TEXT 52
asuri nama pascad dvas
taya yati puranjanah
gramakam nama visayam
durmadena samanvitah
SYNONYMS
asuriof the name Asuri; namacalled; pascaton the western side; dvahgate; tayaby which; yatiused to go; puranjanahKing Puranjana; gramakamof the name Gramaka; namacalled; visayamthe city of sense enjoyment; durmadenaby Durmada; samanvitahaccompanied.
TRANSLATION
On the western side was a gate named Asuri. Through that gate King Puranjana used to go to the city of Gramaka, accompanied by his friend Durmada.
PURPORT
The gate on the western side of the city was known as Asuri because it was especially meant for the asuras. The word asura refers to those who are interested in sense gratification, specifically in sex life, to which they are overly attracted. Thus Puranjana, the living entity, enjoys himself to his greatest satisfaction by means of the genitals. Consequently he used to go to the place known as Gramaka. Material sense gratification is also called gramya, and the place where sex life is indulged in to a great extent is called Gramaka. When going to Gramaka, Puranjana used to be accompanied by his friend Durmada. The word visaya refers to the four bodily necessities of lifeeating, sleeping, mating and defending. The word durmadena may be analyzed in this way: dur means dusta, or sinful, and mada means madness. Every living entity who is in contact with material nature is called mada, or mad. It is said:
When a person is haunted, he becomes practically insane. When one is in an insane condition, he speaks all kinds of nonsense. Thus to become engaged in sense gratification, one has to accept a friend who is durmada, or badly affected by the material disease.
The words asuri nama pascad dvah are significant in another sense. The sunrise is first visible from the eastern sidethe Bay of Bengaland gradually it progresses toward the west. It is practically experienced that people in the West are more addicted to sense gratification. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself has certified: pascimera loka saba mudha anacara (Cc. Adi 10.89). The more one goes to the western side, the more he will find people disinterested in spiritual life. He will find them behaving against the Vedic standards. Because of this, people living in the West are more addicted to sense gratification. In this Bhagavatam it is confirmed: asuri nama pascad dvah. In other words, the population on the western side is interested in an asuric civilization, that is, a materialistic way of life. Lord Caitanya consequently wanted this Krsna consciousness movement to be preached on the western side of the world so that people addicted to sense gratification might be benefited by His teachings.

Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/4/25/52

Previous: SB 4.25.51     Next: SB 4.25.53

If you Love Me Distribute My Books -- Srila Prabhupada