Srimad Bhagavatam – day 533
Emperor Yayāti continued his narration, “Abandoning its male partner which craved only for sensual, lusty needs, the female-goat returned to its father’s home. The helpless male-goat, which was completely under the sway of its partner, followed it while bleating pathetically trying to please its partner. All its efforts to please its partner went in vain.
The female-goat’s father was a Brahmin, who chopped off the testicles of the lusty male-goat. But being a master in surgery, this Brahmin later rejoined the testicles of the male-goat in order to bring joy to his daughter.
After its testicles were rejoined, the male-goat enjoyed sexual pleasures with its partner for a very long time. However, even to this date, this male-goat has not satisfied its lusty needs.
O Devayāni, I am like that male-goat. I am imprisoned by your love. Deluded by your charms, I am unable to know my true form. In the form of this allegory, Devayāni, I am narrating my pitiable story to you.
Even after possessing all forms of crops and food grains that exist in the world, even after owning gold and all forms of prosperity, even having innumerable servants to assist him, the mind of a person who has totally succumbed to the trap called sensory needs can never be satisfied.
The craving for sensual lusty pleasures does not subside even after enjoying them for prolonged periods of time. The entire area permeated by fire turns smoky. A burning fire does not subside when ghee is poured into it. On the contrary, it further gets strengthened. Likewise, the desire to enjoy these worldly pleasures intensifies with each experience. It never subsides.
The same Lord exists equally within every living being. Therefore it is imperative to see this Supreme Lord in everyone. Under no circumstances should a person seek ill for another. All the directions shower bliss upon the person who discards feelings of ill-will and who treats every living being with equal-mindedness.
The wicked can never abstain from their need for fulfilling desires. Even when he is tormented by old-age, the desire in him never dies. Desires are the storehouse for all suffering. Hence, the person who seeks auspiciousness should quickly discard desires.
A wise man should never sit with his mother, sister or daughter on the same seat. This is because the power of the senses is unimaginable. They have the capacity to bewilder even a learned scholar and tempt him towards lustful needs. Caution needs to exercised here.
For the past thousand years I have been continuously enjoying these worldly sensory comforts. Yet the desire to enjoy lusty needs time and again arises in me. Hence I have decided to totally give up my inclination towards this desire. I seek to fix my mind solely upon the Supreme Lord and to reach that state when I am above dualities such as joys and sorrows. Giving up feelings of ‘I-ness’, I will wander amidst the animals in the forests.
Remember that all these worldly comforts, which are seen or heard, and which pertain to this world and the next are nothing but illusory.
The human being who has succumbed to these desires gets totally bound by this repeated cycle of re-births and is totally destroyed. The spiritual aspirant who understands this important truth should never recollect such desires. He should not seek to enjoy them. Even once he should not think of them. Only the wise aspirant who is able to put this into practice attains Self-knowledge”.
Desires had totally dried up in Yayāti, son of Nahuśa. Having said this to his wife, he returned youthfulness back to Pūru and accepted back his old-age. He installed Druhyu as the king of the South-eastern provinces. Yadu was given the southern province, Turvasa the western province and Anu was given the northern provinces.
Pūru, who was the most eligible son, was crowned the emperor of the entire earth with the elder brothers reporting into him. He was the sole emperor.
Yayati then retired to the forests. For many years Yayāti had enjoyed worldly pleasures with these five senses and mind. Within a fraction of a second he gave up all these sensory enjoyments. He gave up desires in totality.
The subtle body is created due to the influence of the three attributes of Nature. With his ripened knowledge, Yayāti destroyed this subtle body. He meditated upon the Supreme Lord and ultimately obtained liberation.
He merged into that Supreme Essence which is beyond Nature, which is untouched with the three attributes of Nature, which is the support for this entire creation and which is Pure Consciousness.
Devayāni who heard Yayāti narration assumed that Yayāti was condemning her. When any obstacle comes in the path of love between a man and a woman, it causes distress. She understood that in order to save her from this pain of separation, Yayāti had narrated it like a joke for her entertainment.
Association with father, husband and other relatives is nothing more than travellers who meet at rest houses for a short span of time. Travellers quench their thirst and proceed on their respective paths. All the human beings, who are controlled by the Supreme Lord, fall into this illusion to create such temporary relationships.
Devayāni realized that this world is as illusory as a dream. That very instant she gave up her attachment to her husband, her sons and towards her kingdom. She fixed her mind totally upon Lord Srikrishna. She destroyed her subtle body and merged into the Supreme Lord.
“namas tubhyaṁ bhagavate vāsudevāya vedhase
sarva-bhūtādhivāsāya śāntāya bṛhate namaḥ
O Srihari! You are the Pure Consciousness who fill this creation with illumination and existence. You are the creator of this universe. You are the shelter for all its inhabitants. You are the essence of peace which is beyond the influence of the three attributes of Nature. You are beyond the limitations of time and place. To You, I offer many obeisances”.- in this way Devayāni worshipped the Supreme Lord.
With this the nineteenth chapter of the Ninth Canto comes to an end.
Narayana