Shloka 41
Diti’s Puṁsavana Vow, Indra’s Intervention, and the Birth of the Maruts
शरत्पद्मोत्सवं वक्त्रं वचश्च श्रवणामृतम् । हृदयं क्षुरधाराभं स्त्रीणां को वेद चेष्टितम् ॥ ४१ ॥
śarat-padmotsavaṁ vaktraṁ vacaś ca śravaṇāmṛtam hṛdayaṁ kṣura-dhārābhaṁ strīṇāṁ ko veda ceṣṭitam
ਇਸਤਰੀ ਦਾ ਚਿਹਰਾ ਪਤਝੜ ਦੇ ਕਮਲ ਵਾਂਗ ਸੁੰਦਰ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਉਸਦੇ ਬੋਲ ਕੰਨਾਂ ਲਈ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਵਰਗੇ ਹੁੰਦੇ ਹਨ, ਪਰ ਉਸਦਾ ਦਿਲ ਉਸਤਰਾ ਦੀ ਧਾਰ ਵਾਂਗ ਤਿੱਖਾ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ। ਅਜਿਹੇ ਹਾਲਾਤਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਔਰਤ ਦੇ ਵਿਹਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਕੌਣ ਸਮਝ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ?
Woman is now depicted very well from the materialistic point of view by Kaśyapa Muni. Women are generally known as the fair sex, and especially in youth, at the age of sixteen or seventeen, women are very attractive to men. Therefore a woman’s face is compared to a blooming lotus flower in autumn. Just as a lotus is extremely beautiful in autumn, a woman at the threshold of youthful beauty is extremely attractive. In Sanskrit a woman’s voice is called nārī-svara because women generally sing and their singing is very attractive. At the present moment, cinema artists, especially female singers, are especially welcome. Some of them earn fabulous amounts of money simply by singing. Therefore, as taught by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, a woman’s singing is dangerous because it can make a sannyāsī fall a victim to the woman. Sannyāsa means giving up the company of women, but if a sannyāsī hears the voice of a woman and sees her beautiful face, he certainly becomes attracted and is sure to fall down. There have been many examples. Even the great sage Viśvāmitra fell a victim to Menakā. Therefore a person desiring to advance in spiritual consciousness must be especially careful not to see a woman’s face or hear a woman’s voice. To see a woman’s face and appreciate its beauty or to hear a woman’s voice and appreciate her singing as very nice is a subtle falldown for a brahmacārī or sannyāsī. Thus the description of a woman’s features by Kaśyapa Muni is very instructive.
FAQs
It contrasts outward sweetness (lotus-like face and nectar-like speech) with hidden danger (razor-like heart), warning that motives can be difficult to discern.
Indra feared Diti’s intention to obtain a powerful son who could threaten him, so he viewed her pleasing demeanor with suspicion while trying to protect his position.
It advises discernment: don’t judge only by charming appearance or speech—evaluate actions, consistency, and dharmic intent before trusting.