Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 8.12.22

tam vikshya deva iti kanduka-lilayeshad-

vridasphuta-smita-visrishta-kataksha-mushtah

stri-prekshana-pratisamikshana-vihvalatma

natmanam antika umam sva-ganams ca veda

SYNONYMS

tam -- Her; vikshya -- after observing; devah -- Lord Sambhu; iti -- in this way; kanduka-lilaya -- by playing with the ball; ishat -- slight; vrida -- by bashfulness; asphuta -- not very distinct; smita -- with smiling; visrishta -- sent; kataksha-mushtah -- defeated by the glances; stri-prekshana -- by glancing at that beautiful woman; pratisamikshana -- and by constantly being watched by Her; vihvala-atma -- whose mind was agitated; na -- not; atmanam -- himself; antike -- (situated) nearby; umam -- his wife, mother Uma; sva-ganan ca -- and his associates; veda -- Lord Siva could understand.

TRANSLATION

While Lord Siva observed the beautiful woman playing with the ball, She sometimes glanced at him and slightly smiled in bashfulness. As he looked at the beautiful woman and She watched him, he forgot both himself and Uma, his most beautiful wife, as well as his associates nearby.

PURPORT

The material bondage of this world is that a beautiful woman can captivate a handsome man and that a handsome man can captivate a beautiful woman. Such are the affairs that began when Lord Siva observed the beautiful girl playing with the ball. In such activities, the influence of Cupid is very prominent. As both parties move their eyebrows and glance at one another, their lusty desires increase more and more. Such reciprocations of lusty desire took place between Lord Siva and the beautiful woman, even though Uma and Lord Siva's associates were by Lord Siva's side. Such is the attraction between man and woman in the material world. Lord Siva was supposed to be above all this attraction, but he was victimized by the captivating power of Lord Vishnu. Rishabhadeva thus explains the nature of lusty attraction:

pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam

tayor mitho hridaya-granthim ahuh

ato griha-kshetra-sutapta-vittair

janasya moho 'yam aham mameti

"The attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material existence. On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life's illusions and thinks in terms of 'I and mine.' " (Bhag. 5.5.8) When a man and woman exchange feelings of lust, both of them are victimized, and thus they are bound to this material world in various ways.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness