FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.9.3

का त्वं कञ्जपलाशाक्षि कुतो वा किं चिकीर्षसि । कस्यासि वद वामोरु मथ्नतीव मनांसि न: ॥ ३ ॥
kā tvaṁ kañja-palāśākṣi
[kaa tvam kanja-palaashaakshi]
kuto vā kiṁ cikīrṣasi
[kuto vaa kim chikeershasi]
kasyāsi vada vāmoru
[kasyaasi vada vaamoru]
mathnatīva manāṁsi naḥ
[mathnateeva manaamsi nah]
kā — who tvam — are You kañja-palāśa-akṣi — having eyes like the petals of a lotus kutaḥ — from where vā — either kim cikīrṣasi — what is the purpose for which You have come here kasya — of whom asi — do You belong vada — kindly tell us vāma-ūru — O You whose thighs are extraordinarily beautiful mathnatī — agitating iva — like manāṁsi — within our minds naḥ — our.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kā tvaṁ kañja-palāśākṣi
kā
who
tvam
are You
kañja-palāśa-akṣi
having eyes like the petals of a lotus
kuto vā kiṁ cikīrṣasi
kutaḥ
from where
vā
either
kim cikīrṣasi
what is the purpose for which You have come here
kasyāsi vada vāmoru
kasya
of whom
asi
do You belong
vada
kindly tell us
vāma-ūru
O You whose thighs are extraordinarily beautiful
mathnatīva manāṁsi naḥ
mathnatī
agitating
iva
like
manāṁsi
within our minds
naḥ
our.
O wonderfully beautiful girl, You have such nice eyes, resembling the petals of a lotus flower. Who are You? Where do You come from? What is Your purpose in coming here, and to whom do You belong? O You whose thighs are extraordinarily beautiful, our minds are becoming agitated simply because of seeing You.

The demons inquired from the wonderfully beautiful girl, “To whom do You belong?” A woman is supposed to belong to her father before her marriage, to her husband after her marriage, and to her grown sons in her old age. In regard to this inquiry, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that the question “To whom do You belong?” means “Whose daughter are You?” Since the demons could understand that the beautiful girl was still unmarried, every one of them desired to marry Her. Thus they inquired, “Whose daughter are You?”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O girl with beautiful thighs! You have such nice eyes, resembling the petals of a lotus flower. Who are you? Where do you come from? What is your purpose in coming here, and whose daughter are you? You are agitating our minds. Whose daughter are you (kasya asi)?
Whose daughter are You, they asked — meaning, are You available? Even demons followed the etiquette of asking about a woman's family before approaching. Custom can restrain lust briefly; only the Lord can transform it.
Reflection Questions
  • What good customs am I still following while my motives have shifted underneath them?
  • Where have my desires figured out how to use etiquette as a doorway rather than a wall?
📝 My note

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