Sri Mokñadä Ekädaçé Issue no:151 25th December 2020

Mohini-murti : The Supreme Personality of Godhead

The Lord Incarnates As Mohini- Murti The Enjoying Mentality Of The Living Entities
Srila Sukadeva Goswami Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura

Faith In Women Why Are The Women Of Vraja So Fortunate?

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Srila Sanatana Goswami

Associating With The Opposite sex

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Circulaton 30,675
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The Lord Incarnates As Mohini- Murti
Srila Sukadeva Goswami
Sukadeva Goswami said: Thereafter, the
demons became inimical toward one another.
Throwing and snatching the container of nectar,
they gave up their friendly relationship. Mean-
while, they saw a very beautiful young woman
coming forward toward them. Upon seeing the
beautiful woman, the demons said, “Alas, how
wonderful is Her beauty, how wonderful the lus-
ter of Her body, and how wonderful the beauty
of Her youthful age!” Speaking in this way, they
quickly approached Her, full of lusty desires to
enjoy Her, and began to inquire from Her in many
ways. O wonderfully beautiful girl, You have such
nice eyes, resembling the petals of a lotus flower.
Who are You? Where do You come from? What
is Your purpose in coming here, and to whom do
You belong? O You whose thighs are extraordi-
narily beautiful, our minds are becoming agitated
simply because of seeing You. What to speak
of human beings, even the demigods, demons,
Siddhas, Gandharvas, Caranas and the various di-
rectors of the universe, the Prajäpatis, have never
touched You before. It is not that we are unable
to understand Your identity. O beautiful girl with
beautiful eyebrows, certainly Providence, by His
causeless mercy, has sent You to please the senses
and minds of all of us. Is this not a fact? We are
now all engaged in enmity among ourselves be-
Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.ibmedu.org
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cause of this one subject matter the container of
nectar. Although we have been born in the same
family, we are becoming increasingly inimical. O
thin-waisted woman, who are so beautiful in Your
prestigious position, we therefore request You to
favor us by settling our dispute. All of us, both
demons and demigods, have been born of the
same father, Kasyapa, and thus we are related as
brothers. But now we are exhibiting our personal
prowess in dissension. Therefore we request You
to settle our dispute and divide the nectar equally
among us. Having thus been requested by the
demons, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
who had assumed the form of a beautiful woman,
began to smile. Looking at them with attractive
feminine gestures, She spoke as follows.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the
form of Mohini, told the demons: O sons of
Kasyapa Muni, I am only a prostitute. How is it
that you have so much faith in Me? A learned per-
son never puts his faith in a woman. O demons,
as monkeys, jackals and dogs are unsteady in their
sexual relationships and want newer and newer
friends every day, women who live independently
seek new friends daily. Friendship with such a
woman is never permanent. This is the opinion
of learned scholars.
Sri Sukadeva Goswami continued: After the de-
mons heard the words of Mohini-murti, who had
spoken as if jokingly, they were all very confident.
They laughed with gravity, and ultimately they
 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 151, Page—3
delivered the container of nectar into Her hands.
Thereafter, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
having taken possession of the container of nectar,
smiled slightly and spoke in attractive words. She
said: My dear demons, if you accept whatever I
may do, whether honest or dishonest, then I can
take responsibility for dividing the nectar among
you. The chiefs of the demons were not very expert
in deciding things. Upon hearing the sweet words
of Mohini-murti, they immediately assented. “Yes,”
they answered. “What You have said is all right.”
Thus the demons agreed to accept Her decision.
The demigods and demons then observed a fast.
After bathing, they offered clarified butter and ob-
lations into the fire and gave charity to the cows
and to the brähmaëas and members of the other
orders of society, namely the kñatriyas, vaiçyas and
çüdras, who were all rewarded as they deserved.
