FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.3.9

तस्मिन्भगिन्यो मम भर्तृभि: स्वकै- र्ध्रुवं गमिष्यन्ति सुहृद्दिद‍ृक्षव: । अहं च तस्मिन्भवताभिकामये सहोपनीतं परिबर्हमर्हितुम् ॥ ९ ॥
tasmin bhaginyo mama bhartṛbhiḥ svakair
[tasmin bhaginyo mama bhartribhih svakair]
dhruvaṁ gamiṣyanti suhṛd-didṛkṣavaḥ
[dhruvam gamishyanti suhrid-didrikshavah]
ahaṁ ca tasmin bhavatābhikāmaye
[aham cha tasmin bhavataabhikaamaye]
sahopanītaṁ paribarham arhitum
[sahopaneetam paribarham arhitum]
tasmin — in that sacrifice bhaginyaḥ — sisters mama — my bhartṛbhiḥ — with their husbands svakaiḥ — their own dhruvam — surely gamiṣyanti — will go suhṛt-didṛkṣavaḥ — desiring to meet the relatives aham — I ca — and tasmin — in that assembly bhavatā — with you (Lord Śiva) abhikāmaye — I desire saha — with upanītam — given paribarham — ornaments of decoration arhitum — to accept.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tasmin bhaginyo mama bhartṛbhiḥ svakair
tasmin
in that sacrifice
bhaginyaḥ
sisters
mama
my
bhartṛbhiḥ
with their husbands
svakaiḥ
their own
dhruvaṁ gamiṣyanti suhṛd-didṛkṣavaḥ
dhruvam
surely
gamiṣyanti
will go
suhṛt-didṛkṣavaḥ
desiring to meet the relatives
aham
I
ahaṁ ca tasmin bhavatābhikāmaye
ca
and
tasmin
in that assembly
bhavatā
with you (Lord Śiva)
abhikāmaye
I desire
sahopanītaṁ paribarham arhitum
saha
with
upanītam
given
paribarham
ornaments of decoration
arhitum
to accept.
I think that all my sisters must have gone to this great sacrificial ceremony with their husbands just to see their relatives. I also desire to decorate myself with the ornaments given to me by my father and go there with you to participate in that assembly.

It is a woman’s nature to want to decorate herself with ornaments and nice dresses and accompany her husband to social functions, meet friends and relatives, and enjoy life in that way. This propensity is not unusual, for woman is the basic principle of material enjoyment. Therefore in Sanskrit the word for woman is strī, which means “one who expands the field of material enjoyment.” In the material world there is an attraction between woman and man. This is the arrangement of conditional life. A woman attracts a man, and in that way the scope of material activities, involving house, wealth, children and friendship, increases, and thus instead of decreasing one’s material demands, one becomes entangled in material enjoyment. Lord Śiva, however, is different; therefore his name is Śiva. He is not at all attracted by material enjoyment, although his wife, Satī, was the daughter of a very great leader and was given to him by the request of Brahmā. Lord Śiva was reluctant, but Satī, as a woman, the daughter of a king, wanted enjoyment. She wanted to go to her father’s house, just as her other sisters might have done, and meet them and enjoy social life. Here, she specifically indicated that she would decorate herself with the ornaments given by her father. She did not say that she would decorate herself with the ornaments given by her husband because her husband was callous about all such matters. He did not know how to decorate his wife and take part in social life because he was always in ecstasy with thoughts of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. According to the Vedic system, a daughter is given a sufficient dowry at the time of her marriage, and therefore Satī was also given a dowry by her father, and ornaments were included. It is also the custom that the husband gives some ornaments, but here it is particularly mentioned that her husband, being materially almost nothing, could not do so; therefore she wanted to decorate herself with the ornaments given by her father. It was fortunate for Satī that Lord Śiva did not take the ornaments from his wife and spend them for gāñjā, because those who imitate Lord Śiva in smoking gāñjā exploit everything from household affairs; they take all of their wives’ property and spend on smoking, intoxication and similar other activities.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
My sisters along with their husbands will certainly go to the sacrifice. Desiring to see my friends, along with you I also desire to accept gifts offered by my parents. What is the purpose of you or I going? Just as they are worshipped with their husbands, let me be worshipped with my husband. This is my desire. I desire to accept along with you the gifts such as cloth and ornaments given by my parents.
Satī wanted to wear her father's gifts and join her sisters — beautiful longings, but rooted in past family identity. Be aware when your spiritual maturity is being tested by the pull of who you used to be.
Reflection Questions
  • Where is my old family identity competing with my new spiritual one?
  • What ornaments from my past am I longing to wear again, and what would they cost me?
📝 My note

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