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cacara—executed; mrgayam—hunting; tatra—there; drptah—being proud; atta—having taken; isu—arrows; karmukah—bow; vihaya—giving up; jayam—his wife; a-tat-arham—although impossible; mrga—hunting; vyasana—evil activities; lalasah—being inspired by.

It was almost impossible for King Puranjana to give up the company of his Queen even for a moment. Nonetheless, on that day, being very much inspired by the desire to hunt, he took up his bow and arrow with great pride and went to the forest, not caring for his wife.

One form of hunting is known as woman-hunting. A conditioned soul is never satisfied with one wife. Those whose senses are very much uncontrolled especially try to hunt for many women. King Puranjana’s abandoning the company of his religiously married wife is representative of the conditioned soul’s attempt to hunt for many women for sense gratification. Wherever a king goes, he is supposed to be accompanied by his queen, but when the king, or conditioned soul, becomes greatly overpowered by the desire for sense gratification, he does not care for religious principles. Instead, with great pride, he accepts the bow and arrow of attachment and hatred. Our consciousness is always working in two ways—the right way and the wrong way. When one becomes too proud of his position, influenced by the mode of passion, he gives up the right path and accepts the wrong one. Ksatriya kings are sometimes advised to go to the forest to hunt ferocious animals just to learn how to kill, but such forays are never meant for sense gratification. Killing animals to eat their flesh is forbidden for human beings.

SB4.26.5

TEXT 5

asurim vrttim asritya

ghoratma niranugrahah

nyahanan nisitair banair

vanesu vana-gocaran

asurim—demoniac; vrttim—occupation; asritya—taken shelter of; ghora—horrible; atma—consciousness, heart; niranugrahah—without mercy; nyahanat—killed; nisitaih—by sharp; banaih—arrows; vanesu—in the forests; vana-gocaran—the forest animals.

At that time King Puranjana was very much influenced by demoniac propensities. Because of this, his heart became very hard and merciless, and with sharp arrows he killed many innocent animals in the forest, taking no consideration.

When a man becomes too proud of his material position, he tries to enjoy his senses in an unrestricted way, being influenced by the modes of passion and ignorance. He is thus described as asuric, or demoniac. When people are demoniac in spirit, they are not merciful toward the poor animals. Consequently, they maintain various animal slaughterhouses. This is technically called suna, or himsa, which means the killing of living beings. In Kali-yuga, due to the increase of the modes of passion and ignorance, almost all men are asuric, or demoniac; therefore they are very much fond of eating flesh, and for this end they maintain various kinds of animal slaughterhouses.

In this age of Kali the propensity for mercy is almost nil. Consequently there is always fighting and wars between men and nations. Men do not understand that because they unrestrictedly kill so many animals, they also must be slaughtered like animals in big wars. This is very much evident in the Western countries. In the West, slaughterhouses are maintained without restriction, and therefore every fifth or tenth year there is a big war in which countless people are slaughtered even more cruelly than the animals. Sometimes during war, soldiers keep their enemies in concentration camps and kill them in very cruel ways. These are reactions brought about by unrestricted animal-killing in the slaughterhouse and by hunters in the forest. Proud, demoniac persons do not know the laws of nature, or the laws of God. Consequently, they unrestrictedly kill poor animals, not caring for them at all. In the Krsna consciousness movement, animal-killing is completely prohibited. One is not accepted as a bona fide student in this movement unless he promises to follow the four regulative principles: no animal-killing, no intoxication, no illicit sex and no gambling. This Krsna consciousness movement is the only means by which the sinful activities of men in this Kali-yuga can be counteracted.

SB4.26.6

TEXT 6

tirthesu pratidrstesu

raja medhyan pasun vane

yavad-artham alam lubdho

hanyad iti niyamyate

tirthesu—in holy places; pratidrstesu—according to the direction of the Vedas; raja—a king; medhyan—fit for sacrifice; pasun—animals; vane—in the forest; yavat—so much as; artham—required; alam—not more than that; lubdhah—being greedy; hanyat—one may kill; iti—thus; niyamyate—it is regulated.

