“The Supreme Personality
of Godhead said: Having achieved this human form of life, which affords one the
opportunity to realize Me, and being situated in My devotional service, one can
achieve Me, the reservoir of all pleasure and the Supreme Soul of all
existence, residing within the heart of every living being.” Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravärté Öhäkura writes:
In the last chapter,
the Lord said niùsaìgo mäà bhajed vidvän apramatto jitendriyaù:
without bad association, being attentive, with controlled senses, the wise man
should worship Me. (SB 11.25.34) It is said that the wise man contemplating his
means of success, also contemplates the obstacles to success. Thus, associaton
with women is a great obstacle. In order to say that even the person liberated
in this body should fear association with women, He describes in two verses the
condition of the liberated soul which was already mentioned.
Çré Kåñëa continued: “One should never associate with
materialists, those dedicated to gratifying their genitals and bellies. By
following them one falls into the deepest pit of darkness, just like a blind
man who follows another blind man.” Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravärté Öhäkura
writes:
Being in this condition, he should not associate with
materialists. Nothing is as dangerous as that. The qualities of the materialist
are described. He takes pleasure in sex and eating. What to speak of associating with many such
people, even association with one of them causes fall down.
Çré Kåñëa continued: “The following song was sung by the famous
emperor Purüravä. When deprived of his wife, Urvaçé, he was at first
bewildered, but by controlling his lamentation he began to feel detachment.” Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravärté Öhäkura writes:
A history is now related.
Aila means Purüravä. First he was bewildered and then at Kurukñetra he
met Urvaçé. Worshipping the devatäs by
fire given by the Gandharvas, he attained her association again on
Gandharva-loka. When his lamentation dissipated after enjoyment there, bhakti,
jïäna and vairägya, which had been covered by obstacles
previously, appeared in him. Then he sang this song. The Ninth Canto can be
consulted for the story.
Çré Kåñëa continued: “When she was leaving him, even though he
was naked he ran after her just like a madman and called out in great distress,
"O my wife, O terrible lady! Please stop!" Although for many years Purüravä had enjoyed
sex pleasure in the evening hours, still he was not satisfied by such
insignificant enjoyment. His mind was so attracted to Urvaçé that he did not
notice how the nights were coming and going.”
“King Aila
said: Alas, just see the extent of my delusion! This goddess was embracing me
and held my neck in her grip. My heart was so polluted by lust that I had no
idea how my life was passing. That lady
cheated me so much that I did not even see the rising or setting of the sun.
Alas, for so many years I passed my days in vain! Alas, although I am supposed to be a mighty
emperor, the crown jewel of all kings on this earth, just see how my
bewilderment has rendered me a toy animal in the hands of women! [1]Although
I was a powerful lord with great opulence, that woman gave me up as if I were
no more than an insignificant blade of grass. And still, naked and without
shame, I followed her, crying out to her like a madman. Where are my so-called great influence, power
and sovereignty? Just like an ass being kicked in the face by his she-ass, I
ran after that woman, who had already given me up. What is the use of a big education or the
practice of austerities and renunciation, and what is the use of studying
religious scriptures, of living in solitude and silence, if, after all that,
one's mind is stolen by a woman? To hell
with me! I am such a fool that I didn't even know what was good for me,
although I arrogantly thought I was highly intelligent. Although I achieved the
exalted position of a lord, I allowed myself to be conquered by women as if I
were a bullock or a jackass.[2] Even after I had served the so-called nectar
of the lips of Urvaçé for many years, my lusty desires kept rising again and
again within my heart and were never satisfied, just like a fire that can never
be extinguished by the oblations of ghee poured into its flames.[3] Who but the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
who lies beyond material perception and is the Lord of self-satisfied sages,
can possibly save my consciousness, which has been stolen by a prostitute? Because I allowed my intelligence to become
dull and because I failed to control my senses, the great confusion in my mind
did not go away, even though Urvaçé herself gave me wise counsel with
well-spoken words.” The BBT
purport states:
As described in the Ninth Canto of Çrémad-Bhägavatam, the goddess Urvaçé plainly told Purüravä that he
should never trust women or believe their promises. Despite this frank advice,
he became fully attached and thus suffered great mental anguish.
King Aila continued:
“How can I blame her for my trouble when
I myself am ignorant of my real, spiritual nature? I did not control my senses,
and so I am like a person who mistakenly sees a harmless rope as a snake.” Çréla
Viçvanätha Cakravärté Öhäkura elaborates:
I previously said that my discrimination had been stolen by a
prostitute. But now I do not blame her. What wicked act has she done to
me? None. What harm can a rope do to a person, though he
thinks it is a snake? It can do no harm at all. An ignorant person will find
fault in the rope. He fears it out of
ignorance. Since I have uncontrolled
senses, I have lived in this type of illusion.
King Aila continued:
“What is this polluted body anyway — so
filthy and full of bad odors? I was attracted by the fragrance and beauty of a
woman's body, but what are those so-called attractive features? They are simply
a false covering created by illusion.” Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravärté Öhäkura
elaborates:
[Someone might point out to Purüravä:] “But the cause of your
bewilderment was the woman with excellent qualities, fragrance and
sweetness.”[To which he responds:] Her qualities were produced by my lack of
discrimination. When one considers factually, what is the use of a body so
contaminated? What are those excellent
qualities, like those of a flower, such as youth and fragrance? I have projected these qualities on her by my
illusion.
