FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.27.17

क्षीयमाणे स्वसम्बन्धे एकस्मिन् बहुभिर्युधा । चिन्तां परां जगामार्त: सराष्ट्रपुरबान्धव: ॥ १७ ॥
kṣīyamāṇe sva-sambandhe
[ksheeyamaane sva-sambandhe]
ekasmin bahubhir yudhā
[ekasmin bahubhir yudhaa]
cintāṁ parāṁ jagāmārtaḥ
[chintaam paraam jagaamaartah]
sa-rāṣṭra-pura-bāndhavaḥ
[sa-raashtra-pura-baandhavah]
kṣīyamāṇe — when he became weak sva-sambandhe — his intimate friend ekasmin — alone bahubhiḥ — with many warriors yudhā — by battle cintām — anxiety parām — very great jagāma — obtained ārtaḥ — being aggrieved sa — along with rāṣṭra — of the kingdom pura — of the city bāndhavaḥ — friends and relatives.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kṣīyamāṇe sva-sambandhe
kṣīyamāṇe
when he became weak
sva-sambandhe
his intimate friend
ekasmin bahubhir yudhā
ekasmin
alone
bahubhiḥ
with many warriors
yudhā
by battle
cintāṁ parāṁ jagāmārtaḥ
cintām
anxiety
parām
very great
jagāma
obtained
ārtaḥ
being aggrieved
sa-rāṣṭra-pura-bāndhavaḥ
sa
along with
rāṣṭra
of the kingdom
pura
of the city
bāndhavaḥ
friends and relatives.
Because he had to fight alone with so many soldiers, all of whom were great warriors, the serpent with five hoods became very weak. Seeing that his most intimate friend was weakening, King Purañjana and his friends and citizens living within the city all became very anxious.

The living entity resides within the body and struggles for existence with the limbs of the body, which are referred to here as citizens and friends. One can struggle alone with many soldiers for some time, but not for all time. The living entity within the body can struggle up to the limit of a hundred years with good luck, but after that it is not possible to prolong the struggle. Thus the living entity submits and falls victim. In this regard, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, vṛddha kāla āola saba sukha bhāgala: when one becomes old, it becomes impossible to enjoy material happiness. Generally people think that religion and piety come at the end of life, and at this time one generally becomes meditative and takes to some so-called yogic process to relax in the name of meditation. Meditation, however, is simply a farce for those who have enjoyed life in sense gratification. As described in the Sixth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, meditation ( dhyāna, dhāraṇā ) is a difficult subject matter that one has to learn from his very youth. To meditate, one must restrain himself from all kinds of sense gratification. Unfortunately, meditation has now become a fashion for those who are overly addicted to sensual things. Such meditation is defeated by the struggle for existence. Sometimes such meditative processes pass for transcendental meditation. King Purañjana, the living entity, being thus victimized by the hard struggle for existence, took to transcendental meditation with his friends and relatives.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Seeing his relative grow weak from fighting with many soldiers, the unhappy King and the citizens became very worried. For fifty-three years, the watchman could not be defeated. After that, however, gradually he was defeated. Purañjana became unhappy on seeing that his life air, his relative, was growing weak.
Weakening alone against many warriors, he caused anxiety to Purañjana and citizens. The body's slow decline registers as growing anxiety in everyone who depends on it.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose slow decline am I anxious about and avoiding addressing directly?
  • Where do I treat aging as a private issue when it actually impacts an entire 'city'?
📝 My note

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