FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.19.26

श्रुत्वा गाथां देवयानी मेने प्रस्तोभमात्मन: । स्त्रीपुंसो: स्‍नेहवैक्लव्यात् परिहासमिवेरितम् ॥ २६ ॥
śrutvā gāthāṁ devayānī
[shrutvaa gaathaam devayaanee]
mene prastobham ātmanaḥ
[mene prastobham aatmanah]
strī-puṁsoḥ sneha-vaiklavyāt
[stree-pumsoh sneha-vaiklavyaat]
parihāsam iveritam
[parihaasam iveritam]
śrutvā — hearing gāthām — the narration devayānī — Queen Devayānī, the wife of Mahārāja Yayāti mene — understood prastobham ātmanaḥ — when instructed for her self-realization strī-puṁsoḥ — between the husband and wife sneha-vaiklavyāt — from an exchange of love and affection parihāsam — a funny joke or story iva — like īritam — spoken (by Mahārāja Yayāti).
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrutvā gāthāṁ devayānī
śrutvā
hearing
gāthām
the narration
devayānī
Queen Devayānī, the wife of Mahārāja Yayāti
mene prastobham ātmanaḥ
mene
understood
prastobham ātmanaḥ
when instructed for her self-realization
strī-puṁsoḥ sneha-vaiklavyāt
strī-puṁsoḥ
between the husband and wife
sneha-vaiklavyāt
from an exchange of love and affection
parihāsam iveritam
parihāsam
a funny joke or story
iva
like
īritam
spoken (by Mahārāja Yayāti).
When Devayānī heard Mahārāja Yayāti’s story of the he-goat and she-goat, she understood that this story, which was presented as if a funny joke for entertainment between husband and wife, was intended to awaken her to her constitutional position.

When one actually awakens from material life, one understands his real position as an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is called liberation. Muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ ( Bhāg. 2.10.6 ). Under the influence of māyā, everyone living in this material world thinks that he is the master of everything ( ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate ). One thinks that there is no God or controller and that one is independent and can do anything. This is the material condition, and when one awakens from this ignorance, he is called liberated. Mahārāja Yayāti had delivered Devayānī from the well, and finally, as a dutiful husband, he instructed her with the story about the he-goat and she-goat and thus delivered her from the misconception of material happiness. Devayānī was quite competent to understand her liberated husband, and therefore she decided to follow him as his faithful wife.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
When Devayānī heard Mahārāja Yayāti's story of the he-goat and she-goat, she understood that this story, which was presented as if a joke between husband and wife out of affection, was a censure of herself. She understood that the story of the goat was actually a censure of herself. It was told as a joke between husband and wife out of bewildering affection. O Devayānī! You have completely repaid me for mercifully lifting you from the well, for I have fallen into the blind well of material enjoyment for so long.” Devayānī understood that this what Yayāti was saying.
Related verses
Devayānī recognizes that the goat story was for her — an entertainment with surgical intent. Sometimes spiritual instruction reaches us best disguised as joke or anecdote shared by one we love.
Reflection Questions
  • What 'joke' a partner once told me was actually the lesson I am still digesting?
  • Where could I deliver hard truth through the door of warmth and humor rather than a frontal speech?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 19