Text 12

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.9.40) explains how life is completely destroyed by attraction to the form, taste and so on of material objects:

जिह्वैकतो’च्युत विकर्षति मावितृप्ता शिश्नो’न्यतस् त्वग्-उदरं श्रवणं कुतश्चित्
घ्राणो’न्यतश् चपल-दृक् क्व च कर्म-शक्तिर् बह्व्यः सपत्न्य इव गेह-पतिं लुनन्ति

jihvaikato’cyuta vikarṣati māvitṛptā śiśno’nyatas tvag-udaraṃ śravaṇaṃ kutaścit
ghrāṇo’nyataś capala-dṛk kva ca karma-śaktir bahvyaḥ sapatnya iva geha-patiṃ lunanti

O Acyuta, my tongue is pulling me towards delicious f lavours, my genitals towards beautiful women, my stomach towards foodstuffs that are harmful, my ears towards sweet songs and useless talk, my nose towards pleasant fragrances, my eyes towards beauty, and my sense of touch towards soft things. In this way, all my sense organs are pulling me towards their respective sense objects. O Nandanandana, my situation is like that of a man with many wives, each dragging him towards her own bedroom. In such a condition, how can I remember You and Your form, qualities and pastimes?

जिह्वा टाने रस प्रति, उपस्थ कदर्थे
उदर भोजने टाने विषम अनर्थे

jihvā ṭāne rasa prati, upastha kadarthe
udara bhojane ṭāne viṣama anarthe

चर्म टाने शय्यादिते, श्रवण कथाय
घ्राण टाने सुरभिते, चक्षु दृश्ये याय

carma ṭāne śayyādite, śravaṇa kathāya
ghrāṇa ṭāne surabhite, cakṣu dṛśye yāya

कर्मेन्द्रिय कर्मे टाने, बहु-पत्नी यथा
गृहपति आकर्षय, मोर मन तथा

karmendriya karme ṭāne, bahu-patnī yathā
gṛhapati ākarṣaya, mora mana tathā

एमत अवस्था मोर श्री-नन्द-नन्दन
कि रूपे तोमार लीला करिब स्मरण?

emata avasthā mora śrī-nanda-nandana
ki rūpe tomāra līlā kariba smaraṇa?

Commentary: Bhajana-rahasya-vṛtti:

The sādhaka is praying to Śrī Bhagavān with great humility, “O Lord, let my mind always be completely attached to Your lotus feet and engaged in glorifying You. But, O Acyuta, although I am trying to control my senses by innumerable endeavours, I have not been successful. Alas, alas, what shall I do? My unsatisfied tongue, genitals, belly, ears, nose, restless eyes and sense of touch are drawing me in the direction of their respective sense objects–sound, form, taste, smell and touch–and are thus destroying me. O Prabhu, although I have tried my best to subdue them, I have not succeeded. My condition is like that of a man who, controlled by lust, has married several wives. Now all these wives are dragging him in their own direction, each wanting her lustful desires fulfilled. He is not able to pacify the fire of their lust, nor do they leave him alone. The more this lusty man tries in various ways to satisfy the desires of these ladies, the less successful he is. Similarly, I endeavoured in many ways, but all in vain. O protector of the helpless, now You are my only shelter. I have faith in You alone. By the power of Your mercy, please deliver me from the entanglement of this material existence and thus make Your name, Patita-pāvana, meaningful.”