Thereafter, the demigods and demons performed
ritualistic ceremonies under the directions of the
brähmaëas. Then they dressed themselves with
new garments according to their own choice, Taking the container of nectar in Her hands, She
decorated their bodies with ornaments, and sat first approached the demons, satisfied them with
facing east on seats made of kuça grass. O King, sweet words and thus cheated them of their share
as the demigods and demons sat facing east in an of the nectar. Then She administered the nectar to
arena fully decorated with flower garlands and the demigods, who were sitting at a distant place, to
lamps and fragrant with the smoke of incense, that make them free from invalidity, old age and death.
woman, dressed in a most beautiful sari, Her an- O King, since the demons had promised to accept
kle bells tinkling, entered the arena, walking very whatever the woman did, whether just or unjust,
slowly because of Her big, low hips. Her eyes were now, to keep this promise, to show their equilib-
restless due to youthful pride, Her breasts were rium and to save themselves from fighting with a
like water jugs, Her thighs resembled the trunks woman, they remained silent. The demons had
of elephants, and She carried a waterpot in Her developed affection for Mohini-murti and a kind
hand. Her attractive nose and cheeks and Her ears, of faith in Her, and they were afraid of disturbing
adorned with golden earrings, made Her face very their relationship. Therefore they showed respect
beautiful. As She moved, Her sari’s border on Her and honor to Her words and did not say anything
breasts moved slightly aside. When the demigods that might disturb their friendship with Her.
and demons saw these beautiful features of Mohi- Rahu, the demon who causes eclipses of the
ni-murti, who was glancing at them and slightly sun and moon, covered himself with the dress of
smiling, they were all completely enchanted. De- a demigod and thus entered the assembly of the
mons are by nature crooked like snakes. Therefore, demigods and drank nectar without being detect-
to distribute a share of the nectar to them was not ed by anyone, even by the Supreme Personality
at all feasible, since this would be as dangerous of Godhead. The moon and the sun, however,
as supplying milk to a snake. Considering this, because of permanent animosity toward Rahu,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who never understood the situation. Thus Rahu was detected.
falls down, did not deliver a share of nectar to the The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, using
demons. The Supreme Personality of Godhead as His disc, which was sharp like a razor, at once cut
Mohini-murti, the master of the universe, arranged off Rahu’s head. When Rahu’s head was severed
separate lines of sitting places and seated the demi- from his body, the body, being untouched by the
gods and demons according to their positions. nectar, could not survive. Rahu’s head, however,
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 Issue no 151, Page — 4
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having been touched by the nectar, became im-
mortal. Thus Lord Brahma accepted Rahu’s head
as one of the planets. Since Rahu is an eternal
enemy of the moon and the sun, he always tries
to attack them on the nights of the full moon
and the dark moon. The Supreme Personality
of Godhead is the best friend and well-wisher of
the three worlds. Thus when the demigods had
almost finished drinking the nectar, the Lord,
in the presence of all the demons, disclosed His
original form. The place, the time, the cause, the
purpose, the activity and the ambition were all
the same for both the demigods and the demons,
but the demigods achieved one result and the de-
mons another. Because the demigods are always
under the shelter of the dust of the Lord’s lotus
feet, they could very easily drink the nectar and
get its result. The demons, however, not having
sought shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord, were
unable to achieve the result they desired. In hu-
man society there are various activities performed
for the protection of one’s wealth and life by one’s
words, one’s mind and one’s actions, but they
are all performed for one’s personal or extended
sense gratification with reference to the body.
All these activities are baffled because of being
separate from devotional service. But when the
same activities are performed for the satisfaction
of the Lord, the beneficial results are distributed
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to everyone, just as water poured on the root of
a tree is distributed throughout the entire tree.
— Srimad-Bhägavatam (Bhägavata Puräëa) » Canto 8:
Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations » Chapter Nine » Verses: 1-29.
Faith In Women
His Divine Grace
A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Sri-bhagavän uväca
kathaà Kasyapa-däyädäù
puàçcalyäà mayi saìgatäù
viçväsaà paëòito jätu
käminéñu na yäti hi
Cäëakya Paëòita, the great politician and moral
instructor, said, viçväso naiva kartavyaù stréñu
räja-kuleñu ca: "Never put your faith in a woman
or a politician." Thus the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, who was pretending to be a woman,
warned the demons against putting so much faith
in Her, for She had appeared as an attractive wom-
an ultimately to cheat them. Indirectly disclosing
the purpose for which She had appeared before
them, She said to the sons of Kasyapa, "How is
this? You were all born of a great åñi, yet you are
putting your faith in a woman who is loitering
here and there like a prostitute, unprotected by
father or husband. Women in general should
not be trusted, and what to speak of a woman
loitering like a prostitute?" Women, especially
beautiful young women, invoke the dormant
lusty desires of a man. Therefore, according to
Manu-saàhitä, every woman should be protected,
either by her husband, by her father or by her
grown sons. Without such protection, a woman
will be exploited. Indeed, women like to be ex-
ploited by men. As soon as a woman is exploited
by a man, she becomes a common prostitute.
