Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.61
दृष्ट्वा तां कामलिप्तेन बाहुना परिरम्भिताम् ।
जगाम हृच्छयवशं सहसैव विमोहित: ॥ ६१ ॥
dṛṣṭvā tāṁ kāma-liptena
[drishtvaa taam kaama-liptena]
bāhunā parirambhitām
[baahunaa parirambhitaam]
jagāma hṛc-chaya-vaśaṁ
[jagaama hrich-chaya-vasham]
sahasaiva vimohitaḥ
[sahasaiva vimohitah]
Word-for-word
dṛṣṭvā
—
by seeing
tām
—
her (the prostitute)
kāma-liptena
—
decorated with turmeric to incite lusty desires
bāhunā
—
with the arm
parirambhitām
—
embraced
jagāma
—
went
hṛt-śaya
—
of lusty desires within the heart
vaśam
—
under the control
sahasā
—
suddenly
eva
—
indeed
vimohitaḥ
—
being illusioned.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
dṛṣṭvā tāṁ kāma-liptena
dṛṣṭvā
by seeing
tām
her (the prostitute)
kāma-liptena
decorated with turmeric to incite lusty desires
bāhunā parirambhitām
bāhunā
with the arm
parirambhitām
embraced
jagāma hṛc-chaya-vaśaṁ
jagāma
went
hṛt-śaya
of lusty desires within the heart
vaśam
under the control
sahasaiva vimohitaḥ
sahasā
suddenly
eva
indeed
vimohitaḥ
being illusioned.
The śūdra, his arm decorated with turmeric powder, was embracing the prostitute. When Ajāmila saw her, the dormant lusty desires in his heart awakened, and in illusion he fell under their control.
Purport
It is said that if one’s body is smeared with turmeric, it attracts the lusty desires of the opposite sex. The word kāma-liptena indicates that the śūdra was decorated with turmeric smeared on his body.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
Seeing the woman embraced by the śūdra’s arm decorated with turmeric powder, Ajāmila suddenly became bewildered and fell under the control of lust.
The śudra had his arm anointed with turmeric juice to incite lust.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Seeing the embracing couple, dormant lusty desires awakened in Ajāmila's heart and overwhelmed him. Buried tendencies, never fully uprooted, only sleep — and the right (or wrong) stimulus is enough to revive them.
Reflection Questions
- Which 'dormant' desires of mine are simply waiting for the right trigger to wake?
- What protective practices keep my deeper tendencies from being awakened in the first place?
My note
Source: vedabase.io