SB 6.1.61 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

द‍ृष्ट्वा तां कामलिप्तेन बाहुना परिरम्भिताम् । जगाम हृच्छयवशं सहसैव विमोहित: ॥ ६१ ॥

Verse text

dṛṣṭvā tāṁ kāma-liptena bāhunā parirambhitām jagāma hṛc-chaya-vaśaṁ sahasaiva vimohitaḥ

Synonyms

dṛṣṭvā — by seeing ; tām — her (the prostitute) ; kāma — liptena — decorated with turmeric to incite lusty desires ; bāhunā — with the arm ; parirambhitām — embraced ; jagāma — went ; hṛt — śaya — of lusty desires within the heart ; vaśam — under the control ; sahasā — suddenly ; eva — indeed ; vimohitaḥ — being illusioned .

Translation

The śūdra, his arm decorated with turmeric powder, was embracing the prostitute. When Ajāmila saw her, the dormant lusty desires in his heart awakened, and in illusion he fell under their control.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Seeing the woman embraced by the śūdra’s arm decorated with turmeric powder, Ajāmila suddenly became bewildered and fell under the control of lust. The śudra had his arm anointed with turmeric juice to incite lust.

Purport

It is said that if one’s body is smeared with turmeric, it attracts the lusty desires of the opposite sex. The word kāma-liptena indicates that the śūdra was decorated with turmeric smeared on his body.