If a king is too attracted to eating flesh, he may, according to the directions of the revealed scriptures on sacrificial performances, go to the forest and kill some animals that are recommended for killing. One is not allowed to kill animals unnecessarily or without restrictions. The Vedas regulate animal-killing to stop the extravagance of foolish men influenced by the modes of passion and ignorance.

The question may be raised why a living being should be restricted in sense gratification. If a king, to learn how to kill, may go to the forest and kill animals, why should a living entity, who has been given senses, not be allowed unrestricted sense gratification? At the present moment this argument is put forward even by so-called svamis and yogis who publicly say that because we have senses we must satisfy them by sense gratification. These foolish svamis and yogis, however, do not know the injunctions of the sastras. Indeed, sometimes these rascals come out to defy the sastras. They even publicly announce that there should be no more sastras, no more books. “Just come to me,” they say, “and I shall touch you, and you will become immediately spiritually advanced.”

Because demoniac people want to be cheated, so many cheaters are present to cheat them. At the present moment in this age of Kali-yuga, the entire human society has become an assembly of cheaters and cheated. For this reason the Vedic scriptures have given us the proper directions for sense gratification. Everyone is inclined in this age to eat meat and fish, drink liquor and indulge in sex life, but according to the Vedic injunctions, sex is allowed only in marriage, meat-eating is allowed only when the animal is killed and offered before the goddess Kali, and intoxication is allowed only in a restricted way. In this verse the word niyamyate indicates that all these things—namely animal-killing, intoxication and sex—should be regulated.

Regulations are meant for human beings, not for animals. The traffic regulations on the street, telling people to keep to the right or the left, are meant for human beings, not for animals. If an animal violates such a law, he is never punished, but a human being is punished. The Vedas are not meant for the animals, but for the understanding of human society. A person who indiscriminately violates the rules and regulations given by the Vedas is liable to be punished. One should therefore not enjoy his senses according to his lusty desires, but should restrict himself according to the regulative principles given in the Vedas. If a king is allowed to hunt in a forest, it is not for his sense gratification. We cannot simply experiment in the art of killing. If a king, being afraid to meet rogues and thieves, kills poor animals and eats their flesh comfortably at home, he must lose his position. Because in this age kings have such demoniac propensities, monarchy is abolished by the laws of nature in every country.

People have become so degraded in this age that on the one hand they restrict polygamy and on the other hand they hunt for women in so many ways. Many business concerns publicly advertise that topless girls are available in this club or in that shop. Thus women have become instruments of sense enjoyment in modern society. The Vedas enjoin, however, that if a man has the propensity to enjoy more than one wife—as is sometimes the propensity for men in the higher social order, such as the brahmanas, ksatriyas and vaisyas, and even sometimes the sudras—he is allowed to marry more than one wife. Marriage means taking complete charge of a woman and living peacefully without debauchery. At the present moment, however, debauchery is unrestricted. Nonetheless, society makes a law that one should not marry more than one wife. This is typical of a demoniac society.

SB4.26.7

TEXT 7

ya evam karma niyatam

vidvan kurvita manavah

karmana tena rajendra

jnanena na sa lipyate

yah—anyone who; evam—thus; karma—activities; niyatam—regulated; vidvan—learned; kurvita—should perform; manavah—a human being; karmana—by such activities; tena—by this; raja-indra—O King; jnanena—by advancement of knowledge; na—never; sah—he; lipyate—becomes involved.

Narada Muni continued to speak to King Pracinabarhisat: My dear King, any person who works according to the directions of the Vedic scriptures does not become involved in fruitive activities.

viplavo ’bhud duhkhitanam

Just as a government may issue trade licenses in order for its citizens to act in a certain way, the Vedas contain injunctions that restrain and regulate all of our fruitive activities. All living entities have come into this material world to enjoy themselves. Consequently, the Vedas are given to regulate sense enjoyment. One who enjoys his senses under the Vedic regulative principles does not become entangled in the actions and reactions of his activities. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (3.9), yajnarthat karmanah: one should act only for the performance of yajna, or to satisfy Lord Visnu. Anyatra loko ’yam karma-bandhanah: otherwise any action will produce a reaction by which the living entity will be bound. A human being is especially meant to attain liberation from the bondage of birth, death, old age and disease. He is therefore directed by the Vedic regulative principles to work in such a way that he may fulfill his desires for sense gratification and at the same time gradually become freed from material bondage. Action according to such principles is called knowledge. Indeed, the word veda means “knowledge.” The words jnanena na sa lipyate indicate that by following the Vedic principles, one does not become involved in the actions and reactions of his fruitive activities.