This is explained by Mohiné-murti, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.
— Srimad-Bhägavatam (Bhägavata Puräëa) » Canto 8: Withdrawal of the
Cosmic Creations » Chapter Nine » Verses : 10 Purport
Associating With The Opposite sex
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
viñayéra anna khäile malina haya mana
malina mana haile nahe kåñëera smaraëa
 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
"When one eats food offered by a materialistic
man, one's mind becomes contaminated, and
when the mind is contaminated, one is unable to
think of Krishna properly."
Those persons who externally engage in sensual
activities and accept sense objects just to maintain
body and soul together but internally engage in
their constitutional position as servants of Krishna
are not counted amongst the sense enjoyers, who
are attached the fruits of their activities.
The sense enjoyers and persons fond of sense
enjoyers are both worldly-minded. Persons who
are fond of sense enjoyers are themselves also sense
enjoyers, because they always think of sense enjoy-
ment within their hearts. There are some people
who are not themselves sense enjoyers, but they
take pleasure in associating with sense enjoyers.
Their association should also be renounced, be-
cause they will soon become sense enjoyers and
bad association themselves. There are two types of
sense enjoyers—those who are extremely attached
to sense enjoyment and devotees who are attached
to sense enjoyment. Associating with those who
are extremely attached should be totally rejected.
The devotees who are attached to sense enjoyment
are also of two types—those who have included
the Lord as a part of their sense enjoyment and
those who have kept the Lord in the center of their
sense enjoyment. Association with the latter type is
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Issue no 151, Page—5
preferable to association with the former. Although
those who engage in sense enjoyment according
to religious codes are better than the sinful sense
enjoyers, still the practicing devotee should not
associate with them until they become devotees.
Simply by wearing the dress of a renunciate one
does not become a devotee free from sense gratifi-
cation, because renunciates often collect and save
objects of sense enjoyment. On the other hand,
many persons resemble sense enjoyers but utilize
everything in the worship of Lord Hari in the mood
of detachment. Considering all this, the practicing
devotee should give up the association of sense
enjoyers and those fond of them and engage in
devotional service in a secluded place or, if he is
fortunate, in the association of genuine devotees.
Do not associate with women. On the other
hand, when a woman is engaged in sädhana-bhakti,
she should not associate with men. Associating
with the opposite sex is very inauspicious for the
advancing devotee. There are two types of men
and women. When a man and woman are married
according to religious principles, there is no sin in
their touching and talking with each other; rath-
er, this touching and talking is beneficial because
of the scriptural sanction. There is, however, no
provision for illusory activities other than the exe-
cution of reciprocal duties. If they are illusioned by
each other and they engage in activities other than
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 Issue no 151, Page — 6
prescribed duties, then that is called stré-saìga and
puruña-saìga, or association with the opposite sex.
For those who are engaged in worshiping Krish-
na, such association yields inauspicious results. If
either one is guilty of such association, then they
become an obstacle for the other party. If the wife is
helpful in the discharge of devotional service, then
the fault of stré-sanga does not arise. But if the wife
is an impediment in the discharge of devotional
service, then one should carefully give up her
association. We should consider the behavior of
the great Vaiñëava äcärya, Srimad Ramanujacarya.
Srimad Ramanujacarya sent his wife to her parent's
home after she offended his gurus wife. He then
took sannyäsa, in this connection. When there is
no marital relationship and one converses with a
woman with evil intentions, then this is stré-saìga.
That is sinful and detrimental to devotional service.
Considering these points, the practicing devotee
should very carefully give up the association of
women and persons fond of women
— Sri Bhaktyäloka - The Six Faults and Qualities of Bhakti by Srila Bhaktiv-
inoda Thakura..
