Text-19-20
SB 11.26.19-20
pitroh kim svam nu bharyayah
svamino ’gneh sva-grdhrayoh
kim atmanah kim suhrdam
iti yo navasiyate
tasmin kalevare ’medhye
tuccha-nisthe visajjate
aho su-bhadram su-nasam
su-smitam ca mukham striyah
Translation:
One can never decide whose property the body actually is. Does it belong to one’s parents, who have given birth to it, to one’s wife, who gives it pleasure, or to one’s employer, who orders the body around? Is it the property of the funeral fire or of the dogs and jackals who may ultimately devour it? Is it the property of the indwelling soul, who partakes in its happiness and distress, or does the body belong to intimate friends who encourage and help it? Although a man never definitely ascertains the proprietor of the body, he becomes most attached to it. The material body is a polluted material form heading toward a lowly destination, yet when a man stares at the face of a woman he thinks, “What a good-looking lady! What a charming nose she’s got, and see her beautiful smile!”
Purport:
The phrase tuccha-nisthe, or “headed toward a lowly destination,” indicates that if buried, the body will be consumed by worms; if burned, it will turn to ashes; and if dying in a lonely place, it will be consumed by dogs and vultures. The illusory potency of Maya enters within the female form and bewilders a man’s mind. The man is attracted to Maya appearing within the female form, but when he embraces the woman’s body he ends up with two handfuls of stool, blood, mucus, pus, skin, bone, hairs and flesh. People should not be like cats and dogs, in the ignorance of bodily consciousness. A human being should be enlightened in Krsna consciousness and learn to serve the Supreme Lord without falsely trying to exploit His potencies.