Devanagari
श्रीप्रबुद्ध उवाच
कर्माण्यारभमाणानां दु:खहत्यै सुखाय च ।
पश्येत् पाकविपर्यासं मिथुनीचारिणां नृणाम् ॥ १८ ॥
Verse text
śrī-prabuddha uvāca
karmāṇy ārabhamāṇānāṁ
duḥkha-hatyai sukhāya ca
paśyet pāka-viparyāsaṁ
mithunī-cāriṇāṁ nṛṇām
Synonyms
śrī
—
prabuddhaḥ uvāca — Śrī Prabuddha said
;
karmāṇi
—
fruitive activities
;
ārabhamāṇānām
—
making endeavors in
;
duḥkha
—
hatyai — for the elimination of distress
;
sukhāya ca
—
and for gaining happiness
;
paśyet
—
one should see
;
pāka
—
of the result
;
viparyāsam
—
contrary outcome
;
mithunī
—
cāriṇām — who are coupled as men and women
;
nṛṇām
—
of such persons .
Translation
Śrī Prabuddha said: Accepting the roles of male and female in human society, the conditioned souls unite in sexual relationships. Thus they constantly make material endeavors to eliminate their unhappiness and unlimitedly increase their pleasure. But one should see that they inevitably achieve exactly the opposite result. In other words, their happiness inevitably vanishes, and as they grow older their material discomfort increases.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Prabuddha said: One should see that the activities of those who endeavor for destruction of sorrow and creation of happiness by sex life achieve the opposite results.
Karmīs do not cross māyā at all. One should see this with discrimination. This is explained in three verses. Pāka-viparyāsam means “opposite results.”
Purport
Without the mercy of a pure devotee it is exceedingly difficult to free oneself from the bodily concept of life, which is the illusory basis of sexual attraction.