Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 23
The Rise of Soma-vaṁśa: Budha’s Birth and Purūravā–Urvaśī; The Origin of Karma-kāṇḍa in Tretā-yuga
अहो रूपमहो भावो नरलोकविमोहनम् । को न सेवेत मनुजो देवीं त्वां स्वयमागताम् ॥ २३ ॥
aho rūpam aho bhāvo nara-loka-vimohanam ko na seveta manujo devīṁ tvāṁ svayam āgatām
Purūravā menjawab, “Sungguh menakjubkan rupamu, menakjubkan juga gerak-geri dan gayamu; engkau memikat seluruh dunia manusia. Maka, kerana engkau sendiri datang dari alam syurga, siapakah di bumi yang tidak bersedia berkhidmat kepada seorang dewi sepertimu?”
It appears from the words of Urvaśī that the standard of living, eating, behavior and speech are all different on the heavenly planets from the standards on this planet earth. The inhabitants of the heavenly planets do not eat such abominable things as meat and eggs; everything they eat is prepared in clarified butter. Nor do they like to see either men or women naked, except at the time of sexual intercourse. To live naked or almost naked is uncivilized, but on this planet earth it has now become fashionable to dress half naked, and sometimes those like hippies live completely naked. Indeed, there are many clubs and societies for this purpose. Such conduct is not allowed, however, on the heavenly planets. The inhabitants of the heavenly planets, aside from being very beautiful, both in complexion and bodily features, are well-behaved and long-living, and they eat first-class food in goodness. These are some of the distinctions between the inhabitants of the heavenly planets and the inhabitants of earth.
FAQs
This verse shows how worldly beauty and charm can bewilder the human mind, prompting service driven by attraction rather than discernment.
Purūravas, captivated by Urvaśī’s beauty and demeanor, expresses that no man could resist serving her when she appeared before him—revealing his growing infatuation.
Recognize how attraction can cloud judgment; practice restraint, keep values (dharma) central, and redirect admiration toward devotion and inner character rather than mere appearance.