FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.3.17

धान्वन्तरं द्वादशमं त्रयोदशममेव च । अपाययत्सुरानन्यान्मोहिन्या मोहयन् स्त्रिया ॥ १७ ॥
dhānvantaraṁ dvādaśamaṁ
[dhaanvantaram dvaadashamam]
trayodaśamam eva ca
[trayodashamam eva cha]
apāyayat surān anyān
[apaayayat suraan anyaan]
mohinyā mohayan striyā
[mohinyaa mohayan striyaa]
Word-for-word
dhānvantaram — the incarnation of Godhead named Dhanvantari dvādaśamam — the twelfth in the line trayodaśamam — the thirteenth in the line eva — certainly ca — and apāyayat — gave to drink surān — the demigods anyān — others mohinyā — by charming beauty mohayan — alluring striyā — in the form of a woman.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
dhānvantaraṁ dvādaśamaṁ
dhānvantaram
the incarnation of Godhead named Dhanvantari
dvādaśamam
the twelfth in the line
trayodaśamam eva ca
trayodaśamam
the thirteenth in the line
eva
certainly
ca
and
apāyayat surān anyān
apāyayat
gave to drink
surān
the demigods
anyān
others
mohinyā mohayan striyā
mohinyā
by charming beauty
mohayan
alluring
striyā
in the form of a woman.
In the twelfth incarnation, the Lord appeared as Dhanvantari, and in the thirteenth He allured the atheists by the charming beauty of a woman and gave nectar to the demigods to drink.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The Lord took the form of Dhanvantari as the twelfth avatāra and taking the thirteenth form as the woman Mohinī he let the devatās drink nectar and bewildered the demons.
Commentary

Dhānvantaram dvādaśamam means that the form of Dhanvantari is the twelfth avatāra. His activity was bringing a pot of nectar. The use of dvādaśamam instead of dvādaśam is poetic license. Taking the thirteenth form, he let the devatās drink nectar. What was his form? As the woman Mohinī, he bewildered the demons (anyān).

Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Dhanvantari brought medicine, and Mohinī used beauty to divert atheists from the nectar. The divine sometimes heals and sometimes outmaneuvers — wisdom adjusts the method to the moment.
Reflection Questions
  • When does my situation call for medicine, and when for clever redirection?
  • Where am I using only one method when a different divine quality is what's needed?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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