82 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 9, Ch. 19

Srutvad—hearing; gdatham—the narration; devaydni—Queen
Devayani, the wife of Maharaja Yayati; mene—understood; prastobham
atmanah—when instructed for her self-realization; stri-purmsoh —be-
tween the husband and wife; sneha-vaiklavyat—from an exchange of
love and affection; parihadsam—a funny joke or story; iva—like;
iritam—spoken (by Maharaja Yayati).

TRANSLATION

When Devayani heard Maharaja Yayati’s story of the he-goat and
she-goat, she understood that this story, which was presented as if
a funny joke for entertainment between husband and wife, was in-
tended to awaken her to her constitutional position.

PURPORT

When one actually awakens from material life, one understands his
real position as an eternal servant of Krsna. This is called liberation.
Muktir hitvaényathé ripam svariipena vyavasthitih (Bhag. 2.10.6).
Under the influence of maya, everyone living in this material world
thinks that he is the master of everything (ahankdra-vimidhatma
kartéham iti manyate). One thinks that there is no God or controller and
that one is independent and can do anything. This is the material condi-
tion, and when one awakens from this ignorance, he is called liberated.
Maharaja Yayati had delivered Devayani from the well, and finally, as a
dutiful husband, he instructed her with the story about the he-goat and
she-goat and thus delivered her from the misconception of material hap-
piness. Devayani was quite competent to understand her liberated hus-
band, and therefore she decided to follow him as his faithful wife.

TEXTS 27-28
TT aterarest Beat TITY TSA |
Raa AMAA TAT: IRI
Mat ARIST GN ATT |
HN HA ATI SATA SHARAT: UCI
