Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 1
Yayāti’s Renunciation: The Allegory of the He-Goat and She-Goat
श्रीशुक उवाच स इत्थमाचरन् कामान् स्त्रैणोऽपह्नवमात्मन: । बुद्ध्वा प्रियायै निर्विण्णो गाथामेतामगायत ॥ १ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca sa ittham ācaran kāmān straiṇo ’pahnavam ātmanaḥ buddhvā priyāyai nirviṇṇo gāthām etām agāyata
Śrī Śukadeva sprach: O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Yayāti war sehr an Frauen gebunden; doch mit der Zeit, vom Sinnenrausch und seinen schlimmen Folgen angewidert, entsagte er diesem Lebensweg und sang seiner geliebten Gemahlin folgende heilige Erzählung.
FAQs
This verse states that indulgence in kāma—especially obsessive attachment to women—can make one cheat oneself, but realization can awaken detachment and remorse.
He highlights the turning point where a person recognizes the emptiness of sense indulgence and becomes inwardly disillusioned, opening the door to purification and dharmic resolve.
Notice how cravings can rationalize harmful choices; cultivate honest self-reflection and redirect desire toward higher purpose—through discipline, prayer, and devotion.