Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9: “Liberation”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Chapter Nineteen

King Yayati Achieves Liberation

SB9.19Summary

This Nineteenth Chapter describes how Maharaja Yayati achieved liberation after he recounted the figurative story of the he-goat and she-goat.

After many, many years of sexual relationships and enjoyment in the material world, King Yayati finally became disgusted with such materialistic happiness. When satiated with material enjoyment, he devised a story of a he-goat and she-goat, corresponding to his own life, and narrated the story before his beloved Devayani. The story is as follows. Once upon a time, while a goat was searching in a forest for different types of vegetables to eat, by chance he came to a well, in which he saw a she-goat. He became attracted to this she-goat and somehow or other delivered her from the well, and thus they were united. One day thereafter, when the she-goat saw the he-goat enjoying sex with another she-goat, she became angry, abandoned the he-goat, and returned to her brahmana owner, to whom she described her husband’s behavior. The brahmana became very angry and cursed the he-goat to lose his sexual power. Thereupon, the he-goat begged the brahmana’s pardon and was given back the power for sex. Then the he-goat enjoyed sex with the she-goat for many years, but still he was not satisfied. If one is lusty and greedy, even the total stock of gold in this world cannot satisfy one’s lusty desires. These desires are like a fire. One may pour clarified butter on a blazing fire, but one cannot expect the fire to be extinguished. To extinguish such a fire, one must adopt a different process. The sastra therefore advises that by intelligence one renounce the life of enjoyment. Without great endeavor, those with a poor fund of knowledge cannot give up sense enjoyment, especially in relation to sex, because a beautiful woman bewilders even the most learned man. King Yayati, however, renounced worldly life and divided his property among his sons. He personally adopted the life of a mendicant, or sannyasi, giving up all attraction to material enjoyment, and engaged himself fully in devotional service to the Lord. Thus he attained perfection. Later, when his beloved wife, Devayani, was freed from her mistaken way of life, she also engaged herself in the devotional service of the Lord.

SB9.19.1

TEXT 1

sri-suka uvaca

sa ittham acaran kaman

straino ’pahnavam atmanah

buddhva priyayai nirvinno

gatham etam agayata

SYNONYMS

sri-sukah uvaca—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; sah—Maharaja Yayati; ittham—in this way; acaran—behaving; kaman—in regard to lusty desires; strainah—very much attached to woman; apahnavam—counteraction; atmanah—of his own welfare; buddhva—understanding with intelligence; priyayai—unto his beloved wife, Devayani; nirvinnah—disgusted; gatham—story; etam—this (as follows); agayata—narrated.

TRANSLATION

Sukadeva Gosvami said: O Maharaja Pariksit, Yayati was very much attached to woman. In due course of time, however, when disgusted with sexual enjoyment and its bad effects, he renounced this way of life and narrated the following story to his beloved wife.

SB9.19.2

TEXT 2

srnu bhargavy amum gatham

mad-vidhacaritam bhuvi

dhira yasyanusocanti

vane grama-nivasinah

SYNONYMS

srnu—please hear; bhargavi—O daughter of Sukracarya; amum—this; gatham—history; mat-vidha—exactly resembling my behavior; acaritam—behavior; bhuvi—within this world; dhirah—those who are sober and intelligent; yasya—of whom; anusocanti—lament very much; vane—in the forest; grama-nivasinah—very much attached to materialistic enjoyment.

TRANSLATION

My dearly beloved wife, daughter of Sukracarya, in this world there was someone exactly like me. Please listen as I narrate the history of his life. By hearing about the life of such a householder, those who have retired from householder life always lament.

PURPORT

Persons who live in the village or town are called grama-nivasi, and those who live in the forest are called vana-vasi or vanaprastha. The vanaprasthas, who have retired from family life, generally lament about their past family life because it engaged them in trying to fulfill lusty desires. Prahlada Maharaja said that one should retire from family life as soon as possible, and he described family life as the darkest well (hitvatma-patam grham andha-kupam). If one continuously or permanently concentrates on living with his family, he should be understood to be killing himself. In the Vedic civilization, therefore, it is recommended that one retire from family life at the end of his fiftieth year and go to vana, the forest. When he becomes expert or accustomed to forest life, or retired life as a vanaprastha, he should accept sannyasa. Vanam gato yad dharim asrayeta [SB 7.5.5]. Sannyasa means accepting unalloyed engagement in the service of the Lord. Vedic civilization therefore recommends four different stages of life—brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa. One should be very much ashamed of remaining a householder and not promoting oneself to the two higher stages, namely vanaprastha and sannyasa.