Everyone is therefore advised to act in terms of the Vedic injunctions and not irresponsibly. When a person within a state acts according to the laws and licenses of the government, he does not become involved in criminal activities. Man-made laws, however, are always defective because they are made by men who are prone to committing mistakes, being illusioned, cheating and having imperfect senses. The Vedic instructions are different because they do not have these four defects. Vedic instructions are not subject to mistakes. The knowledge of the Vedas is knowledge received directly from God, and there is consequently no question of illusion, cheating, mistakes or imperfect senses. All Vedic knowledge is perfect because it is received directly from God by the parampara, disciplic succession. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.1) it is said: tene brahma hrda ya adi-kavaye. The original creature of this universe, known as the adi-kavi, or Lord Brahma, was instructed by Krsna through the heart. After receiving these Vedic instructions from Lord Krsna Himself, Brahma distributed the knowledge by the parampara system to Narada, and Narada in turn distributed the knowledge to Vyasa. In this way Vedic knowledge is perfect. If we act according to Vedic knowledge, there is no question of being involved in sinful activities.

4.26.8

TEXT 8

anyatha karma kurvano

manarudho nibadhyate

guna-pravaha-patito

nasta-prajno vrajaty adhah

SYNONYMS

anyatha—otherwise; karma—fruitive activities; kurvanah—while acting; mana-arudhah—being influenced by false prestige; nibadhyate—one becomes entangled; guna-pravaha—by the influence of the material qualities; patitah—fallen; nasta-prajnah—bereft of all intelligence; vrajati—thus he goes; adhah—down.

TRANSLATION

Otherwise, a person who acts whimsically falls down due to false prestige. Thus he becomes involved in the laws of nature, which are composed of the three qualities [goodness, passion and ignorance]. In this way a living entity becomes devoid of his real intelligence and becomes perpetually lost in the cycle of birth and death. Thus he goes up and down from a microbe in stool to a high position in the Brahmaloka planet.

PURPORT

There are many important words in this verse. The first is anyatha, “otherwise,” which indicates one who does not care for the Vedic rules and regulations. The rules and regulations laid down in the Vedas are called sastra-vidhi. Bhagavad-gita clearly states that one who does not accept the sastra-vidhi, or rules and regulations mentioned in the Vedic scriptures, and acts whimsically or puffed up with false pride never attains perfection in this life, nor does he attain happiness or liberation from the material condition.

yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya
vartate kama-karatah
na sa siddhim avapnoti
na sukham na param gatim

“He who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection nor happiness nor the supreme destination.” (Bg. 16.23) Thus one who is deliberately transgressing the rules and regulations of the sastras is simply involving himself more and more in material existence in the three modes of material nature. Human society should therefore follow the Vedic principles of life, which are summarized in Bhagavad-gita. Otherwise life in material existence will continue. Foolish persons do not know that the soul is passing through 8,400,000 spieces of life. By the gradual process of evolution, when one comes to the human form of life, he is supposed to follow the rules and regulations laid down in the Vedas. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that the living entity, since time immemorial, is suffering the threefold miseries of material nature due to his demoniac attitude, which is his spirit of revolt against the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krsna also confirms this in Bhagavad-gita (15.7):

mamaivamso jiva-loke
jiva-bhutah sanatanah
manah-sasthanindriyani
prakrti-sthani karsati

“The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.” Every living entity is part and parcel of God. There is no reason for the living entity’s being put into the miserable threefold condition of material existence but that he voluntarily accepts material existence on the false pretext of becoming an enjoyer. To save him from this horrible condition, the Lord has given all the Vedic literatures in His incarnation of Vyasadeva. It is therefore said:

krsna bhuli’ sei jiva anadi-bahirmukha
ataeva maya tare deya samsara-duhkha

“By forgetting Krsna, the living entity has become materialistic since time immemorial. Therefore the illusory energy of Krsna is giving him different types of miseries in material existence.” (Cc. Madhya 20.117)

maya-mugdha jivera nahi svatah krsna-jnana
jivere krpaya kaila krsna veda-purana

“When a living entity is enchanted by the external energy, he cannot revive his original Krsna consciousness independently. Due to such circumstances, Krsna has kindly given him the Vedic literatures, such as the four Vedas and eighteen Puranas.” (Cc. Madhya 20.122) Every human being should therefore take advantage of the Vedic instructions; otherwise one will be bound by his whimsical activities and will be without any guide.

