Srimad Bhagavatam: Canto 8

S'rî S'uka said: 'While the Asuras were snatching away the nectar and threw it towards each other, they thus behaving like thieves, became very inimical. Then they saw [the Lord in the form of] a woman [called Mohinî-mûrti] coming their way.

S'rî S'uka said: 'As they, the Asuras, among themselves were snatching the nectar from one another tossing it to and fro and thus, behaving like thieves, grew very inimical, saw they [the Lord in the form of] a very beautiful woman [called Mohinî-mûrti] coming towards them. (Vedabase)

Text 2

'What a figure, what a grace and youthfulness!' so they said, hasting to get Her attention while their hearts were aching to sleep with Her.

'What a body, what a luster and what a beauty of youth She has!' so they said, in their hearts lusting to sleep with her as they hurried for her attention. (Vedabase)

Text 3

'Who are You with Your lotus petal eyes? Where do You come from and why did You come here? To whom do You belong, oh You who with Your beautiful thighs upset our minds, please tell us!

'Who are you with your lotus petal eyes and whence and why did you come here; to whom, o beautiful thighs upsetting our minds, do you belong, please tell us! (Vedabase)

Text 4

Neither we, nor any immortal soul, demon, perfected soul, creature of heaven, venerable soul or any ruler of the universe, has seen You before or ever touched You, not to mention any normal human being.

Nor we, nor any godly person, demon, perfected one, creature of heaven or venerable one has ever laid hands on you and known you, not to mention any local master of the human society. (Vedabase)

Text 5

Oh, may providence be praised for sending You with Your beautiful eyebrows! Is Your mercy not there to bring that what pleases the senses and mind of all who are of flesh and blood?

We may thank providence, o beautiful eyebrows, for sending you; isn't your mercy there to bring what pleases the senses and minds of all who are of flesh and blood? (Vedabase)

Text 6

Oh smashing lady, are You maybe there as our fortune to settle the mounting differences between us, family members, who are increasingly inimical with each other over this one issue [of the nectar], oh You slim beauty?

O smashing lady, could you be our luck to settle the mounting differences between us who as family members are more and more of enmity over this one issue [of the nectar], o slim beauty? (Vedabase)

Text 7

Can You please see to it that [the nectar] justly, without any partiality, is divided among us, able and competent brothers, who are the descendants of Kas'yapa?'

Make it so that you with all of us, able and competent brothers that are the descendants of Kas'yapa, are sure to divide [the nectar] justly without any partiality.' (Vedabase)

Text 8

Looking at them with a smile and enchanting glances, the illusion of feminine beauty which was an incarnation of the Lord, thus being requested, spoke the following words to the Daityas.

As a mature woman looking at them with an enchanting smile, addressed the illusion of feminine beauty that was an incarnation of the Lord, thus the Daityas who were urging for it. (Vedabase)

Text 9

The Supreme Lord said: 'How can it be that all of you, descendants of Kas'yapa, have faith in associating with a woman like me who runs after men, for to be enamored with women is something one never finds with men of wisdom!

The Supreme Lord said: 'How can it be that you all, descendants of Kas'yapa, put faith in associating with an eye-catcher like Me; to be enamoured with women is something one never finds with the wise! (Vedabase)

Text 10

Oh enemies of the Suras, the sages agree that jackals and unchaste women, who are fickle in their relationships, [always] look for a new, fresh mate.'

They all agree that monkeys and dogs, o enemies of the Suras, and especially independent women, are fickle in their relationships, always looking for a newer and newer mate.' (Vedabase)

Text 11

S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus having fun with them, the Asuras laughing all felt comforted by Her and with a serious expression on their face handed over the jar of nectar.

S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus sporting with them made She all the Asuras laugh who, despite of her serious demeanor cherished her in their minds, and so they handed over the jar of nectar. (Vedabase)

Text 12

When the Lord took hold of the amrit container He with a sweet smile spoke the words: 'If you promise to accept Me whether I act honestly or not, I will divide this nectar.'

Next taking hold of the amrit container spoke the Lord with a painted smile to all His beauty and words: 'If you promise to accept whatever I may do, honest or not, then I'll give each his share of this nectar.' (Vedabase)

Text 13

Having heard what She said, the chiefs of the Asuras, without giving it further thought, assented and said: 'So be it!'

Having heard her consented they, the chiefs of the Asuras all full of her, to the words thus spoken and said they: 'So be it!' (Vedabase)

Text 14-15

They observed a fast, bathed, offered oblations of ghee into the fire, were of charity for the cows, the brahmins and many others, performed ceremonies according to the brahminical precepts, dressed up to their taste in new clothes, put on jewelry and next together sat down on seats of kus'a grass laid down towards the east.

They then observed a fast, bathed, offered oblations of ghee into the fire, were of charity towards the cows, the brahmins and each and everyone, performed they ceremonies according the brahmin precept, dressed they up to their taste with the newest and finest and sat they all in full ornate down on kus'a seats that all faced the east. (Vedabase)

Text 16-17

As the Suras and Daityas, all with their faces [also] turned eastward, dressed up with garlands were sitting down with lamps in an arena full of incense smoke, She entered there holding the container, oh ruler of man. With Her youthful, restless eyes, the sounds of Her tinkling ankle bells and Her jug-like breasts striding slowly, She wore a beautiful sari around Her wide hips and elephant trunk-like thighs.