SB9.19.3

TEXT 3

basta eko vane kascid

vicinvan priyam atmanah

dadarsa kupe patitam

sva-karma-vasagam ajam

SYNONYMS

bastah—goat; ekah—one; vane—in a forest; kascit—some; vicinvan—searching for food; priyam—very dear; atmanah—for himself; dadarsa—saw by chance; kupe—within a well; patitam—fallen; sva-karma-vasa-gam—under the influence of the results of fruitive activities; ajam—a she-goat.

TRANSLATION

While wandering in the forest, eating to satisfy his senses, a he-goat by chance approached a well, in which he saw a she-goat standing helplessly, having fallen into it by the influence of the results of fruitive activities.

PURPORT

Here Maharaja Yayati compares himself to a he-goat and Devayani to a she-goat and describes the nature of man and woman. Like a he-goat, a man searches for sense gratification, wandering here and there, and a woman without the shelter of a man or husband is like a she-goat that has fallen into a well. Without being cared for by a man, a woman cannot be happy. Indeed, she is just like a she-goat that has fallen into a well and is struggling for existence. Therefore a woman must take shelter of her father, as Devayani did when under the care of Sukracarya, and then the father must give the daughter in charity to a suitable man, or a suitable man should help the woman by placing her under the care of a husband. This is shown vividly by the life of Devayani. When King Yayati delivered Devayani from the well, she felt great relief and requested Yayati to accept her as his wife. But when Maharaja Yayati accepted Devayani, he became too attached and had sex life not only with her but with others, like Sarmistha. Yet still he was dissatisfied. Therefore one should retire by force from such family life as Yayati’s. When one is fully convinced of the degrading nature of worldly family life, one should completely renounce this way of life, take sannyasa, and engage himself fully in the service of the Lord. Then one’s life will be successful.

SB9.19.4

TEXT 4

tasya uddharanopayam

bastah kami vicintayan

vyadhatta tirtham uddhrtya

visanagrena rodhasi

SYNONYMS

tasyah—of the she-goat; uddharana-upayam—the means of deliverance (from the well); bastah—the he-goat; kami—having lusty desires; vicintayan—planning; vyadhatta—executed; tirtham—a way to come out; uddhrtya—digging the earth; visana-agrena—by the point of the horns; rodhasi—at the edge of the well.

TRANSLATION

After planning how to get the she-goat out of the well, the lusty he-goat dug up the earth on the well’s edge with the point of his horns in such a way that she was able to come out very easily.

PURPORT

Attraction for woman is the impetus for economic development, housing and many other things meant for living comfortably in this material world. Digging up the earth to make a way out for the she-goat was a laborious task, but before accepting the she-goat, the he-goat underwent this labor. Aho grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair janasya moho ’yam aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. The union between male and female provides the impetus for gaining a nice apartment, a good income, children and friends. Thus one becomes entangled in this material world.

SB9.19.5-6

TEXTS 5–6

sottirya kupat susroni

tam eva cakame kila

taya vrtam samudviksya

bahvyo ’jah kanta-kaminih

pivanam smasrulam prestham

midhvamsam yabha-kovidam

sa eko ’javrsas tasam

bahvinam rati-vardhanah

reme kama-graha-grasta

atmanam navabudhyata

SYNONYMS

sa—the she-goat; uttirya—getting out; kupat—from the well; su-sroni—possessing very nice hips; tam—unto the he-goat; eva—indeed; cakame—desired to get as her husband; kila—indeed; taya—by her; vrtam—accepted; samudviksya—seeing; bahvyah—many others; ajah—she-goats; kanta-kaminih—desiring to get the he-goat as their husband; pivanam—very stout and strong; smasrulam—having a very nice mustache and beard; prestham—first-class; midhvamsam—expert in discharging semen; yabha-kovidam—expert in the art of sexual intercourse; sah—that he-goat; ekah—alone; aja-vrsah—the hero of the goats; tasam—of all the she-goats; bahvinam—a great number; rati-vardhanah—could increase the lusty desire; reme—he enjoyed; kama-graha-grastah—being haunted by the ghost of lusty desire; atmanam—his own self; na—not; avabudhyata—could understand.

TRANSLATION

When the she-goat, who had very nice hips, got out of the well and saw the very handsome he-goat, she desired to accept him as her husband. When she did so, many other she-goats also desired him as their husband because he had a very beautiful bodily structure and a nice mustache and beard and was expert in discharging semen and in the art of sexual intercourse. Therefore, just as a person haunted by a ghost exhibits madness, the best of the he-goats, attracted by the many she-goats, engaged in erotic activities and naturally forgot his real business of self-realization.

