Text 23] Mohini-marti Bewilders Lord Siva 125

ness. As he looked at the beautiful woman and She watched him,
he forgot both himself and Uma, his most beautiful wife, as well as
his associates nearby.

PURPORT

The material bondage of this world is that a beautiful woman can cap-
tivate a handsome man and that a handsome man can captivate a
beautiful woman. Such are the affairs that began when Lord Siva ob-
served the beautiful girl playing with the ball. In such activities, the in-
fluence of Cupid is very prominent. As both parties move their eyebrows
and glance at one another, their lusty desires increase more and more.
Such reciprocations of lusty desire took place between Lord Siva and the
beautiful woman, even though Uma and Lord Siva’s associates were by
Lord Siva’s side. Such is the attraction between man and woman in the
material world. Lord Siva was supposed to be above all this attraction,
but he was victimized by the captivating power of Lord Visnu.
Rsabhadeva thus explains the nature of lusty attraction:

purnsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam
tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim aGhuh

ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair
Janasya moho ’yam aham mameti

“The attraction between male and female is the basic principle of ma-
terial existence. On the basis of this misconception, which ties together
the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body,
home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases
life’s illusions and thinks in terms of ‘I and mine.’ ” (Bhag. 5.5.8)
When a man and woman exchange feelings of lust, both of them are vic-
timized, and thus they are bound to this material world in various ways.

TEXT 23
TA: RUN TT HH AAI
amt fiat aaganfeen: |
qa: Aaa SY AEdsere
Wa Wa Rovawsad: 11231!
