Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 41
Ikṣvāku Dynasty: Vikukṣi’s Offense, Purañjaya’s Victory, Māndhātā’s Birth, and Saubhari’s Fall and Renunciation
स विचिन्त्याप्रियं स्त्रीणां जरठोऽहमसन्मत: । वलीपलित एजत्क इत्यहं प्रत्युदाहृत: ॥ ४१ ॥ साधयिष्ये तथात्मानं सुरस्त्रीणामभीप्सितम् । किं पुनर्मनुजेन्द्राणामिति व्यवसित: प्रभु: ॥ ४२ ॥
sa vicintyāpriyaṁ strīṇāṁ jaraṭho ’ham asan-mataḥ valī-palita ejat-ka ity ahaṁ pratyudāhṛtaḥ
Saubhari Muni se dit : « Je suis désormais affaibli par la vieillesse; mes cheveux ont blanchi, ma peau s’est relâchée et ma tête tremble sans cesse. De plus, je suis un yogī; les femmes ne m’aiment donc pas. Puisque le roi m’a répondu ainsi, je façonnerai mon corps de sorte qu’il soit désirable même aux femmes célestes, à plus forte raison aux filles des rois de ce monde. »
FAQs
It shows how attraction based on the body is temporary—when youth fades, one feels rejected—prompting a seeker to turn from sensual obsession toward higher purpose.
After being separated from Urvaśī, he reflects on his own aging and realizes that worldly desirability is unstable and cannot be the basis of lasting happiness.
It encourages sober self-assessment: don’t build identity on appearance or validation; cultivate inner character, dharma, and devotion that remain meaningful beyond youth.