Shloka 31
Secondary Creation Begins: Brahmā’s Productions, the Guṇas, and the Emergence of Orders of Beings
गूहन्तीं व्रीडयात्मानं नीलालकवरूथिनीम् । उपलभ्यासुरा धर्म सर्वे सम्मुमुहु: स्त्रियम् ॥ ३१ ॥
gūhantīṁ vrīḍayātmānaṁ nīlālaka-varūthinīm upalabhyāsurā dharma sarve sammumuhuḥ striyam
Adorned with dark tresses, she seemed to hide herself out of modesty. Seeing that woman, all the asuras were bewildered, overcome by lust.
The difference between demons and demigods is that a beautiful woman very easily attracts the minds of demons, but she cannot attract the mind of a godly person. A godly person is full of knowledge, and a demoniac person is full of ignorance. Just as a child is attracted by a beautiful doll, similarly a demon, who is less intelligent and full of ignorance, is attracted by material beauty and an appetite for sex. The godly person knows that this nicely dressed and ornamented attraction of high breasts, high hips, beautiful nose and fair complexion is māyā. All the beauty a woman can display is only a combination of flesh and blood. Śrī Śaṅkarācārya has advised all persons not to be attracted by the interaction of flesh and blood; they should be attracted by the real beauty In spiritual life. The real beauty is Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā. One who is attracted by the beauty of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa cannot be attracted by the false beauty of this material world. That is the difference between a demon and a godly person or devotee.
FAQs
This verse shows the asuras becoming mentally overwhelmed simply by seeing feminine beauty and modest gestures—illustrating how sense-attraction can bewilder the intelligence and capture the mind.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks this verse while narrating the creation accounts of the Third Canto to Mahārāja Parīkṣit.
Guard the senses and mind: fascination with external beauty can quickly disturb clarity and values, so cultivate modesty, discipline, and devotional focus to remain steady.