1480 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 29

existence. The attraction between male and female in this material world
is very strong. In all species of life the attraction between male and female
is the basic principle of existence. The same principle of intermingling is
also in human society but is in a regulative form. Material existence means
living together as male and female and being attracted by one another.
However, when one fully understands spiritual life, his attraction for the
opposite sex is completely vanquished. By such attraction, one becomes
overly attached to this material world. It is a hard knot within the heart.

pumsah striyd mithuni-bhavam etam
tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh
ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair
janasya moho ’yam aham mameti (Bhag. 5.5.8)

Everyone comes to this material world attracted to sense gratification, and
the hard knot of sense gratification is the attraction between male and
female. By this attraction, one becomes overly attached to the material
world in terms of grha-ksetra-suta-dpta-vitta—that is, home, land, children,
friends, money, and so forth. Thus one becomes entangled in the bodily
conception of “I and mine.” However, if one understands the story of
King Purafijana and understands how, by sexual attraction, Puranjana
became a female in his next life, one will also understand the process of
transmigration.

SPECIAL NOTE: According to Vijayadhvaja Tirtha, who belongs to the
Madhvacarya-sampradaya, the first two of the following verses appear after
the forty-fifth verse of this chapter, and the remaining two verses appear
after the seventy-ninth verse.

TEXTS la— 2a

sarvesam eva jantiinam
satatari deha-posane
asti prajiid samayatta
ko visesas tadad nrnam

labdhvehante manusyatvam
hitvd dehaddy-asad-graham

atma-srtya vihayedam
jivatma sa visisyate
