SB 11.7.56 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

यं यं वाञ्छति सा राजन् तर्पयन्त्यनुकम्पिता । तं तं समनयत् कामं कृच्छ्रेणाप्यजितेन्द्रिय: ॥ ५६ ॥

Verse text

yaṁ yaṁ vāṣchati sā rājan tarpayanty anukampitā taṁ taṁ samanayat kāmaṁ kṛcchreṇāpy ajitendriyaḥ

Synonyms

yam yam — whatever ; vāṣchati — would want ; sā — she ; rājan — O King ; tarpayantī — pleasing ; anukampitā — being shown mercy ; tam tam — that ; samanayat — brought ; kāmam — her desire ; kṛcchreṇa — with difficulty ; api — even ; ajita — indriyaḥ — having never learned to control his senses .

Translation

Whenever she desired anything, O King, the she-pigeon would flatteringly cajole her husband, and he in turn would gratify her by faithfully doing whatever she wanted, even with great personal difficulty. Thus, he could not control his senses in her association.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Whenever she desired anything, O King, her husband, with no sense control, would gratify her by faithfully doing whatever she wanted, even with great personal difficulty.

Purport

The word tarpayantī indicates that the lady pigeon was quite expert in seducing her husband through smiling glances and loving talks. Thus appealing to his noble sentiments, she efficiently engaged him as her faithful servant. The poor pigeon was ajitendriya, or one who cannot control his senses and whose heart is easily melted by the beauty of a woman. The brāhmaṇa avadhūta is giving valuable instructions by narrating this story of the two pigeons and the terrible distress they suffered by inevitable separation. If one’s intelligence is not dedicated to serving Hṛṣīkeśa, the Supreme Lord of sense activity, undoubtedly one will plunge into the nescience of bodily gratification. Then one becomes no better than a foolish pigeon.