FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.25.56

एवं कर्मसु संसक्त: कामात्मा वञ्चितोऽबुध: । महिषी यद्यदीहेत तत्तदेवान्ववर्तत ॥ ५६ ॥
evaṁ karmasu saṁsaktaḥ
[evam karmasu samsaktah]
kāmātmā vañcito ’budhaḥ
[kaamaatmaa vanchito ’budhah]
mahiṣī yad yad īheta
[mahishee yad yad eeheta]
tat tad evānvavartata
[tat tad evaanvavartata]
evam — thus karmasu — in fruitive activities saṁsaktaḥ — being too much attached kāma-ātmā — lusty vañcitaḥ — cheated abudhaḥ — less intelligent mahiṣī — the Queen yat yat — whatsoever īheta — she would desire tat tat — all of that eva — certainly anvavartata — he followed.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
evaṁ karmasu saṁsaktaḥ
evam
thus
karmasu
in fruitive activities
saṁsaktaḥ
being too much attached
kāmātmā vañcito ’budhaḥ
kāma-ātmā
lusty
vañcitaḥ
cheated
abudhaḥ
less intelligent
mahiṣī yad yad īheta
mahiṣī
the Queen
yat yat
whatsoever
īheta
she would desire
tat tad evānvavartata
tat tat
all of that
eva
certainly
anvavartata
he followed.
Being thus entangled in different types of mental concoction and engaged in fruitive activities, King Purañjana came completely under the control of material intelligence and was thus cheated. Indeed, he used to fulfill all the desires of his wife, the Queen.

When a living entity is in such bewilderment that he is under the control of his wife, or material intelligence, he has to satisfy the intelligence of his so-called wife and act exactly according to her dictates. Various śāstras advise that for material convenience one should keep his wife always satisfied by giving her ornaments and by following her instructions. In this way there will be no trouble in family life. Therefore for one’s own social benefit, one is advised to keep his wife satisfied. In this way, when one becomes the servant of his wife, he must act according to the desires of his wife. Thus one becomes more and more entangled. In Bengal it is said that if one becomes an obedient servant of his wife, he loses all reputation. However, the difficulty is that unless one becomes a most obedient servant of his wife, family life becomes disturbed. In the Western countries this disturbance gives rise to the divorce law, and in Eastern countries like India there is separation. Now this disturbance is confirmed by the new introduction of the divorce law in India. Within the heart, the mind is acting, thinking, feeling and willing, and falling under the control of one’s wife is the same as falling under the control of material intelligence. Thus one begets children by his wife and becomes entangled in so many activities under the control of mental concoctions.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Thus, completely attached to activities, being lusty, cheated, and foolish, he did whatever his queen wanted.
Entangled in mental concoction, under material intelligence's control, he fulfilled all the queen's desires. The soul under intelligence-control becomes wife-servant; the formal hierarchy reverses.
Reflection Questions
  • Where has my soul become servant of an intelligence I should be directing?
  • What single act could reverse the inverted hierarchy?
📝 My note

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