FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.13.10

कर्हि स्म चित्क्षुद्ररसान् विचिन्वं- स्तन्मक्षिकाभिर्व्यथितो विमान: । तत्रातिकृच्छ्रात्प्रतिलब्धमानो बलाद्विलुम्पन्त्यथ तं ततोऽन्ये ॥ १० ॥
karhi sma cit kṣudra-rasān vicinvaṁs
[karhi sma chit kshudra-rasaan vichinvams]
tan-makṣikābhir vyathito vimānaḥ
[tan-makshikaabhir vyathito vimaanah]
tatrāti-kṛcchrāt pratilabdhamāno
[tatraati-krichchraat pratilabdhamaano]
balād vilumpanty atha taṁ tato ’nye
[balaad vilumpanty atha tam tato ’nye]
karhi sma cit — sometimes kṣudra — very insignificant rasān — sexual enjoyment vicinvan — searching for tat — of those women makṣikābhiḥ — by honeybees, or the husbands or family members vyathitaḥ — very much aggrieved vimānaḥ — insulted tatra — in that ati — very much kṛcchrāt — with difficulty because of spending money pratilabdhamānaḥ — obtaining sexual enjoyment balāt — by force vilumpanti — kidnapped atha — thereafter tam — the object of sense enjoyment (the woman) tataḥ — from him anye — another debauchee.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
karhi sma cit kṣudra-rasān vicinvaṁs
karhi sma cit
sometimes
kṣudra
very insignificant
rasān
sexual enjoyment
vicinvan
searching for
tan-makṣikābhir vyathito vimānaḥ
tat
of those women
makṣikābhiḥ
by honeybees, or the husbands or family members
vyathitaḥ
very much aggrieved
vimānaḥ
insulted
tatrāti-kṛcchrāt pratilabdhamāno
tatra
in that
ati
very much
kṛcchrāt
with difficulty because of spending money
pratilabdhamānaḥ
obtaining sexual enjoyment
balād vilumpanty atha taṁ tato ’nye
balāt
by force
vilumpanti
kidnapped
atha
thereafter
tam
the object of sense enjoyment (the woman)
tataḥ
from him
anye
another debauchee.
Sometimes, in order to have a little insignificant sex enjoyment, one searches after debauched women. In this attempt, one is insulted and chastised by the women’s kinsmen. This is like going to take honey from a beehive and being attacked by the bees. Sometimes, after spending lots of money, one may acquire another woman for some extra sense enjoyment. Unfortunately, the object of sense enjoyment, the woman, is taken away or kidnapped by another debauchee.

In a great forest, honeycombs are very important. People often go there to collect honey from the combs, and sometimes the bees attack and punish them. In human society, those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious remain in the forest of material life simply for the honey of sex life. Such debauchees are not at all satisfied with one wife. They want many women. Day after day, with great difficulty, they try to secure such women, and sometimes, while trying to taste this kind of honey, one is attacked by a woman’s kinsmen and chastised very heavily. By bribing others, one may secure another woman for enjoyment, yet another debauchee may kidnap her or offer her something better. This woman hunting is going on in the forest of the material world, sometimes legally and sometimes illegally. Consequently in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement the devotees are forbidden to have illicit sex. Thus they avoid so many difficulties. One should remain satisfied with one woman, being duly married. One can satisfy one’s lusty desires with his wife without creating disturbances in society and being punished for doing so.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Sometimes, searching for a little honey, he is bitten by bees. Disgraced, he finally obtains it with great difficulty, but by force others steal it from him. The insignificant honey is another person’s wife. He suffers, disgraced by the husband and brothers, like bees biting. If by great effort, by spending a lot of money he obtains the woman, and enjoys her, someone else steals her. Then again he spends money to get a woman, and someone steals her.
Going after illicit pleasure is like raiding a beehive — you might get a little honey but you will get many stings, often from outraged relatives. Sex pursued outside dharma rarely repays its costs. Most who try it learn this the hard way.
Reflection Questions
  • Where in your life are you pursuing 'honey' you already suspect will cost more than it yields?
  • What relationship has the stinging swarm around it that you keep approaching anyway?
📝 My note

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