Text 17]
The Subterranean Heavenly Planets
387
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.
TEXT 17
ततोऽधस्ताद्वितले हरो भगवान् हाटकेश्वरः स्वपार्षदभूतगणावृतः प्रजापतिसर्गोपबृंहणाय भवो भवान्या सह मिथुनीभूत आस्ते यतः प्रवृत्ता सरित्प्रवरा हाटकी नाम भवयोर्वीर्येण यत्र चित्रभानुर्मातरिश्वना समिध्यमान ओजसा पिबति तन्निष्ट्यूतं हाटकाख्यं सुवर्णं भूषणेनासुरेन्द्रावरोधेषु पुरुषाः सह पुरुषीभिर्धारयन्ति ॥ १७ ॥
tato 'dhastād vitale haro bhagavān hāṭakeśvaraḥ sva-pārṣada-bhūta-gaṇāvṛtaḥ prajāpati-sargopabṛṁhaṇāya bhavo bhavānyā saha mithunī-bhūta āste yataḥ pravṛttā sarit-pravarā hāṭakī nāma bhavayor vīryeṇa yatra citrabhānur mātariśvanā samidhyamāna ojasā pibati tan niṣṭhyūtaṁ hāṭakākhyaṁ suvarṇaṁ bhūṣaṇenāsurendrāvarodheṣu puruṣāḥ saha puruṣibhir dhārayanti.
tataḥ—the planet Atala; adhastāt—beneath; vitale—on the planet; haraḥ—Lord Śiva; bhagavān—the most powerful personality; hāṭa-