1238
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 4, Ch. 26]
TEXT 23
सा त्वं मुखं सुदति सुभ्रवनुरागभार- 
    त्रीडाविलम्बविलसद्वसितावलोकम् । 
    नोत्तम्रकातिभिरुपस्कृतमुवसं नः 
    स्वानां प्रदर्शय मनस्विनि वल्गुवाक्यम् ॥२३॥
sā tvam mukham sudati subhrv anurāga-bhāra- 
    vrīḍā-vilamba-vilasad-dhasitāvalokam 
    nīlālakālibhir upaskṛtam unnasam naḥ 
    svānām pradarśaya manasvini valgu-vākyam
sā —that (you, my wife);  tvam —you;  mukham —your face;  su-dati —with beautiful teeth;  su-bhru —with beautiful eyebrows;  anurāga —attachment;  bhāra —loaded by;  vrīḍā —feminine shyness;  vilamba —hanging down;  vilasat —shining;  hasita —smiling;  avalokam —with glances;  nīla —bluish;  alaka —with hair;  alibhiḥ —bee-like;  upaskṛtam —thus being beautiful;  unnasam —with a raised nose;  naḥ —to me;  svānām —who am yours;  pradarśaya —please show;  manasvini —O most thoughtful lady;  valgu-vākyam —with sweet words.
TRANSLATION
My dear wife, your teeth are very beautifully set, and your attractive features make you appear very thoughtful. Kindly give up your anger, be merciful upon me, and please smile upon me with loving attachment. When I see a smile on your beautiful face, and when I see your hair, which is as beautiful as the color blue, and see your raised nose and hear your sweet talk, you will become more beautiful to me and thus attract me and oblige me. You are my most respected mistress.
PURPORT
An effeminate husband, simply being attracted by the external beauty of his wife, tries to become her most obedient servant. Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya has therefore advised that we not become attracted by a lump of flesh and blood. The story is told that at one time a man, very much attracted to a beautiful woman, wooed the woman in such a way that she devised a plan to show him the ingredients of her beauty. The woman made a date to see him, and before seeing him she took a purgative, and that whole day and