Shloka 37
Nīti for Calamity, Wealth, Friendship, Charity, and Restraint of Kāma
सुवेषं पुरुषं दृष्ट्वा भ्रातरं यदि वा सुतम् / योनिः क्लिद्यति नारीणां सत्यंसत्यं हि शौनक !
suveṣaṃ puruṣaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhrātaraṃ yadi vā sutam / yoniḥ klidyati nārīṇāṃ satyaṃsatyaṃ hi śaunaka !
Wenn sie einen gut gekleideten Mann sehen – selbst wenn es der Bruder oder Sohn ist – wird das Geschlechtsorgan der Frauen feucht. Das ist wahrlich wahr, o Śaunaka.
Narrator addressing Śaunaka (Sūta/Ugraśravas in the frame dialogue)
Concept: The text stresses the perceived power of sensual stimulus and the necessity of strict boundaries; it uses hyperbolic rhetoric to enforce vigilance.
Vedantic Theme: Mind’s susceptibility to saṃskāra; need for viveka and saṃyama to prevent adharma.
Application: Maintain modesty and appropriate conduct; avoid situations that blur familial/protective boundaries; cultivate respectful, non-objectifying perception.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Related Themes: Garuda Purana nīti passages employing strong rhetoric to deter kāma and social disorder (general thematic parallels)
FAQs
This verse highlights the intensity and spontaneity of sexual attraction, implying the need for vigilance, restraint, and ethical discipline so that desire does not lead to adharma and harmful karma.
By emphasizing how easily passion can arise, it supports the broader Garuda Purana theme that unchecked impulses often become the root of sinful actions, which later bear consequences in the post-death journey and moral accounting.
Cultivate modesty, boundaries, and self-awareness around triggers; practice self-control and respectful conduct to prevent impulsive choices that can harm oneself and others.