SB 5.2.15 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

रूपं तपोधन तपश्चरतां तपोघ्नंह्येतत्तु केन तपसा भवतोपलब्धम् चर्तुं तपोऽर्हसि मया सह मित्र मह्यंकिं वा प्रसीदति स वै भवभावनो मे ॥ १५ ॥

Verse text

rūpaṁ tapodhana tapaś caratāṁ tapoghnaṁ hy etat tu kena tapasā bhavatopalabdham cartuṁ tapo ’rhasi mayā saha mitra mahyaṁ kiṁ vā prasīdati sa vai bhava-bhāvano me

Synonyms

rūpam — beauty ; tapaḥ — dhana — O best of the sages performing austerity ; tapaḥ caratām — of persons engaged in executing austerities and penances ; tapaḥ — ghnam — which dismantles the austerities ; hi — certainly ; etat — this ; tu — indeed ; kena — by what ; tapasā — austerity ; bhavatā — by you ; upalabdham — achieved ; cartum — to execute ; tapaḥ — austerity ; arhasi — you ought ; mayā saha — with me ; mitra — my dear friend ; mahyam — unto me ; kim vā — or maybe ; prasīdati — is pleased ; saḥ — he ; vai — certainly ; bhava — bhāvanaḥ — the creator of this universe ; me — with me .

Translation

O best among those performing austerities, where did you get this wonderful beauty that dismantles the austerities performed by others? Where have you learned this art? What austerity have you undergone to achieve this beauty, my dear friend? I desire that you join me to perform austerity and penance, for it may be that the creator of the universe, Lord Brahmā, being pleased with me, has sent you to become my wife.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

O wealth of austerity! By what penance have you gained this beauty which destroys the vows of persons performing austerities? You should join me in performing austerities to make me happy, O friend! Or perhaps Brahmā has been merciful to fulfill my desire for a wife. Perhaps you have been sent to join me in performing austerities. O wealth of austerity! You have gained to a high degree (upa) something which destroys others’ austerities. You should join me in performing austerities to make me happy (mahyam). Is Brahmā pleased to fulfill my desire?

Purport

Āgnīdhra appreciated the wonderful beauty of Pūrvacitti. Indeed, he was surprised to see such exceptional beauty, which must have been the result of past austerities and penances. He therefore asked the girl whether she had achieved such beauty just to break the penances and austerities of others. He thought that Lord Brahmā, the creator of the universe, might have been pleased with him and might therefore have sent her to become his wife. He requested Pūrvacitti to become his wife so that together they could perform austerities and penances in family life. In other words, a suitable wife helps her husband perform penances and austerities in household life if both of them are on the same elevated platform of spiritual understanding. Without spiritual understanding, husband and wife cannot be equally situated. Lord Brahmā, the creator of the universe, is interested in good progeny. Therefore unless he is pleased, one cannot get a suitable wife. In fact, Lord Brahmā is worshiped in marriage ceremonies. In India even today, wedding invitations are still issued with a picture of Lord Brahmā on the face of the card.