FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.28.13

यवनोपरुद्धायतनो ग्रस्तायां कालकन्यया । पुर्यां प्रज्वारसंसृष्ट: पुरपालोऽन्वतप्यत ॥ १३ ॥
yavanoparuddhāyatano
[yavanoparuddhaayatano]
grastāyāṁ kāla-kanyayā
[grastaayaam kaala-kanyayaa]
puryāṁ prajvāra-saṁsṛṣṭaḥ
[puryaam prajvaara-samsrishtah]
pura-pālo ’nvatapyata
[pura-paalo ’nvatapyata]
yavana — by the Yavanas uparuddha — attacked āyatanaḥ — his abode grastāyām — when seized kāla-kanyayā — by the daughter of Time puryām — the city prajvāra-saṁsṛṣṭaḥ — being approached by Prajvāra pura-pālaḥ — the city superintendent anvatapyata — became also very much aggrieved.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yavanoparuddhāyatano
yavana
by the Yavanas
uparuddha
attacked
āyatanaḥ
his abode
grastāyāṁ kāla-kanyayā
grastāyām
when seized
kāla-kanyayā
by the daughter of Time
puryāṁ prajvāra-saṁsṛṣṭaḥ
puryām
the city
prajvāra-saṁsṛṣṭaḥ
being approached by Prajvāra
pura-pālo ’nvatapyata
pura-pālaḥ
the city superintendent
anvatapyata
became also very much aggrieved.
The city’s superintendent of police, the serpent, saw that the citizens were being attacked by Kālakanyā, and he became very aggrieved to see his own residence set ablaze after being attacked by the Yavanas.

The living entity is covered by two different types of bodies — the gross body and the subtle body. At death we can see that the gross body is finished, but actually the living entity is carried by the subtle body to another gross body. The so-called scientists of the modern age cannot see how the subtle body is working in carrying the soul from one body to another. This subtle body has been figuratively described as a serpent, or the city’s police superintendent. When there is fire everywhere, the police superintendent cannot escape either. When there is security and an absence of fire in the city, the police superintendent can impose his authority upon the citizens, but when there is an all-out attack on the city, he is rendered useless. As the life air was ready to leave the gross body, the subtle body also began to experience pain.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
When the city was being attacked by old age, the protector of the city, seeing his abode attacked by Yavanas, and himself touched by Prajvāra, became most distressed. The protector of the city was the snake, the life air.
The serpent (vital force) saw the citizens attacked and his residence burning; he was aggrieved. Even the vital force grieves at its own dissolution; the principle of life is sentient.
Reflection Questions
  • Have I considered that my vital force itself feels what's happening?
  • Where could honoring the life-principle change how I treat my body?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 28