King Aila continued:
“One can never decide whose property the
body actually is. Does it belong to one's parents, who have given birth to it,
to one's wife, who gives it pleasure, or to one's employer, who orders the body
around? Is it the property of the funeral fire or of the dogs and jackals who
may ultimately devour it? Is it the property of the indwelling soul, who
partakes in its happiness and distress, or does the body belong to intimate
friends who encourage and help it? Although a man never definitely ascertains
the proprietor of the body, he becomes most attached to it. The material body
is a polluted material form heading toward a lowly destination, yet when a man
stares at the face of a woman he thinks, "What a good-looking lady! What a
charming nose she's got, and see her beautiful smile!" What difference is there between ordinary
worms and persons who try to enjoy this material body composed of skin, flesh,
blood, muscle, fat, marrow, bone, stool, urine and pus?[4] Yet even one who theoretically understands
the actual nature of the body should never associate with women or with men
attached to women. After all, the contact of the senses with their objects
inevitably agitates the mind.”
Çré Kåñëa says in the Bhagavad-gétä:
An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery,
which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kunté, such
pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in
them. – [Bg. 5.22]
King Aila continued:
“Because
the mind is not disturbed by that which is neither seen nor heard, the mind of
a person who restricts the material senses will automatically curtail its
material activities and become pacified.
Therefore one should never let
his senses associate freely with women or with men attached to women. Even
those who are highly learned cannot trust the six senses; what to speak, then,
of foolish persons like me.” [5] Çréla
Viçvanätha Cakravärté Öhäkura writes:
[One may point out:] “But we see that even a sage who lives alone
develops a disturbed mind.” That is
true. It arises from previous
impressions of seeing a woman. The correct method is described. When a person
does not direct his senses to women, the unmoving mind becomes calm.
Avisrabdhaù
means untrustworthy. One cannot trust
the five senses and the mind.
[1] King
Mucukunda similarly states: Having conquered the entire circle of directions
and being thus free of conflict, a man sits on a splendid throne, receiving
praise from leaders who were once his equals. But when he enters the women's
chambers, where sex pleasure is found, he is led about like a pet animal, O
Lord. (SB 10.51.51) This is confirmed also by Queen Rukmini: O infallible
Kåñëa, let each of the kings You named become the husband of a woman whose ears
have never heard Your glories, which are sung in the assemblies of Çiva and
Brahmä. After all, in the households of such women these kings live like asses,
oxen, dogs, cats and slaves. (SB 10.60.44)
[2] Vritti: A similar example of
becoming distracted by the details and overlooking the principle is expressed
by the yajïic brähmaëas in the
twenty-third chapter of the Tenth Canto:
[The brähmaëas said:] To hell
with our threefold birth, our vow of celibacy and our extensive learning! To
hell with our aristocratic background and our expertise in the rituals of
sacrifice! These are all condemned because we were inimical to the
transcendental Personality of Godhead…
Indeed, infatuated as we are with our household affairs, we have
deviated completely from the real aim of our life. But now just see how the
Lord, through the words of these simple cowherd boys, has reminded us of the
ultimate destination of all true transcendentalists. – [SB 10.23.40&45]
[3] In this
way, Saubhari Muni enjoyed sense gratification in the material world, but he
was not at all satisfied, just as a fire never ceases blazing if constantly
supplied with drops of fat…[Saubhari Muni said:] In the beginning I was
alone and engaged in performing the austerities of mystic yoga, but later,
because of the association of fish engaged in sex, I desired to marry. Then I
became the husband of fifty wives, and in each of them I begot one hundred
sons, and thus my family increased to five thousand members. By the influence
of the modes of material nature, I became fallen and thought that I would be
happy in material life. Thus there is no end to my material desires for
enjoyment, in this life and the next.
(SB 9.6.48, 52)
[4] Queen
Rukmini similarly states: A woman who fails to relish the fragrance of the
honey of Your lotus feet becomes totally befooled, and thus she accepts as her
husband or lover a living corpse covered with skin, whiskers, nails, head-hair
and body-hair and filled with flesh, bones, blood, parasites, feces, mucus,
bile and air. (SB 10.60.45)
[5] King
Parékñit asked Çukadeva Gosvämé: My dear Lord, for those who are completely
pure in heart, knowledge is attained by the practice of bhakti-yoga, and
attachment for fruitive activity is completely burned to ashes. For such
people, the powers of mystic yoga automatically arise. They do not cause
distress. Why, then, did Åñabhadeva neglect them? Çréla Çukadeva Gosvämé
replied: My dear King, you have spoken correctly. However, after capturing
animals, a cunning hunter does not put faith in them, for they might run away.
Similarly, those who are advanced in spiritual life do not put faith in the
mind. Indeed, they always remain vigilant and watch the mind's action. All the
learned scholars have given their opinion. The mind is by nature very restless,
and one should not make friends with it. If we place full confidence in the
mind, it may cheat us at any moment. Even Lord Çiva became agitated upon seeing
the Mohiné form of Lord Kåñëa, and Saubhari Muni also fell down from the mature
stage of yogic perfection. An unchaste woman is very easily carried away by
paramours, and it sometimes happens that her husband is violently killed by her
paramours. If the yogé gives his mind a chance and does not restrain it, his
mind will give facility to enemies like lust, anger and greed, and they will
doubtlessly kill the yogé. The mind is the root cause of lust, anger, pride,
greed, lamentation, illusion and fear. Combined, these constitute bondage to
fruitive activity. What learned man would put faith in the mind? (SB 5.6.1-5)
