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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

<< Canto 4, The Creation of the Fourth Order >>
<< 29 - Talks Between Nārada and King Prācīnabarhi >>

<< VERSE 1 >>

प्राचीनबर्हिरुवाच
भगवंस्ते वचोऽस्माभिर्न सम्यगवगम्यते ।
कवयस्तद्विजानन्ति न वयं कर्ममोहिता: ॥ १ ॥

prācīnabarhir uvāca
bhagavaṁs te vaco ’smābhir
na samyag avagamyate
kavayas tad vijānanti
na vayaṁ karma-mohitāḥ

WORD BY WORD

TRANSLATION

King Prācīnabarhi replied: My dear lord, we could not appreciate completely the purport of your allegorical story of King Purañjana. Actually, those who are perfect in spiritual knowledge can understand, but for us, who are overly attached to fruitive activities, to realize the purpose of your story is very difficult.

PURPORT

	In Bhagavad-gītā (7.13) Lord Kṛṣṇa says: tribhir guṇa-mayair bhāvair ebhiḥ sarvam idaṁ jagat mohitaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam
	“Deluded by the three modes [goodness, passion and ignorance], the whole world does not know Me, who am above the modes and inexhaustible.”
	Generally people are enchanted by the three modes of material nature and therefore practically unable to understand that behind all materialistic activities in the cosmic manifestation is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Generally when people are engaged in sinful or pious activities, they are not perfect in knowledge of devotional service. The allegorical story narrated by Nārada Muni to King Barhiṣmān is especially meant to engage conditioned souls in devotional service. The entire story, narrated allegorically, is easily understood by a person in devotional service, but those who are engaged not in devotional service but in sense gratification cannot perfectly understand it. That is admitted by King Barhiṣmān.
	This Twenty-ninth Chapter describes that by too much attachment for women one becomes a woman in the next life, but a person who associates with the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His representative becomes free from all material attachments and is thus liberated.

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