Text 16] The Characteristics of King Purafijana 1155

sabha-catvara-rath yabhir
akridayatanapanaih

caitya-dhvaja-patakabhir
yuktam vidruma-vedibhih

sabha—assembly houses; catvara—squares; rathyabhih—by streets; akrida-
dyatana—gambling houses; dpanaih—by shops; caitya—resting places;
dhvaja-patakabhih—with flags and festoons; yuk tam— decorated; vidruma—
without trees; vedibhih—with platforms.

TRANSLATION

In that city there were many assembly houses, street crossings, streets,
restaurants, gambling houses, markets, resting places, flags, festoons and
beautiful parks. All these surrounded the city.

PURPORT

In this way the capital is described. In the capital there are assembly
houses and many squares, many street crossings, avenues and streets,
many gambling places, markets and places of rest, all decorated with
flags and festoons. The squares are surrounded with railings and are devoid
of trees. The heart of the body can be compared to the assembly house, for
the living entity is within the heart along with the Paramatma, as stated in
Bhagavad-gita:

sarvasya cadham hrdi sannivisto
mattah smrtir jianam apohanam ca
vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo
vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham

“I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowl-
edge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am | to be known; indeed I am
the compiler of Vedanta, and | am the knower of the Vedas.” (Bg. 15.15)

The heart is the center of all remembrance, forgetfulness and deliberation.
In the body the eyes, ears and nose are different places of attraction for
sense enjoyment, and the streets for going hither and thither may be com-
pared to different types of air blowing within the body. The yogic process
for controlling the air within the body and the different nerves is called
susumna, the path of liberation. The body is also a resting place because
when the living entity becomes fatigued he takes rest within the body.
The palms and soles of the feet are compared to flags and festoons.
