Pururava – Aila-Gita

Chapter 26

Krishna recounted the history of Emperor Pururava, also known as Aila, who was attracted by the heavenly damsel, Urvasi. [] After marrying her and later being separated, he was devastated, but eventually developed a deep spirit of renunciation.

He expressed his innermost feelings in a song known as the Aila-gita: Absorbed in sense gratification, one becomes oblivious to the passing of time, neglecting the real purpose of life. Of material pleasures, sexual attraction is overwhelmingly strong, able to trap even the most powerful personalities in a web of illusion. Lust is ever-demanding and never satiated, and only one awakened by spiritual knowledge can break free. Though the body is temporary machinery, it’s packaged in such a way as to attract the mind. Thus, one must be constantly vigilant, avoid material enjoyers, and instead find the saintly souls who can cut such dangerous attachments of the mind with their sharpened words of wisdom.

Freed from his material illusion, the Emperor attained perfect realisation of the Supreme Lord.