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yayoh sura-striyah ksattar
avaruhya sva-dhisnyatah
kridanti pumsah sincantyo
vigahya rati-karsitah
SYNONYMS
yayohin both of which (rivers); sura-striyahthe celestial damsels along with their husbands; ksattahO Vidura; avaruhyadescending; sva-dhisnyatahfrom their own airplanes; kridantithey play; pumsahtheir husbands; sincantyahsprinkling with water; vigahyaafter entering (the water); rati-karsitahwhose enjoyment has become diminished.
TRANSLATION
My dear Ksatta, Vidura, the celestial damsels come down to those rivers in their airplanes with their husbands, and after sexual enjoyment, they enter the water and enjoy sprinkling their husbands with water.
PURPORT
It is understood that even the damsels of the heavenly planets are polluted by thoughts of sex enjoyment, and therefore they come in airplanes to bathe in the rivers Nanda and Alakananda. It is significant that these rivers, Nanda and Alakananda, are sanctified by the dust of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, just as the Ganges is sacred because its water emanates from the toes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, so whenever water or anything is in touch with devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is purified and spiritualized. The rules and regulations of devotional service are based on this principle: anything in touch with the lotus feet of the Lord is immediately freed from all material contamination.
The damsels of the heavenly planets, polluted by thoughts of sex life, come down to bathe in the sanctified rivers and enjoy sprinkling water on their husbands. Two words are very significant in this connection. Rati-karsitah means that the damsels become morose after sex enjoyment. Although they accept sex enjoyment as a bodily demand, afterwards they are not happy.
Another significant point is that Lord Govinda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is described here as Tirthapada. Tirtha means sanctified place, and pada means the lotus feet of the Lord. People go to a sanctified place to free themselves from all sinful reactions. In other words, those who are devoted to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, automatically become sanctified. The Lords lotus feet are called tirtha-pada because under their protection there are hundreds and thousands of saintly persons who sanctify the sacred places of pilgrimage. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura, a great acarya of the Gaudiya Vaisnava-sampradaya, advises us not to travel to different places of pilgrimage. Undoubtedly it is troublesome to go from one place to another, but one who is intelligent can take shelter of the lotus feet of Govinda and thereby be automatically sanctified as the result of his pilgrimage. Anyone who is fixed in the service of the lotus feet of Govinda is called tirtha-pada; he does not need to travel on various pilgrimages, for he can enjoy all the benefits of such travel simply by engaging in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord. Such a pure devotee, who has implicit faith in the lotus feet of the Lord, can create sacred places in any part of the world where he decides to remain. Tirthi-kurvanti tirthani (Bhag. 1.13.10). The places are sanctified due to the presence of pure devotees; any place automatically becomes a place of pilgrimage if either the Lord or His pure devotee remains or resides there. In other words, such a pure devotee, who is engaged one hundred percent in the service of the Lord, can remain anywhere in the universe, and that part of the universe immediately becomes a sacred place where he can peacefully render service to the Lord as the Lord desires.
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