“Once upon a time there was a famous and powerful king named Puranjan. He was the king of Panchal. Many other kingdoms were under the rule of Puranjan. He was a man with a keen interest to enjoy all worldly enjoyment. He had a very close friend name Abijnat (अबिज्ञात).
For his enjoyment, he was searching for a suitable city where all the facilities and beauty would be there. One day he entered a city in the Himalayan region which was a part of his kingdom. The city was very beautiful. It had all the amenities including nice roads, scenic beauty, gardens, rivers, ponds, trees, high-rise buildings, many expensive shops, etc. He liked the city very much. While roaming in the city, he saw a beautiful garden. The garden had a lovely pond surrounded by trees with lustrous flowers where birds were singing in their own tunes.
While roaming in the garden he saw a pretty girl with an attractive figure coming towards him. She was clad with beautiful ornaments. There were ten servants and many maids with her. A snake with five hoods was guarding her. The girl was in search of a suitable husband. Puranjan was moved by her beauty. When she reached near him, he wanted to know her identity and the reason for her roaming in the garden.
He tried to win her heart by praising her goddess-like beauty. The girl also felt an unknown attraction towards Puranjan. She told him that she didn't know her own identity. Neither she knew how she came to the garden. She informed him that she lived in a big and luxurious house with nine gates situated inside the garden. The servants and maids were always at her service and the snake with five hoods ensured her safety day and night. King Puranjan also divulged his identity to her and expressed his desire to live with her and enjoy life. She eagerly agreed to live with him. She assured him to provide all types of enjoyment and luxuries. Then they got married and Puranjan lived with her in her palace in the forest garden. He used to call her Puranjani.
The couple enjoyed their life for hundreds of years. In due course of time, they became parents to one hundred boys and one hundred girls. Puranjan was unable to bear to live apart from her for even a day. Sometimes he would go hunting in deep forests and kill many animals unnecessarily. His servants and employees would bring taxes from Panchal to him. He was maintaining his luxurious life from the collected tax.
He was neglecting the administration of his kingdom. Taking this as an opportunity, a crooked Gandharva king in the name of 'Chandabeg' attacked the city where Puranjan was staying with Puranjani. Chandabeg had three hundred sixty mighty gandharv soldiers. Like Puranjan, Chandabeg was also very fond of carnal pleasure. He had many beautiful gandharv ladies of all colours and sensuous bodies.
To maintain his luxurious and erotic life Chandabeg used to loot prosperous cities. So when Chandabeg attacked Puranjan, the five hooded snakes defended to save the palace of Puranjan. He fought for hundred years against the Gandharvas.
In the meantime, Kalkanya (daughter of senile,बुढ़ापा) searching husbands for enjoying carnal pleasures. Kalkanya was the symbol of bad luck. So nobody wanted to marry her. She tried to marry Devarshi Narad. But he refused to marry her. So she cursed him to roam around the world without staying in one place. Then she went to Yaban king 'Bhaya' (fear) and requested him to marry her. He advised him to go to the earth and enjoy carnal pleasure using the males of the earth as per her choice. He engaged his mighty brother Prajwar and his army to accompany Kalkanya. He ensured her that he would be with them in invisible form.
Then they attacked the earth. Kalkanya used the males of her choice to get sensual pleasures. Her embrace invited bad luck in the life of her prey. In due course, the army of Bhaya along with Kalkanya attacked the city of Puranjan. As such the snake had become very weak fighting the Gandharvas for all these years. He could not defend the attack of 'Bhaya'. Puranjan couldn't resist his attraction towards Kalkanya. She copulated with him and her embrace brought bad luck for Puranjan. He lost everything. His wife and children deserted him. He became the prisoner of 'Bhaya' along with the five hooded snakes.
Prajwar burned the palace of Puranjan. Puranjan stayed for a long time in the prison of 'Bhaya'. He was severely tortured there. Still, he was unable to forget his wife Puranjani. He even died remembering her. And the result of remembrance of a lady at the time of death he took birth as a female. He took birth as the daughter of Bidaravaraj( king of Bidarv).
In course of time, 'she' married the king of Pandya. His name was Malaydhwaj. She became the mother of many children. After ruling for many years, Malaydhwaj decided to take 'Sanyas' (renunciation). She also accompanied him to the forest where she took care of her husband till his death. When Malaydhwaj died, she also decided to die by lying in the funeral pyre of her husband to become a sati (सती).
Suddenly an old brahmin came there and explained to her that she was his friend Puranjan in her previous birth. Due to the sins committed by her in her previous birth as Puranjan, she took birth as a woman. The brahmin was Puranjan's close friend, Abijnat in the previous birth. Abijnat taught her atmajnan (आत्म ज्ञान), the knowledge for liberation from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. She (Puranjan) was able to liberate herself with this knowledge."
Devarshi Narad narrated the story to king Prachinbarhi to enlighten him about the purpose of human birth. Only human beings have the intellect to understand the supreme purpose and liberate themselves from the vicious cycle of birth and death.
Source: Srimad Bhagavad Purana
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