Two of them Khadyota and
Avirmukhi were close to each other and Puranjana used them whenever he
would go out to see Vibhrajita in the company of Dyumat.
Nalini and Nalini were also two passages built together. Puranjana used
them with the help of Avadhuta in order to repair to Saurabha.
The Mukhya passage was used for Apana and Bahudana. Through the southern
passage Pitrihu, Puranjana went with Srutadhara to Dakshina Panchala and
through the northern passage Devahu, to Uttara Panchala.
Through the western passage called Asuri, Puranjana went with Durmada to
Gramaka. The other western passage was called Nir-riti, Through that
passage Puranjana went with Lubdhaka to Vais-asa.
There were two blind gates _i.e._ without opening, viz: -- Nirvak and
Pesaskrita. Puranjana used them for motion and action. He went inside
the town with Vishuchina. There he experienced Moha (delusion), Prasada
(contentment) and Harsha (joy), caused by his wife and daughters.
Puranjana became thus attached to Karma. He slavishly followed whatever
the Queen did. If she heard, the King heard. If she smelt, the King
smelt. If she rejoiced, the King rejoiced. If she wept, the King wept.
Puranjana merged his self entirely in that of his wife.
Once upon a time, the King went out hunting into the forest
Panchaprastha, His chariot had five swift going horses, two poles, two
wheels, two axles, three flags, five chains, one bridle, one charioteer,
one seat for the charioteer, two yoke ends, seven fenders, and five
courses. He had a golden armour and an endless supply of arrows.
Brihadbala was the commander of his forces. The King forgot his wife for
the time being in the chase of deer. But he got tired and returned home.
The Queen would not speak to him in feigned anger. The King appeased her
with gentle and flattering words of love.
So passed the days in utter delusion. The King had 1100 sons and 110
daughters. He gave them in marriage to duly qualified persons.
Puranjana's sons had 100 sons each. The kingdom of Panchala became
filled with the progeny of Puranjana. The King performed sacrifices for
the welfare of his children and killed animals for the purpose.
Chandavega, a Gandharva king, had a strong force of 360 white
Gandharvas. Each of them had one black wife. By turns these Gandharvas
robbed the town of Puranjana. The serpent-warder could not fight long
against such odds, it lost strength day by day. The King and all the
citizens became extremely anxious.
There was a daughter of Kala who went about the world for a husband. But
no one received her for a wife. She went to Narada and on the refusal of
the sage cursed him to become a wanderer for ever. She was referred
however by Narada to Fear, the King of Yavanas. King Fear would not
accept her for his wife. But he addressed her as his sister and assured
her that she would enjoy all beings on earth, if only she attacked them
unnoticed. His Yavana troops would always accompany her as well as his
brother Prajvara.
The Yavana troops of King Fear under Prajvara and the daughter of Kala
attacked the Puri of Puranjana. The old serpent gave way. The Puri was
burnt up by Prajvara. There was wailing all round. The Serpent left the
Puri. Puranjana was dragged out of it. The sufferings he had caused to
others in sacrifices or otherwise reacted upon him. Long he suffered
forgetting even his old friends. His mind had been tainted by the
constant company of women and he had thought of his wife till the last
moment. So he became a female in the next birth. She was born as the
daughter of the Vidarbha king. Malayadhvaja, King of Pandya, defeated
other princes in the fight for her hand and the princess became his
wife. She bore to the King one black-eyed daughter and seven sons. The
sons became kings of Dravida and each of them had millions of sons,
Agastya married the daughter of the King, and had by her a son called
Dridhachyta. His son was Idhmavaha. King Malayadhvaja divided the
kingdom amongst his sons; and ascended the hills for devotional
meditation. His wife accompanied him. One day the princess found the
body of her husband cold in death. With loud lamentations, she prepared
the funeral pyre, placed the King's body upon it and put fire thereon.
She then resolved to burn herself on the same pyre.