PURPORT

Materialists are certainly very much attracted by sexual intercourse. Yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45]. Although one becomes a grhastha, or householder, to enjoy sex life to his heart’s content, one is never satisfied. Such a lusty materialist is like a goat, for it is said that if goats meant for slaughter get the opportunity, they enjoy sex before being killed. Human beings, however, are meant for self-realization.

tapo divyam putraka yena sattvam
suddhyed yasmad brahma-saukhyam tv anantam

Human life is meant for realization of the self, the spiritual soul within the body (dehino ’smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]). A materialistic rascal does not know that he is not the body but a spiritual soul within the body. However, one should understand his real position and cultivate knowledge by which to get free from bodily entanglement. Like an unfortunate person who acts madly, haunted by ghosts, a materialist haunted by the ghost of lust forgets his real business so that he can enjoy so-called happiness in the bodily concept of life.

SB9.19.7

TEXT 7

tam eva presthatamaya

ramamanam ajanyaya

vilokya kupa-samvigna

namrsyad basta-karma tat

SYNONYMS

tam—the he-goat; eva—indeed; presthatamaya—beloved; ramamanam—engaged in sexual activities; aja—the she-goat; anyaya—with another she-goat; vilokya—by seeing; kupa-samvigna—the she-goat who had fallen into the well; na—not; amrsyat—tolerated; basta-karma—the business of the goat; tat—that (sex is accepted here as the business of the goat).

TRANSLATION

When the she-goat who had fallen into the well saw her beloved goat engaged in sexual affairs with another she-goat, she could not tolerate the goat’s activities.

SB9.19.8

TEXT 8

tam durhrdam suhrd-rupam

kaminam ksana-sauhrdam

indriyaramam utsrjya

svaminam duhkhita yayau

SYNONYMS

tam—him (the he-goat); durhrdam—cruel hearted; suhrt-rupam—pretending to be a friend; kaminam—very lusty; ksana-sauhrdam—having friendship for the time being; indriya-aramam—interested only in sense gratification or sensuality; utsrjya—giving up; svaminam—to her present husband, or to the former maintainer; duhkhita—being very much aggrieved; yayau—she left.

TRANSLATION

Aggrieved by her husband’s behavior with another, the she-goat thought that the he-goat was not actually her friend but was hardhearted and was her friend only for the time being. Therefore, because her husband was lusty, she left him and returned to her former maintainer.

PURPORT

The word svaminam is significant. Svami means “caretaker” or “master.” Devayani was cared for by Sukracarya before her marriage, and after her marriage she was cared for by Yayati, but here the word svaminam indicates that Devayani left the protection of her husband, Yayati, and returned to her former protector, Sukracarya. Vedic civilization recommends that a woman stay under the protection of a man. During childhood she should be cared for by her father, in youth by her husband, and in old age by a grown son. In any stage of life, a woman should not have independence.

SB9.19.9

TEXT 9

so ’pi canugatah strainah

krpanas tam prasaditum

kurvann idavida-karam

nasaknot pathi sandhitum

SYNONYMS

sah—that he-goat; api—also; ca—also; anugatah—following the she-goat; strainah—hen pecked; krpanah—very poor; tam—her; prasaditum—to satisfy; kurvan—making; idavida-karam—an utterance in the language of the goats; na—not; asaknot—was able; pathi—on the road; sandhitum—to satisfy.

TRANSLATION

Being very sorry, the he-goat, who was subservient to his wife, followed the she-goat on the road and tried his best to flatter her, but he could not pacify her.

SB9.19.10

TEXT 10

tasya tatra dvijah kascid

aja-svamy acchinad rusa

lambantam vrsanam bhuyah

sandadhe ’rthaya yogavit

SYNONYMS

tasya—of the he-goat; tatra—thereupon; dvijahbrahmana; kascit—some; aja-svami—the maintainer of another she-goat; acchinat—castrated, made effeminate; rusa—out of anger; lambantam—long; vrsanam—testicles; bhuyah—again; sandadhe—joined; arthaya—for self-interest; yoga-vit—expert in the power of mystic yoga.

TRANSLATION

The she-goat went to the residence of a brahmana who was the maintainer of another she-goat, and that brahmana angrily cut off the he-goat’s dangling testicles. But at the he-goat’s request, the brahmana later rejoined them by the power of mystic yoga.