The word manarudhah is also very significant in this verse. Under the pretext of becoming great philosophers and scientists, men throughout the whole world are working on the mental platform. Such men are generally nondevotees, due to not caring for the instructions given by the Lord to the first living creature, Lord Brahma. The Bhagavatam (5.18.12) therefore says:

harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna
mano-rathenasati dhavato bahih

A person who is a nondevotee has no good qualifications because he acts on the mental platform. One who acts on the mental platform has to change his standard of knowledge periodically. We consequently see that one philosopher may disagree with another philosopher, and one scientist may put forward a theory contradicting the theory of another scientist. All of this is due to their working on the mental platform without a standard of knowledge. In the Vedic instructions, however, the standard of knowledge is accepted, even though it may sometimes appear that the statements are contradictory. Because the Vedas are the standard of knowledge, even though they may appear contradictory, they should be accepted. If one does not accept them, he will be bound by the material conditions.

The material conditions are described in this verse as guna-pravaha, the flowing of the three modes of material nature. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura therefore says in a song, miche mayara vase, yaccha bhese’, khaccha habudubu, bhai: “Why are you suffering? Why are you sometimes being drowned in the waves of material nature and sometimes coming to the surface?” Jiva krsna-dasa, ei visvasa, karle ta’ ara duhkha nai: “Please therefore accept yourself as the servant of Krsna. Then you will be freed from all miseries.” As soon as one surrenders to Krsna and accepts the perfect standard of knowledge, which is Bhagavad-gita as it is, he then comes out of the material modes of nature and does not fall down and lose his knowledge.

Nasta-prajnah. The word prajna means “perfect knowledge,” and nasta-prajna means “one who has no perfect knowledge.” One who does not have perfect knowledge has only mental speculation. By such mental speculation one falls down and down into a hellish condition of life. By transgressing the laws laid down in the sastras, one cannot become pure in heart. When one’s heart is not purified, one acts according to the three material modes of nature. These activities are very nicely explained in verses 1 through 6 of the Seventeenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita (2.45) further explains:

traigunya-visaya veda
nistraigunyo bhavarjuna
nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho
niryoga-ksema atmavan

“The Vedas mainly deal with the subject of the three modes of material nature. Rise above these modes, O Arjuna. Be transcendental to all of them. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the Self.” The entire world and all material knowledge is within the three modes of material nature. One has to transcend these modes, and to attain that platform of transcendence one must follow the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus become perfect in life. Otherwise one will be knocked down by the waves of the material nature’s three modes. This is further explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.5.30) in the words of Prahlada Maharaja:

matir na krsne paratah svato va
mitho ’bhipadyeta grha-vratanam
adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram
punah punas carvita-carvananam

Materialistic persons, who are too much engaged in material enjoyment and who do not know anything beyond their material experiences, are carried by the whims of material nature. They live a life characterized by chewing the chewed, and they are controlled by their uncontrolled senses. Thus they go down to the darkest regions of hellish life.

SB4.26.9

TEXT 9

tatra nirbhinna-gatranam

citra-vajaih silimukhaih

duhsahah karunatmanam

tatra—there; nirbhinna—being pierced; gatranam—whose bodies; citra-vajaih—with variegated feathers; sili-mukhaih—by the arrows; viplavah—destruction; abhut—was done; duhkhitanam—of the most aggrieved; duhsahah—unbearable; karuna-atmanam—for persons who are very merciful.

When King Puranjana was hunting in this way, many animals within the forest lost their lives with great pain, being pierced by the sharp arrowheads. Upon seeing these devastating, ghastly activities performed by the King, all the people who were merciful by nature became very unhappy. Such merciful persons could not tolerate seeing all this killing.