1356 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 3, Ch. 31
material contamination by rendering devotional service unto the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, he can at that time understand the science of
God.

Here the word pratilabdhatma-labhah occurs. Atma means self, and labha
means gain. Generally, conditioned souls have lost their atma, or self, but
those who are transcendentalists have realized the self. It is directed that
such a self-realized soul who aspires to the topmost platform of yogic
perfection should not associate with young women. In the modern age,
however, there are so many rascals who recommend that while one has
genitals he should enjoy women as much as he likes, and at the same time
he can become a yogi. In no standard yoga system is the association of
women accepted. It is clearly stated here that the association of women is
the gateway to hellish life. The association of woman is very much
restricted in the Vedic civilization. Out of the four social divisions, the
brahmacari, vanaprastha and the sannyasi, three orders, are strictly pro-
hibited from the association of women; only the grhasthas, or house-
holders, are given license to have an intimate relationship with a woman,
and that relationship is also restricted for begetting nice children. If,
however, one wants to stick to continued existence in the material world,
he may indulge in female association unrestrictedly.

TEXT 40
amas adatn aifitafifahic |
BN ° d
TT Te Tt: RIAA vel
yopayati sanair maya
yosid deva-vinirmita
tam iksetatmano mrtyur
trnaih kiipam ivaurtam

ya—she who; upayati—approaches; sanaih—slowly; maya—representa-
tion of maya; yosit—woman; deva—by the Lord; vinirmitd—created;
tam—her; ikseta—one must regard; atmanah—of the soul; mrtyum—death;
trnaih—with grass; kiipam—a well; iva—like; durtam—covered.

TRANSLATION

The woman created by the Lord is the representation of maya, and one
who associates with such maya by accepting services must certainly know
that this is the way of death, just like a blind well covered with grass.