PURPORT

Here Sukracarya is figuratively described as the husband of another she-goat. This indicates that the relationship between husband and wife in any society, whether higher or lower than human society, is nothing but the same relationship between he-goat and she-goat, for the material relationship between man and woman is one of sex. Yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45]. Sukracarya was an acarya, or expert, in family affairs, which involve the transfer of semen from he-goat to she-goat, The words kascid aja-svami expressly indicate herein that Sukracarya was no better than Yayati, for both of them were interested in family affairs generated by sukra, or semen. Sukracarya first cursed Yayati to become old so that he could no longer indulge in sex, but when Sukracarya saw that Yayati’s emasculation would make his own daughter a victim of punishment, he used his mystic power to restore Yayati’s masculinity. Because he used his power of mystic yoga for family affairs and not to realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this exercise in the magic of yoga was no better than the affairs of he-goats and she-goats. Yogic power should properly be used to realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As the Lord Himself recommends in Bhagavad-gita (6.47):

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah

“Of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.”

SB9.19.11

TEXT 11

sambaddha-vrsanah so ’pi

hy ajaya kupa-labdhaya

kalam bahu-titham bhadre

kamair nadyapi tusyati

SYNONYMS

sambaddha-vrsanah—rejoined with his testicles; sah—he; api—also; hi—indeed; ajaya—with the she-goat; kupa-labdhaya—whom he got from the well; kalam—for a time; bahu-titham—of a long, long duration; bhadre—O my dear wife; kamaih—with such lusty desires; na—not; adya api—even until now; tusyati—is satisfied.

TRANSLATION

My dear wife, when the he-goat had his testicles restored, he enjoyed the she-goat he had gotten from the well, but although he continued to enjoy for many, many years, even now he has not been fully satisfied.

PURPORT

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. Pancasordhvam vanam 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.

SB9.19.12

TEXT 12

tathaham krpanah subhru

bhavatyah prema-yantritah

atmanam nabhijanami

mohitas tava mayaya

SYNONYMS

tatha—exactly like the he-goat; aham—I; krpanah—a miser with no sense of the importance of life; su-bhru—O my wife, with beautiful eyebrows; bhavatyah—in your company; prema-yantritah—as if tied in love, although it is actually lust; atmanam—self-realization (what I am and what my duty is); na abhijanami—I could not realize even until now; mohitah—being bewildered; tava—your; mayaya—by the materially attractive feature.

TRANSLATION

O my dear wife with beautiful eyebrows, I am exactly like that he-goat, for I am so poor in intelligence that I am captivated by your beauty and have forgotten the real task of self-realization.

PURPORT

If one remains a victim of the so-called beauty of his wife, his family life is nothing but a dark well. Hitvatma-patam grham andha-kupam. Existence in such a dark well is certainly suicidal. If one wants relief from the miserable condition of material life, one must voluntarily give up his lusty relationship with his wife; otherwise there is no question of self-realization. Unless one is extremely advanced in spiritual consciousness, household life is nothing but a dark well in which one commits suicide. Prahlada Maharaja therefore recommended that in due time, at least after one’s fiftieth year, one must give up household life and go to the forest. Vanam gato yad dharim asrayeta [SB 7.5.5]. There one should seek shelter at the lotus feet of Hari.

SB9.19.13

TEXT 13

yat prthivyam vrihi-yavam

hiranyam pasavah striyah

na duhyanti manah-pritim

pumsah kama-hatasya te

SYNONYMS

yat—what; prthivyam—within this world; vrihi—food grains, rice; yavam—barley; hiranyam—gold; pasavah—animals; striyah—wives or other women; na duhyanti—do not give; manah-pritim—satisfaction of the mind; pumsah—to a person; kama-hatasya—because of being victimized by lusty desires; te—they.

TRANSLATION

A person who is lusty cannot satisfy his mind even if he has enough of everything in this world, including rice, barley and other food grains, gold, animals and women. Nothing can satisfy him.

PURPORT

Improvement of one’s economic condition is the aim and object of a materialist, but there is no end to this material advancement, for if one cannot control his lusty desires, he will never be pleased, even if he gets all the material wealth of the world. In this age we see much material improvement, but still people are struggling to get more and more material opulence. Manah sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati [Bg. 15.7]. Although every living entity is a part of the Supreme Being, because of lusty desires one continuously struggles for so-called betterment of one’s economic condition. To have a satisfied mind, one must give up his heart disease of lusty desires. This can be done only when one is Krsna conscious.

bhaktim param bhagavati pratilabhya kamam
hrd-rogam asv apahinoty acirena dhirah

(Bhag. 10.33.39)

If one becomes Krsna conscious, then he can give up this heart disease; otherwise this disease of lusty desires will continue, and one cannot have peace in his mind.

