In the Ramcharitmanas, Goswami Tulsidas Ji says, “Is there any heart that the arrow-like gaze of a woman has not wounded?” The only heart immune to this is the one devoted to God. When the heart constantly remembers the Lord, no worldly arrows can pierce it. For such a person, God and His devotees are the only thing worth admiring; nothing else in the world holds any charm. The physical beauty we see in this world is merely the appeal of bodily waste products. To understand this principle, the following story is shared.
The Story of the Princess and the Maid’s Son
A maid worked diligently in a royal palace. One day, her son came to the palace for an errand and saw the princess on the rooftop. Captivated by her beauty, his heart became restless. He thought, “How can there ever be a match between a princess and me?” Yet his desire was so strong that he resolved that if he couldn’t marry the princess, he would end his life.
The son stopped eating and drinking, telling his mother that he was unwell. When many days passed, his mother requested the royal physician to examine him. After inspecting the boy, the physician concluded that there was no physical illness in his body.
The mother said, “You are my only son; tell me what’s troubling you.” After being pressed, the son replied, “Mother, you can’t fulfil my wish, and therefore, my death is certain.” The mother insisted, “Tell me your wish once, and I will try to fulfil it.” Finally, the son confessed, “My heart is drawn to the princess, and I cannot live without her. Can you arrange my marriage with her?” The mother thought, “If I tell the king this, I will be executed immediately.”
She went to the princess, fell at her feet, and said, “My son is distressed by your beauty and wishes to marry you. I know he is not worthy of you and that this is impossible. I am not asking for anything, nor do I wish for you to marry him, but I seek your advice on removing this thought from his mind.” As a devotee of the lord, the princess said, “Do not worry. There is a definite solution. Bring your son to me in four days, and I will speak to him.”
The Princess’s Plan
The princess went to the royal physician and obtained a medicine that caused her continuous bowel movements. She filled several golden pots with her waste. The area around the pots began to stink, and flies started to swarm around them. She instructed her maids not to clean the room for four days and let the filth and smell remain.
Because of the constant trips to the restroom, her beauty faded, and her face lost its glow, turning pale. After four days, the maid brought her son to the princess. As he approached her room, he was met with a foul odour. The princess’s once radiant face had become pale and dull due to the continuous illness. When the boy saw her, he exclaimed, “Where is the princess I saw on the rooftop? Where is the beauty that enchanted me?” The princess replied, “That beauty is stored in those pots over there.” The boy immediately said, “I do not wish to marry you.” In this way, the maid’s son was freed from his worldly infatuation.
Conclusion
The attraction we feel toward worldly forms is a fascination with waste and impurity. True and pure attraction is only for God and His devotion. If you wish to walk the path of devotion, do not look at anyone’s face; always focus on their feet. We must only admire the beauty of the Lord, for it is from His smile that this illusion of the world has sprung.
Narrated By: Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj
