Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.20.34
कासि कस्यासि रम्भोरु को वार्थस्तेऽत्र
भामिनि ।
रूपद्रविणपण्येन दुर्भगान्नो विबाधसे ॥ ३४ ॥
kāsi kasyāsi rambhoru
[kaasi kasyaasi rambhoru]
ko vārthas te ’tra bhāmini
[ko vaarthas te ’tra bhaamini]
rūpa-draviṇa-paṇyena
[roopa-dravina-panyena]
durbhagān no vibādhase
[durbhagaan no vibaadhase]
Word-for-word
kā
—
who
asi
—
are you
kasya
—
belonging to whom
asi
—
are you
rambhoru
—
O pretty one
kaḥ
—
what
vā
—
or
arthaḥ
—
object
te
—
your
atra
—
here
bhāmini
—
O passionate lady
rūpa
—
beauty
draviṇa
—
priceless
paṇyena
—
with the commodity
durbhagān
—
unfortunate
naḥ
—
us
vibādhase
—
you tantalize.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kāsi kasyāsi rambhoru
kā
who
asi
are you
kasya
belonging to whom
asi
are you
rambhoru
O pretty one
kaḥ
what
ko vārthas te ’tra bhāmini
vā
or
arthaḥ
object
te
your
atra
here
bhāmini
O passionate lady
rūpa-draviṇa-paṇyena
rūpa
beauty
draviṇa
priceless
paṇyena
with the commodity
durbhagān no vibādhase
durbhagān
unfortunate
naḥ
us
vibādhase
you tantalize.
Who are you, O pretty girl? Whose wife or daughter are you, and what can be the object of your appearing before us? Why do you tantalize us, unfortunate as we are, with the priceless commodity of your beauty?
Purport
The mentality of the demons in being enamored by the false beauty of this material world is expressed herein. The demoniac can pay any price for the skin beauty of this material world. They work very hard all day and night, but the purpose of their hard work is to enjoy sex life. Sometimes they misrepresent themselves as karma-yogīs, not knowing the meaning of the word yoga. Yoga means to link up with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A person who works very hard, no matter in what occupation, and who offers the result of the work to the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is called a karma-yogi.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
O beautiful woman! Who are you? Whose daughter are you? Why are you in this place? Why do you torture us unfortunate beings by putting your priceless beauty for sale?
Your beauty is a priceless artefact. It is to be sold, but instead you give us pain. We are unfortunate, and deserve to be your slaves. Binding us up, you desire to take us into your association. Or you give us pain, because you do not sell your beauty. Thus we are unfortunate.
Personal Guidance
The verse points beyond impersonal abstraction to a Lord who hears, acts, and relates. Spiritual life gets real once we stop talking about Him and start talking to Him. The pivot here is Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Reflection Questions
- Whom do you actually address when you pray — a concept, or a person?
- What would change if you treated one possession this week as belonging to the Lord and on loan to you?
My note
Source: vedabase.io