SB9.19.14

TEXT 14

na jatu kamah kamanam

upabhogena samyati

havisa krsna-vartmeva

bhuya evabhivardhate

SYNONYMS

na—not; jatu—at any time; kamah—lusty desires; kamanam—of persons who are very lusty; upabhogena—by enjoyment of lusty desires; samyati—can be pacified; havisa—by supplying butter; krsna-vartma—fire; iva—like; bhuyah—again and again; eva—indeed; abhivardhate—increases more and more.

TRANSLATION

As supplying butter to a fire does not diminish the fire but instead increases it more and more, the endeavor to stop lusty desires by continual enjoyment can never be successful. [In fact, one must voluntarily cease from material desires.]

PURPORT

One may have enough money and enough resources to satisfy the senses but still not be satisfied, for the endeavor to stop lusty desires by enjoying can never be successful. The example given here is very appropriate. One cannot stop a blazing fire by trying to extinguish it with butter.

SB9.19.15

TEXT 15

yada na kurute bhavam

sarva-bhutesv amangalam

sama-drstes tada pumsah

sarvah sukhamaya disah

SYNONYMS

yada—when; na—not; kurute—does; bhavam—a different attitude of attachment or envy; sarva-bhutesu—to all living entities; amangalam—inauspicious; sama-drsteh—because of being equipoised; tada—at that time; pumsah—of the person; sarvah—all; sukha-mayah—in a happy condition; disah—directions.

TRANSLATION

When a man is nonenvious and does not desire ill fortune for anyone, he is equipoised. For such a person, all directions appear happy.

PURPORT

Prabodhananda Sarasvati said, visvam purna-sukhayate: when one becomes Krsna conscious by the mercy of Lord Caitanya, for him the entire world appears happy, and he has nothing for which to hanker. On the brahma-bhuta stage, or the platform of spiritual realization, there is no lamentation and no material hankering (na socati na kanksati). As long as one lives in the material world, actions and reactions will continue, but when one is unaffected by such material actions and reactions, he is to be considered free from the danger of being victimized by material desires. The symptoms of those who are satiated with lusty desires are described in this verse. As explained by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, when one is not envious even of his enemy, does not expect honor from anyone, but instead desires all well-being even for his enemy, he is understood to be a paramahamsa, one who has fully subdued the lusty desires for sense gratification.

SB9.19.16

TEXT 16

ya dustyaja durmatibhir

jiryato ya na jiryate

tam trsnam duhkha-nivaham

sarma-kamo drutam tyajet

SYNONYMS

ya—that which; dustyaja—extremely difficult to give up; durmatibhih—by persons too attached to material enjoyment; jiryatah—even by one who is an invalid because of old age; ya—that which; na—not; jiryate—is vanquished; tam—such; trsnam—desire; duhkha-nivaham—which is the cause of all tribulations; sarma-kamah—a person desiring his own happiness; drutam—very soon; tyajet—should give up.

TRANSLATION

For those who are too attached to material enjoyment, sense gratification is very difficult to give up. Even when one is an invalid because of old age, one cannot give up such desires for sense gratification. Therefore, one who actually desires happiness must give up such unsatisfied desires, which are the cause of all tribulations.

PURPORT

We have actually seen, especially in the Western countries, that men who have reached more than eighty years of age still go to nightclubs and pay heavy fees to drink wine and associate with women. Although such men are too old to enjoy anything, their desires have not ceased. Time deteriorates even the body itself, which is the medium for all sensual satisfaction, but even when a man becomes old and invalid, his desires are strong enough to dictate that he go here and there to satisfy the desires of his senses. Therefore, by the practice of bhakti-yoga, one should give up his lusty desires. As explained by Sri Yamunacarya:

yadavadhi mama cetah krsna-padaravinde
nava-nava-rasa-dhamany udyatam rantum asit
tadavadhi bata nari-sangame smaryamane
bhavati mukha-vikarah susthu-nisthivanam ca

When one is Krsna conscious, he gets more and more happiness by discharging duties for Krsna. Such a person spits on sense gratification, especially that of sexual enjoyment. An experienced, advanced devotee is no longer interested in sex life. The strong desire for sex can be subdued only by advancement in Krsna consciousness.

Next verse (SB9.19.17)