Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 23
Nārada Instructs Prācīnabarhiṣat: The Purañjana Narrative Begins
City of Nine Gates
पिशङ्गनीवीं सुश्रोणीं श्यामां कनकमेखलाम् । पद्भ्यां क्वणद्भ्यां चलन्तीं नूपुरैर्देवतामिव ॥ २३ ॥
piśaṅga-nīvīṁ suśroṇīṁ śyāmāṁ kanaka-mekhalām padbhyāṁ kvaṇadbhyāṁ calantīṁ nūpurair devatām iva
Su cintura y sus caderas eran muy hermosas. Vestía un sari amarillo con un cinturón de oro. Al caminar, sus ajorcas tintineaban; parecía una deidad del cielo, una apsará.
This verse expresses the joyfulness of the mind upon seeing a woman with raised hips and breasts dressed in an attractive sārī and bedecked with ornaments.
FAQs
In this allegory, her captivating beauty symbolizes the embodied condition that attracts the soul toward sense enjoyment, beginning the chain of identification and bondage.
The vivid description highlights how external charm and sensory sounds entice the mind, illustrating the subtle power of māyā within the narrative of King Purañjana.
It teaches mindful restraint: recognize how sense-objects captivate attention, and redirect the mind toward devotional hearing and remembrance to avoid being led by attraction alone.