The Enjoying Mentality Of The Living Entities
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
In His pastimes as a devotee of Hari, Gaurasun-
dara never discussed any topic about mundane
women. After totally condemning the association
of women and the association of persons who as-
sociate with women, Srimad Bhägavatam, which
is the ripened fruit of the Vedic desire tree and the
king of all scriptures, has established such associ-
ation as unfavorable to non-duplicitous service to
the Lord. Wherever the enjoying mentality of the
living entities is engaged in enjoying women, it is to
be understood that there is a lack of service attitude
towards Krishna, the husband of all women. If any-
one came before Gaurasundara to discuss or bring
up worldly topics about women, He would imme-
diately and specifically forbid them. On the pretext
of studying mundane literature that is contrary to
the service of Krishna and with the desire to drink
the rasa of dry literature that is devoid of the rasa
of devotional service to Krishna, the hearts of living
entities that are accustomed to drink worldly rasas
become maddened for material sense enjoyment in
such a way that the Supreme Lord Gaurasundara,
who is the bestower of the mellows of devotional
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service to Krishna, along with the sampradäyas of
His pure devotee mahäjanas, never support such
deviation. Those who have properly discussed the
topics of Sri Caitanyadeva know very well that He
never supported indulgence in any worldly topics
about women.
— Sri Caitanya-bhägavata -Ädi-khaëòa Chapter Fifteen: Marriage with
visnupriya - Verse: 30-32.
Why Are The Women Of Vraja So Fortunate?
Srila Sanatana Goswami
Because they always engage in Kåñëa-saìkértana,
no matter what else they do. They sing while they
milk the cows and churn butter for their husbands
and children, while they apply kuìkuma, candana,
and other cosmetics to their bodies, while they
swing on swings, while they comfort their babies,
while they clean their houses with water and cow
dung. They sing Krishna’s names while cooking,
grinding grains, smearing the courtyards with
auspicious pastes, and beautifying the walls of
their houses with painted designs. Thus the gopis’
unavoidable duties in taking care of their families
and maintaining their own bodies do not at all
obstruct the ecstasy the gopis feel in worshiping
Krishna; rather, these contribute to it by giving
suitable occasions for saìkértana.
The gopis are so absorbed in Krishna’s glories
that they are hardly aware of the effort they expend
while working. And so intense is their singing that
they actually see Krishna. Either by the power
of meditation they see Him in their hearts as He
plays all around Vraja-bhümi, or else they make
excuses to take their work out into the pastures
and so directly see Him playing there. Sometimes
the presence of their elders makes them too shy
to sing about Krishna, and then they fly to where
Krishna is by the inner vehicle of their minds,
helplessly attracted by the power of Lord Urukra-
ma, who intrudes by stealth into the minds of His
best devotees. As the gopis chant about Krishna,
their minds are more and more attracted to Him,
and gradually they are unable to think coherently
about anything else. Shedding tears of love, they
sob uncontrollably, and their hearts go swiftly
(uru-krameëa) to join Krishna, wherever He is.
In short, they are the most fortunate of women
because they always see Krishna, always chant His
 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
glories, always think about Him, and always feel
completely attracted to Him in pure love.
The words anurakta-dhiyo ’çru-kaëöhyaù, which
describe how the gopis sing, can be understood to
be a response to the following doubt: “Isn’t it true
that a woman does what she does only because
she is attracted to doing it? The gopis must have
some attraction for household work, otherwise
why would they be so busy doing it? How then
can they be said to be merged totally, exclusively in
love for Krishna?” The Mathura women respond
by commenting that such symptoms as tears in
the eyes prove that the gopis’ minds are full of
loving attraction for Krishna. The gopis do their
household duties only for His sake.
But then another doubt might arise: “With such
distracted minds, how could the gopis maintain
their bodies and fulfill their family responsibili-
ties?” The answer is that Krishna is Urukrama, the
Supreme Lord who possesses amazing energies
and accomplishes wonderful feats. The gopis, by
fixing their hearts on Him, are easily able to carry
out all their duties and obtain whatever is needed.
Even though the gopis think only of Krishna, to
the exclusion of everything else, they are free from
anxiety over the many duties they are obliged to
fulfill. Everything they do is for His satisfaction, so
they can do everything expertly simply by the force
of Krishna consciousness. This verse also describes
the gopis’ singing about Krishna as most promi-
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Issue no 151, Page—7
nent. Their remembrance and visions of Him come
as natural consequences of this primary service of
singing His glories. Therefore the gopis’ meditating
on Krishna and envisioning Him are not explic-
itly mentioned. The ladies of Mathura conclude,
“These women alone are the most fortunate, and
in ways for which we can never aspire. How sad!”
— Sri Båhad Bhägavatämåta of Srila SanatanaGosvami, Volume One. Trans-
lated by Gopiparanadhana Dasa. 3.7.137.
!! Sri Sri Nitai Gaurchandra Jayati !!
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Quotations from the books, letters, and lectures of
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhakti Vedanta Swami Prabhupada
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