When the Suras and Daityas, all with their faces turned to the east sat down, all dressed up with garlands and with lamps in an arena full of incense smoke, entered there and then, o ruler of man, holding the container, she, with her youthful, restless eyes, the sounds of her tinkling ankle bells and jugs of breasts, striding slowly with a beautiful sari around her wide hips and elephant trunk like thighs. (Vedabase)

Text 18

Looking at Her, the Lord Supreme who with golden earrings, charming ears, nose, cheeks and face posed as a girlfriend of the Goddess, they were all enchanted by the way she with a smile glanced at them while Her sari was slightly waving over Her breasts.

Looking at Her, the Lord Supreme who with golden earrings, charming ears, nose, cheeks and face posed as a girlfriend of the Goddess, were they all enchanted the way she with a smile glanced at them while her sari was slightly waving over her breasts. (Vedabase)

Text 19

Considering it a miscalculation to give the nectar to the demons who are as cruel as snakes, the Infallible One did not deliver it to them.

Considering it a miscalculation of giving milk to snakes to hand out the nectar to the bunch of vile natured demons, delivered the Infallible One not a drop of it. (Vedabase)

Text 20

Arranging a different line for every group separately, the Master of the Universe let each of them orderly occupy a position at his own side.

Arranging different lines for the both of them had the master of the Universe each of them orderly seated at his own side. (Vedabase)

Text 21

Carrying the container, She deceived the Daityas with sweet words and made those sitting at a distance [opposite of them, the Suras] drink from the nectar that would free them from old age, death and disability.

The Lord with the nectar who with sweet words beguiled the Daityas, made the ones sitting opposite of them drink of the nectar that would free them from old age, death and disability. (Vedabase)

Text 22

The Asuras considering it an abomination to fight with a woman, because of their feelings for Her according to their promise kept themselves in check, oh King, and remained silent.

The Asuras, according their promise, kept themselves in check, o King and remained silent, considering it an abomination to fight a woman. (Vedabase)

Text 23

Fearful of breaking the bond of friendship with Her they, moved by the greatest respect, all felt obliged and said not the slightest thing that would displease Her.

Not to break the bond of friendship with her felt they, moved by the greatest respect and honor, all obliged and said they not the slightest that would displease her. (Vedabase)

Text 24

He who darkens the luminaries [Râhu] dressed himself up like one of the demigods and sat among them to drink from the nectar, but he was, by sun and moon [the divinities of the ego and feeling he eclipses], quickly detected.

He who darkens the luminaries [Râhu] dressed himself up as one of the godly and sat among the godconscious to drink from the nectar but was, by sun and moon, quickly detected. (Vedabase)

Text 25

The moment Râhu drank from the nectar his head was cut off by the razor sharp cakra of the Lord. The decapitated body that had not been reached by the nectar, fell dead to the ground.

The moment he drank the nectar was the head of Râhu cut off by the Lord His razor sharp cakra, but the decapitated body, which was not touched by the nectar, fell dead to the ground. (Vedabase)

Text 26

The head, however, attained immortality and was by Lord Brahmâ recognized as a planet. It is that very Râhu that at times [e.g. during the changes of the moon] inimically chases away the [light of the] sun and the moon [see also 5.24: 1-3, 6.6: 37 and 6.18: 12-14].

The head that thus had attained immortality was by Lord Brahmâ recognized as a planet and it is that very Râhu that during eclipses [or with lunar phases] inimically represses the sun and the moon [see also 5.24: 1-3, 6.6: 37 and 6.18: 12-14]. (Vedabase)

Text 27

When the godly souls had almost finished drinking the nectar, the Supreme Lord Hari, the well-wisher of all the worlds, revealed His original form [once more] in the presence of all the Asuras and their leaders.

When the godly were almost done drinking from the nectar revealed the Supreme Lord Hari, the well-wisher of all the worlds, in the presence of all the Asuras and their leaders His original form. (Vedabase)

Text 28

Although the Suras and Asuras all shared the same place, time, objective, cause, activities and ambition, they did not achieve the same result. The God-minded souls easily achieved the nectar because the benediction of the saffron dust of the lotus feet was theirs, but not so the Daityas [compare B.G. 4: 11].

Even though the Suras and Asuras were thus unified in respect of the same place, time, objective, cause, activities and ambition, were they not as equal in the result they achieved; the God-minded easily achieved the nectar with it because theirs was the benediction of the saffron dust of the lotus feet, but that was not the case with the Daityas [compare B.G. 4: 11]. (Vedabase)

Text 29

Whatever one does for the sake of one's own life and welfare, are human activities, ideas and words in relation to one's body and family that are all transient [asat, 'untrue']. Together they constitute one's separateness. But the same becomes something factual and permanent when it is not done in separation [when one not fails to be of devotion unto Him], for then they result in what one calls the 'watering of the root', the engagement in that what is beneficial to everyone [see 8.5: 49 en B.G. 3: 10].'

Whatever that is done for the sake of one's own life and welfare, all those human activities, ideas and words in relation to one's body and family, are all transient [asat, 'untrue', they are all of separation], but the same indeed becomes factual and permanent when it is not done in separation - it then grows into that which is the watering of the root that is beneficial for everyone [see 8.5: 49].' (Vedabase)