FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.12.35

स्कन्ने रेतसि सोऽपश्यदात्मानं देवमायया जडीकृतं नृपश्रेष्ठ सन्न्यवर्तत कश्मलात् ॥ ३५ ॥
skanne retasi so ’paśyad
[skanne retasi so ’pashyad]
ātmānaṁ deva-māyayā
[aatmaanam deva-maayayaa]
jaḍīkṛtaṁ nṛpa-śreṣṭha
[jadeekritam nripa-shreshtha]
sannyavartata kaśmalāt
[sannyavartata kashmalaat]
Word-for-word
skanne — when fully discharged retasi — the semen saḥ — Lord Śiva apaśyat — saw ātmānam — his own self deva-māyayā — by the māyā of the Supreme Personality of Godhead jaḍīkṛtam — had become victimized as a fool nṛpa-śreṣṭha — O best of kings (Mahārāja Parīkṣit) sannyavartata — restrained himself further kaśmalāt — from illusion.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
skanne retasi so ’paśyad
skanne
when fully discharged
retasi
the semen
ātmānaṁ deva-māyayā
jaḍīkṛtaṁ nṛpa-śreṣṭha
sannyavartata kaśmalāt
saḥ
Lord Śiva
apaśyat
saw
ātmānam
his own self
deva-māyayā
by the māyā of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
jaḍīkṛtam
had become victimized as a fool
nṛpa-śreṣṭha
O best of kings (Mahārāja Parīkṣit)
sannyavartata
restrained himself further
kaśmalāt
from illusion.
O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, best of kings, when Lord Śiva had fully discharged semen, he could see how he himself had been victimized by the illusion created by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus he restrained himself from any further māyā.
Purport

Once one is agitated by lusty desires upon seeing a woman, those desires increase more and more, but when semen is discharged in the act of sex, the lusty desires diminish. The same principle acted upon Lord Śiva. He was allured by the beautiful woman Mohinī-mūrti, but when his semen had been fully discharged, he came to his senses and realized how he had been victimized as soon as he saw the woman in the forest. If one is trained to protect his semen by observing celibacy, naturally he is not attracted by the beauty of a woman. If one can remain a brahmacārī, he saves himself so much trouble in material existence. Material existence means enjoying the pleasure of sexual intercourse ( yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukham ). If one is educated about sex life and is trained to protect his semen, he is saved from the danger of material existence.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O best of kings! When Śiva had fully discharged semen, he could see how he himself had been victimized by the illusion created by the Supreme Lord. Thus he gave up pursuing her further. He had been completely dumbfounded the moment he saw Mohinī. Now, when he had fully discharged semen, he realized that he had been completely befooled. He gave up pursuing Mohinī further (kaśmalāt).
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
When the semen was discharged, Śiva saw he had been victimized by māyā and restrained himself. Lust subsides post-discharge — the cycle of agitation and exhaustion is the very mechanism of bondage. Brahmacarya breaks the cycle.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I living in the agitation-then-exhaustion cycle, mistaking exhaustion for peace?
  • What restraint would actually free me from this cycle rather than just delay the next round?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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