FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.40

జిహ్వైకతోఽచ్యుత వికర్షతి మావితృప్తా శిశ్నోఽన్యతస్త్వగుదరం శ్రవణం కుతశ్చిత్ । ఘ్రాణోఽన్యతశ్చపలద‍ృక్ క్వ‍ చ కర్మశక్తి- ర్బహ్వ్య: సపత్‍న్య ఇవ గేహపతిం లునన్తి ॥ ౪౦ ॥
jihvaikato ’cyuta vikarṣati māvitṛptā
[jihvaikato ’chyuta vikarshati maavitriptaa]
śiśno ’nyatas tvag-udaraṁ śravaṇaṁ kutaścit
[shishno ’nyatas tvag-udaram shravanam kutashchit]
ghrāṇo ’nyataś capala-dṛk kva ca karma-śaktir
[ghraano ’nyatash chapala-drik kva cha karma-shaktir]
bahvyaḥ sapatnya iva geha-patiṁ lunanti
[bahvyah sapatnya iva geha-patim lunanti]
jihvā — the tongue ekataḥ — to one side acyuta — O my infallible Lord vikarṣati — attracts mā — me avitṛptā — not being satisfied śiśnaḥ — the genitals anyataḥ — to another side tvak — the skin (for touching a soft thing) udaram — the belly (for various types of food) śravaṇam — the ear (for hearing some sweet music) kutaścit — to some other side ghrāṇaḥ — the nose (for smelling) anyataḥ — to still another side capala-dṛk — the restless eyesight kva ca — somewhere karma-śaktiḥ — the active senses bahvyaḥ — many sa-patnyaḥ — co-wives iva — like geha-patim — a householder lunanti — annihilate.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
jihvaikato ’cyuta vikarṣati māvitṛptā
jihvā
the tongue
ekataḥ
to one side
śiśno ’nyatas tvag-udaraṁ śravaṇaṁ kutaścit
ghrāṇo ’nyataś capala-dṛk kva ca karma-śaktir
acyuta
O my infallible Lord
vikarṣati
attracts
mā
me
avitṛptā
not being satisfied
śiśnaḥ
the genitals
bahvyaḥ sapatnya iva geha-patiṁ lunanti
anyataḥ
to another side
tvak
the skin (for touching a soft thing)
udaram
the belly (for various types of food)
śravaṇam
the ear (for hearing some sweet music)
kutaścit
to some other side
ghrāṇaḥ
the nose (for smelling)
anyataḥ
to still another side
capala-dṛk
the restless eyesight
kva ca
somewhere
karma-śaktiḥ
the active senses
bahvyaḥ
many
sa-patnyaḥ
co-wives
iva
like
geha-patim
a householder
lunanti
annihilate.
My dear Lord, O infallible one, my position is like that of a person who has many wives, all trying to attract him in their own way. For example, the tongue is attracted to palatable dishes, the genitals to sex with an attractive woman, and the sense of touch to contact with soft things. The belly, although filled, still wants to eat more, and the ear, not attempting to hear about You, is generally attracted to cinema songs. The sense of smell is attracted to yet another side, the restless eyes are attracted to scenes of sense gratification, and the active senses are attracted elsewhere. In this way I am certainly embarrassed.

The human form of life is meant for God realization, but this process, which begins with śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ — hearing and chanting of the holy name of the Lord — is disturbed as long as our senses are materially attracted. Therefore devotional service means purifying the senses. In the conditioned state our senses are covered by material sense gratification, and as long as one is not trained in purifying the senses, one cannot become a devotee. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, therefore, we advise from the very beginning that one restrict the activities of the senses, especially the tongue, which is described by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura as most greedy and unconquerable. To stop this attraction of the tongue, one is authoritatively advised not to accept meat or similar uneatable things nor to allow the tongue to hanker to drink or smoke. Even the drinking of tea and coffee is not permitted. Similarly, the genitals must be restricted from illicit sex. Without such restraint of the senses, one cannot make advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The only method of controlling the senses is to chant and hear the holy name of the Lord; otherwise, one will always be disturbed, as a householder with more than one wife would be disturbed by them for sense gratification.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O Lord! My tongue pulls me in one direction. My genital pulls me elsewhere. My skin, stomach, and ear pull me in another direction. My nose and fickle eye pull me elsewhere. They have power to act in this way, just as many co-wives destroy the master of the house. “Though the mind is wicked, still people become successful by chanting my glories.” Though my tongue for speaking and tasting is unsatisfied, it pulls me. O Acyuta! It is attracted to talking about material subjects and lies and to the six tastes. The other senses pull me elsewhere, to women, to earning wealth, to beating others. Śaktiḥ means capacity. They destroy. Thus I have no time for chanting.
📝 My note

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