SB 5.24.16 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

अथातले मयपुत्रोऽसुरो बलो निवसति येन ह वा इह सृष्टा: षण्णवतिर्माया: काश्चनाद्यापि मायाविनो धारयन्ति यस्य च जृम्भमाणस्य मुखतस्त्रय: स्त्रीगणा उदपद्यन्त स्वैरिण्य: कामिन्य: पुंश्चल्य इति या वै बिलायनं प्रविष्टं पुरुषं रसेन हाटकाख्येन साधयित्वा स्वविलासावलोकनानुरागस्मितसंलापोपगूहनादिभि: स्वैरं किल रमयन्ति यस्मिन्नुपयुक्ते पुरुष ईश्वरोऽहं सिद्धोऽहमित्ययुतमहागजबलमात्मानमभिमन्यमान: कत्थते मदान्ध इव ॥ १६ ॥

Verse text

athātale maya-putro ’suro balo nivasati yena ha vā iha sṛṣṭāḥ ṣaṇ-ṇavatir māyāḥ kāścanādyāpi māyāvino dhārayanti yasya ca jṛmbhamāṇasya mukhatas trayaḥ strī-gaṇā udapadyanta svairiṇyaḥ kāminyaḥ puṁścalya iti yā vai bilāyanaṁ praviṣṭaṁ puruṣaṁ rasena hāṭakākhyena sādhayitvā sva-vilāsāvalokanānurāga-smita-saṁlāpopagūhanādibhiḥ svairaṁ kila ramayanti yasminn upayukte puruṣa īśvaro ’haṁ siddho ’ham ity ayuta-mahā-gaja-balam ātmānam abhimanyamānaḥ katthate madāndha iva.

Synonyms

atha — now ; atale — on the planet named Atala ; maya — putraḥ asuraḥ — the demon son of Maya ; balaḥ — Bala ; nivasati — resides ; yena — by whom ; ha vā — indeed ; iha — in this ; sṛṣṭāḥ — propagated ; ṣaṭ — ṇavatiḥ — ninety-six ; māyāḥ — varieties of illusion ; kāścana — some ; adya api — even today ; māyā — vinaḥ — those who know the art of magical feats (like manufacturing gold) ; dhārayanti — utilize ; yasya — of whom ; ca — also ; jṛmbhamāṇasya — while yawning ; mukhataḥ — from the mouth ; trayaḥ — three ; strī — gaṇāḥ — varieties of women ; udapadyanta — were generated ; svairiṇyaḥ — svairiṇī (one who only marries in her same class) ; kāminyaḥ — kāmiṇī (one who, being lusty, marries men from any group) ; puṁścalyaḥ — puṁścalī (one who wants to go from one husband to another) ; iti — thus ; yāḥ — who ; vai — certainly ; bila — ayanam — the subterranean planets ; praviṣṭam — entering ; puruṣam — a male ; rasena — by a juice ; hāṭaka — ākhyena — made from an intoxicating herb known as hāṭaka ; sādhayitvā — making sexually fit ; sva — vilāsa — for their personal sense gratification ; avalokana — by glances ; anurāga — lustful ; smita — by smiling ; saṁlāpa — by talking ; upagūhana — ādibhiḥ — and by embracing ; svairam — according to their own desire ; kila — indeed ; ramayanti — enjoy sex pleasure ; yasmin — which ; upayukte — when used ; puruṣaḥ — a man ; īśvaraḥ aham — I am the most powerful person ; siddhaḥ aham — I am the greatest and most elevated person ; iti — thus ; ayuta — ten thousand ; mahā — gaja — of big elephants ; balam — the strength ; ātmānam — himself ; abhimanyamānaḥ — being full of pride ; katthate — they say ; mada — andhaḥ — blinded by false prestige ; iva — like .

Translation

My dear King, now I shall describe to you the lower planetary systems, one by one, beginning from Atala. In Atala there is a demon, the son of Maya Dānava named Bala, who created ninety-six kinds of mystic power. Some so-called yogīs and svāmīs take advantage of this mystic power to cheat people even today. Simply by yawning, the demon Bala created three kinds of women, known as svairiṇī, kāmiṇī and puṁścalī. The svairiṇīs like to marry men from their own group, the kāmiṇīs marry men from any group, and the puṁścalīs change husbands one after another. If a man enters the planet of Atala, these women immediately capture him and induce him to drink an intoxicating beverage made with a drug known as hāṭaka [cannabis indica]. This intoxicant endows the man with great sexual prowess, of which the women take advantage for enjoyment. A woman will enchant him with attractive glances, intimate words, smiles of love and then embraces. In this way she induces him to enjoy sex with her to her full satisfaction. Because of his increased sexual power, the man thinks himself stronger than ten thousand elephants and considers himself most perfect. Indeed, illusioned and intoxicated by false pride, he thinks himself God, ignoring impending death.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

In Atala there is a demon, the son of Maya Dānava named Bala, who created ninety-six kinds of mystic power. Some people hold some of these powers even today. Simply by yawning, the demon Bala created three kinds of women, known as svairiṇī, kāmiṇī and puṁścalī. When a man enters their houses, these women make him fit with hāṭaka, and enjoy with him by embraces, talking, attractive smiles and playful glances. Drinking this beverage, the man, thinking he has the strength of ten thousand elephants, as if blind with intoxication, boasts “I am God, and am perfect.” Those women who enjoy in their own caste are called svariṇī. Those who enjoy outside their caste are called kāminī. Those who are very fickle in enjoying are called puṁścalī. Bilāyanam means their houses which are like holes. They make him fit for sex enjoyment by the beverage. When he drinks that beverage (yasmin upayukte), he feels as strong as ten thousand elephants.