1188
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[ Canto 4, Ch. 25 ]
TRANSLATION
Of the nine gates in that city, seven were on the surface and two were subterranean. A total of nine doors were constructed, and these led to different places. All the gates were used by the city's governor.
PURPORT
The seven gates of the body that are situated upward are the two eyes, two nostrils, two ears and one mouth. The two subterranean gates are the rectum and the genitals. The king, or the ruler of the body, who is the living entity, uses all these doors to enjoy different types of material pleasures. The system of opening different gates to different places is still evident in old Indian cities. Formerly a capital was surrounded by walls, and one passed through various gates to go to various cities or towards specific directions. In old Delhi there are still remnants of surrounding walls and various gates known as the Kaśmiri Gate, the Lahori Gate, etc. Similarly, in Ahmedabad there is a Delhi Gate. The point of this simile is that the living entity wants to enjoy different types of material opulences, and to this end nature has given him various holes in his body that he can utilize for sense enjoyment.
TEXT 46
पञ्च द्वारस्तु पौरस्त्या दक्षिणैका तथोत्तरा । पश्चिमे द्वे अमूषां ते नामानि नृप वर्णये ॥४६॥
pañca dvāras tu paurastyā dakṣiṇaikā tathottarā paścime dve amūṣāṁ te nāmāni nṛpa varṇaye
pañca—five; dvāraḥ—doors; tu—then; paurastyāḥ—facing the eastern side; dakṣiṇā—southern; ekā—one; tathā—also; uttarā—one towards the north; paścime—similarly, on the western side; dve—two; amūṣāṁ—of them; te—unto you; nāmāni—names; nṛpa—O King; varṇaye—I shall describe.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, of the nine doors, five led toward the eastern side, one led toward the northern side, one led toward the southern side, and two led toward the western side. I shall try to give the names of these different doors.