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Shloka 11

Yayāti’s Renunciation: The Allegory of the He-Goat and She-Goat

सम्बद्धवृषण: सोऽपि ह्यजया कूपलब्धया । कालं बहुतिथं भद्रे कामैर्नाद्यापि तुष्यति ॥ ११ ॥

sambaddha-vṛṣaṇaḥ so ’pi hy ajayā kūpa-labdhayā kālaṁ bahu-tithaṁ bhadre kāmair nādyāpi tuṣyati

โอ ภรรยาผู้เป็นที่รัก เมื่อแพะตัวผู้ได้อัณฑะคืนแล้ว มันก็เสพสุขกับแพะตัวเมียที่ได้มาจากบ่อ แต่แม้จะเสพอยู่นานนับปีนับปี จนบัดนี้ก็ยังไม่อิ่มเอมอย่างแท้จริง

sambaddha-vṛṣaṇaḥone whose testicles are bound (impotent/controlled)
sambaddha-vṛṣaṇaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeAdjective
Rootsambaddha (कृदन्त, √bandh धातु) + vṛṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā (Nominative, 1st), Ekavacana (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सम्बद्धाः वृषणाः यस्य/सम्बद्धवृषणः)
saḥhe
saḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; sarvanāma (pronoun)
apialso, even
api:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; particle (अपि = also/even)
hiindeed, for
hi:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; nipāta (emphatic/causal particle)
ajayāby the she-goat
ajayā:
Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootajā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga (Feminine), Tṛtīyā (Instrumental, 3rd), Ekavacana; karaṇa (instrument/agent) sense
kūpa-labdhayāobtained from a well
kūpa-labdhayā:
Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
TypeAdjective
Rootkūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + labdhā (कृदन्त, √labh धातु, क्त)
FormStrīliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कूपेन लब्धया = obtained from a well)
kālamtime (duration)
kālam:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootkāla (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative, 2nd), Ekavacana; kāla-viśeṣa as object of duration
bahu-tithamfor many days (a long time)
bahu-titham:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier of kālam)
TypeAdjective
Rootbahu (प्रातिपदिक) + titha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; समासः—कर्मधारयः (बहु तिथिः = many days/for many days)
bhadreO auspicious lady
bhadre:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
TypeNoun
Rootbhadrā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga, Sambodhana (Vocative), Ekavacana; संबोधन
kāmaiḥby pleasures/desires
kāmaiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootkāma (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṁliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental), Bahuvacana (Plural)
nanot
na:
Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध/Negation)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; negation particle
adyatoday, even now
adya:
Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण/Time adjunct)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootadya (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; adverb of time
apieven
api:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; particle
tuṣyatiis satisfied
tuṣyati:
Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
TypeVerb
Root√tuṣ (तुष् धातु)
FormLaṭ-lakāra (Present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

When one is bound by affection for one’s wife, one is attached to sexual desires that are very difficult to overcome. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, one must voluntarily leave his so-called home and go to the forest. Pañcāśordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet . Human life is meant for such tapasya, or austerity. By the austerity of voluntarily stopping sex life at home and going to the forest to engage in spiritual activities in the association of devotees, one achieves the actual purpose of human life.

(
(implicit) the conditioned soul / the lusty man
A
Ajā (Māyā)

FAQs

This verse explains that even after long enjoyment obtained under māyā, a person driven by kāma (lust) still remains unsatisfied—desire does not end by indulgence.

Śukadeva Gosvāmī is narrating to King Parīkṣit, describing the nature of desire and illusion as part of the Ninth Canto’s historical teachings.

Recognize that repeated indulgence won’t bring lasting fulfillment; cultivate restraint, seek higher taste through bhakti (hearing and chanting), and redirect desire toward service to Bhagavān.