Devanagari
कदाचिदटमाना सा ब्रह्मलोकान्महीं गतम् ।
वव्रे बृहद्व्रतं मां तु जानती काममोहिता ॥ २१ ॥
Verse text
kadācid aṭamānā sā
brahma-lokān mahīṁ gatam
vavre bṛhad-vrataṁ māṁ tu
jānatī kāma-mohitā
Synonyms
kadācit
—
once upon a time
;
aṭamānā
—
traveling
;
sā
—
she
;
brahma
—
lokāt — from Brahmaloka, the highest planet
;
mahīm
—
on the earth
;
gatam
—
having come
;
vavre
—
she proposed
;
bṛhat
—
vratam — avowed brahmacārī
;
mām
—
unto me
;
tu
—
then
;
jānatī
—
knowing
;
kāma
—
mohitā — being illusioned by lust .
Translation
When I once came to this earth from Brahmaloka, the highest planetary system, the daughter of Time, wandering over the universe, met me. Knowing me to be an avowed brahmacārī, she became lusty and proposed that I accept her.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
One time, bewildered by lust, knowing that I was a brahmacārī, she proposed on her own to me when I came to earth from Brahmaloka.
She thought Nārada was an earthling when he came to the earth. She did not at all reject him even though he was a life-long celibate, or sannyāsī, having great powers.
Purport
The great sage Nārada Muni was a
naiṣṭhika-brahmacārī
— that is, he never had sex life. He was consequently an ever-green youth. Old age,
jarā,
could not attack him. The invalidity of old age can overcome an ordinary man, but Nārada Muni was different. Taking Nārada Muni to be an ordinary man, the daughter of Time confronted him with her lusty desire. It requires great strength to resist a woman’s attraction. It is difficult for old men, and what to speak of young. Those who live as
brahmacārīs
must follow in the footsteps of the great sage Nārada Muni, who never accepted the proposals of Jarā. Those who are too much sexually addicted become victims of
jarā,
and very soon their life span is shortened. Without utilizing the human form of life for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the victims of
jarā
die very soon in this world.