Text 23] Narada and Angira Instruct King Citraketu 71

adhuna—at the present moment; putrinadm—of persons who have
children; tapah—the tribulation; bhavata—by you; eva—indeed;
anubhiiyate—is experienced; evam—in this way; darah—good wife;
grhah—residence; rayah—riches; vividha—various; aisvarya—opu-
lences; sampadah—prosperities; sabda-ddayah —sound and so on; ca—
and; visayah—the objects of sense gratification; calah—temporary; ra-
Jya—of the kingdom; vibhiitayah—opulences; mahi—land; rayyam—
kingdom; balam—strength; kosah—treasury: bhrtya—servants:
amétya—ministers; suhrt-janadh—allies; sarve—all: api—indeed:
Stirasena—O King of Sirasena; ime—these: soka—of lamentation:
moha—of illusion; bhaya—of fear; arti—and distress; dah—givers;
gandharva-nagara-prakhyah—headed by the illusory sight of a
gandharva-nagara, a big palace within the forest; svapna—dreams:
maya—illusions; manorathah—and concoctions of the mind.

TRANSLATION

My dear King, now you are actually experiencing the misery of a
person who has sons and daughters. O King, owner of the state of
Surasena, one’s wife, his house, the opulence of his kingdom, and
his various other opulences and objects of sense perception are all
the same in that they are temporary. One’s kingdom, military
power, treasury, servants, ministers, friends and relatives are all
causes of fear, illusion, lamentation and distress. They are like a
gandharva-nagara, a nonexistent palace that one imagines to exist
in the forest. Because they are impermanent, they are no better
than illusions, dreams and mental concoctions.

PURPORT

This verse describes the entanglement of material existence. In ma-
terial existence, the living entity possesses many things—the material
body. children, wife and so on (dehdpatya-kalatradisu). One may think
that these will give him protection, but that is impossible. In spite of all
these possessions, the spirit soul has to give up his present situation and
accept another. The next situation may be unfavorable, but even if it is
favorable, one must give it up and again accept another body. In this
way, one’s tribulation in material existence continues. A sane man
