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KAMA, KRODHA, LOBHA
SB 4.25.24
TRANSLATION
With the end of her säré the woman was trying to cover her breasts, which were equally round and well placed side by side. She again and again tried to cover them out of shyness while she walked exactly like a great elephant.
PURPORT
The two breasts represent attachment and envy. The symptoms of räga and dvesa (attachment and envy) are described in Bhagavad-gétä (3.34):
"Attraction and repulsion for sense objects are felt by embodied beings, but one should not fall under the control of senses and sense objects because they are stumbling blocks on the path of self-realization."
These representatives of attachment and envy are very much unfavorable for advancement in spiritual life. One should not be attracted by the breasts of young women. The great saint Çankaräcärya has described the breasts of women, especially young women, as nothing but a combination of muscles and blood, so one should not be attracted by the illusory energy of raised breasts with nipples. They are agents of mäyä meant to victimize the opposite sex. Because the breasts are equally attractive, they are described as sama-vrttau. The sex impulse remains in an old man’s heart also, even up to the point of death. To be rid of such agitation, one must be very much advanced in spiritual consciousness, like Yämunäcärya, who said:
"Since I have been engaged in the transcendental loving service of Krsñå, realizing ever-new pleasure in Him, whenever I think of sex pleasure, I spit at the thought, and my lips curl with distaste." When one is spiritually advanced he can no longer be attracted by the lumps of flesh and blood which are the breasts of young women. The word nirantarau is significant because although the breasts are situated in different locations, the action is the same. We should not make any distinction between attachment and envy. As described in Bhagavad-gétä (3.37), they are both products of rajo-guna (käma esa krodha esa rajo-guna-samudbhavah).
The word nigühantim ("trying to cover") indicates that even if one is tainted by käma, lobha, krodha, etc., they can be transfigured by Krsña consciousness. In other words, one can utilize käma (lust) for serving Krsñå. Being impelled by lust, an ordinary worker will work hard day and night; similarly a devotee can work hard day and night to satisfy Krsñå. Just as karmés are working hard to satisfy käma-krodha, a devotee should work in the same way to satisfy Krsñå. Similarly, krodha (anger) can also be used in the service of Krsñå when it is applied to the nondevotee demons. Hanumänjé applied his anger in this way. He was a great devotee of Lord Rämacandra, and he utilized his anger to set fire to the kingdom of Rävana, a nondevotee demon. Thus käma (lust) can be utilized to satisfy Krsñå, and krodha (anger) can be utilized to punish the demons. When both are used for Krsña’s service, they lose their material significance and become spiritually important.