FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.12.15

श्रीभगवानुवाच कौतूहलाय दैत्यानां योषिद्वेषो मया धृत: । पश्यता सुरकार्याणि गते पीयूषभाजने ॥ १५ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
[shree-bhagavaan uvaacha]
kautūhalāya daityānāṁ
[kautoohalaaya daityaanaam]
yoṣid-veṣo mayā dhṛtaḥ
[yoshid-vesho mayaa dhritah]
paśyatā sura-kāryāṇi
[pashyataa sura-kaaryaani]
gate pīyūṣa-bhājane
[gate peeyoosha-bhaajane]
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said kautūhalāya — for the bewildering daityānām — of the demons yoṣit-veṣaḥ — the form of a beautiful woman mayā — by Me dhṛtaḥ — assumed paśyatā — seeing that it is necessary for Me sura-kāryāṇi — for executing the interests of the demigods gate — having been taken away pīyūṣa-bhājane — the jug of nectar.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
the Supreme Personality of Godhead said
kautūhalāya daityānāṁ
kautūhalāya
for the bewildering
daityānām
of the demons
yoṣid-veṣo mayā dhṛtaḥ
yoṣit-veṣaḥ
the form of a beautiful woman
mayā
by Me
dhṛtaḥ
assumed
paśyatā sura-kāryāṇi
paśyatā
seeing that it is necessary for Me
sura-kāryāṇi
for executing the interests of the demigods
gate pīyūṣa-bhājane
gate
having been taken away
pīyūṣa-bhājane
the jug of nectar.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: When the demons took away the jug of nectar, I assumed the form of a beautiful woman to bewilder them by directly cheating them and thus to act in the interest of the demigods.

When the Supreme Personality of Godhead assumed the form of the beautiful woman Mohinī-mūrti, the demons were certainly captivated, but the demigods present were not. In other words, those who maintain a demoniac mentality are bewildered by the beauty of a woman, but those who are advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or even those on the platform of goodness, are not bewildered. The Supreme Personality of Godhead knew that because Lord Śiva is not an ordinary person, he cannot be bewildered even by the most beautiful woman. Cupid himself tried to invoke Lord Śiva’s lusty desires in the presence of Pārvatī, but Lord Śiva was never agitated. Rather, the blazing fire from Lord Śiva’s eyes turned Cupid to ashes. Therefore, Lord Viṣṇu had to think twice about what kind of beautiful form would bewilder even Lord Śiva. Consequently He was smiling gravely, as stated in the previous verse ( prahasya bhāva-gambhīram ). A beautiful woman generally cannot induce Lord Śiva to be lusty, but Lord Viṣṇu was considering whether there was any form of woman who could enchant him.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The Supreme Lord said: When the demons took away the jug of nectar, I assumed the form of a woman to bewilder them, acting in the interest of the devatās, in order to take away the pot of nectar. I took this very astonishing form of a woman which would bewilder the demons. But this is insignificant for you. It cannot bewilder you, who have powers of yoga. It is not possible for a deer to harm a hunter. This would be bewildering to the demons but not to the devatās, since the devatās were situated in sattva. “What was your intention in doing this to the insignificant demons?” I saw the interest of the devatās. I had no other motive.
I took the form to bewilder the demons — those with demonic mentality are bewildered by women's beauty; those advanced in kṛṣṇa consciousness are not. Mohinī's effect is mode-dependent. The form is the same; the receiver differs.
Reflection Questions
  • What in my consciousness right now decides whether a beautiful form bewilders me or not?
  • Where can I see clearly that my reaction to a stimulus reveals my mode, not the stimulus?
📝 My note

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