Marm ni vaat (Gujarati) - Bhagvat Puran - Devi Bhagvat

The story of Puranjan is a metaphor and so Naradji now explains the king Prachinbruhi the real meaning of it. In the first part, we hear about what the story of Puranjan in the initial aspects means including why the nourishment of the soul cannot be achieved by just focusing on materialism. We also hear how worldly pleasures move us away from the bhakti of the Lord.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paurav-shukla/message

Puranjan dies of old age and goes to hell where the animals he had killed before attack him. Later on he gets another birth as the daughter of the king of Vidharbha. The princess then marries to the king of Pandya, Malaydhwaja. In his later life, as the king leaves his kingdom for penance, his queen (who was in previous life Puranjan) also joins. When the king dies, the queen decides to become a Sati and at that time Puranjan's old friend avignat appears and explains that he is a swan from Mansarovar originally and because of his materialistic nature he has gone through these two lives.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paurav-shukla/message

King Puranjan is completely devoted to his family life and has forgotten to focus on the kingdom or the purushartha, the aims of life. In that period, the kalkanya (old age), builds a connection with the king fear and his brother prajwar (fever due to illness) and start attacking Puranjan and his kingdom.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paurav-shukla/message

The king Puranjan goes out for hunting one day while leaving his queen and kills numerous animals. His cruel approach to life is reflected upon. When he gets back tired from the hunt, he realises that his queen is angry on him and so he goes to her palace to appease her and using his sweet tongue does so. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paurav-shukla/message

Maharaj Prachinbruhi meets muni Narad who asks the king about the need for so many yagna he has been doing and informs him that just focusing on the yagna and not on their meaning won't allow the king to reach moksha that he desires. Muni Narad tells the story of Puranjan. In that story, Puranjan searches for a kindgom to live in and find a wife to marry and meets a lady of that kind near Himalaya. He becomes totally infetuated with her and starts living under her whims and frenzies.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paurav-shukla/message

Maharaj Pruthu has left the Earth and we hear about his progeny. We hear about Vijitashwa, his son, and his life, followed by a reflection on Maharaj Prachinbruhi and his sons. These sons meet Lord Shankar when they go for a penance and Lord Shankar teaches them a stuti of Lord Vishnu.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paurav-shukla/message

After being a devout king for a many years, Maharaj Pruthu decides to leave his kingdom and focus on the spiritual path and enlightenment of the self. He goes to the forest and focuses on the penance and soul cleansing. Maharani Archi also joins him in this journey and they both reach moksha. We again hear about the way of Moksha.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paurav-shukla/message

The four first sons of Brahma visit Maharaj Pruthu and offer his sagely advice. They explain what should an individual do to be on the path of dharma and moksha ultimately. They also explain why the soul falls from grace. We also hear about the karma of Maharaj Pruthu after the sages leave.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paurav-shukla/message

Maharaj Pruthu arrives back in his abode and after sitting with his subjects and many other rishis he explains his views on the role of a ruler and what his subjects should be doing. He also explains the role of the leader and the importance of Dharma at individual and societal levels.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paurav-shukla/message

Seeing the forgiveness demonstrated by Maharaj Pruthu, Lord Vishnu appears and explains the role of a king and the path of moksha. The Lord also requests Pruthu to ask for a boon. Listening to the Lord's advice, Pruthu pleads to the Lord that he offers him a place in his heart. The Lord praises Pruthu and everyone leaves the Yagya.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paurav-shukla/message

After seeing that the people under his rule are well settled, Maharaj Pruthu focuses on his spiritual self and decides to carry out 100 Ashwamedh Yagya. Bitten by jealousy, the mercurial God, Indra feels that Pruthu will gain even more of a status than him by completing the 100 yagyas. Hence, he tries to disrupt the process disguising himself in different identities. The son of Pruthu, stops Indra from his mischief. Knowing what Indra is trying to do, Pruthu gets angrier and gets ready to kill Indra. However, Brahamaji appears and requests Pruthu to disengage and avoid taking part in such misdeed. Pruthu, in his maturity, lets go of Indra and forgives him.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paurav-shukla/message

Earth who has taken the shape of a cow explains to Maharaj Pruthu why she is hiding the different types of fauna, flora and other good things. She requests that Maharaj Pruthu finds the right calf and the right shepherd to milch this cow and also provide flat lands to people by demolishing some of the hills. Following that mother Earth provides what is required by different types of beings. Maharaj Pruthu who has taken the Earth under his refuge, makes her his daughter.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paurav-shukla/message

When Maharaj Pruthu finds out from his citizens that the Earth has stop offering them the resources, he gets ready to fire a metaphorical arrows to the Earth. The Goddess Earth takes the shape of a cow and runs from the Maharaj Pruthu. However, she realises that there is no way out and so takes refuge with Pruthu himself. She understands that Maraharj Pruthu is another incarnation of Lord Vishnu and offers a stuti.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paurav-shukla/message

When Maharaj Pruthu explains his views about why he should not be praised early, the people feel grateful and offer his stuti that reflects the expectations of the people from him. Moreover, in doing so, vyasji explains the role of and expectations from a good leader. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paurav-shukla/message

When the sages try again, they get two bodies from the arm of the dead king Ven. Two beings emerge from that as Pruthu and Archi, who are identified as the incarnation of Lord Shri Vishnu and Laxmi ji. As people start praising Maharaj Pruthu he stops them and explains that they should not praise him before they see his karma. We learn some leadership lessons through his sentences.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paurav-shukla/message