H.H.Radhanath Swami on the games of MAYA

We find in the story of Vishvamitra muni. What kind of tapasya he had performed? Who could do what he has done going into the deserts in the middle of summer with eight fires around you without eating or sleeping or drinking for years at a time, going to the peaks of the Himalayas up to his neck in the waters of the Gangotri with ice around him for years at a time. We have hard enough time if a mosquito lands on us, our mind gets disturbed, “May be I get malaria or something like this.” Vishvamitra muni, what kind of tapasya, undisturbed, he did not move a limb of his body, but Indra was also afraid of that, he must be wanting my abode. So through Kamdev, he sent Menaka. And Menaka, her bangles made sweet sounds. What craziness? after giving up all the pleasures. Vishvamitra muni was a great and powerful king, he gave up everything. And some little pieces of metals clinging together ! But maya has so ridiculously put us to shame. What really she offers us? what is sex? Srila Prabhupada said, you just cut open the container; what is inside; mucous, blood and stool, urine and pus. You go to the polyclinic at Mira Road and you see what is inside peoples body; it’s disgusting. As soon as the body opens, all it is terrible substances, they smell horrible, it feels horrible, they look horrible. Little thin layer of coating and we are mad for it and infatuated by it, and it is in the process of being wrinkled and by time whatever looks pretty now, it is going to be just baggy in a few years, you know it. Yet maya in such an embarrassing situation, for the pure eternal soul which is a part of God which is full of bliss, to become infatuated and attached to a lump of flesh. It is ridiculous, there is some spell, and some metal clinging each other, bangles, what is so great about that. But Vishvamitra muni could not meditate anymore because if those metal pieces of bangles bumping against each other terribly, he could not tolerate. So such a mental game that maya plays on everyone. Maya means that which is not, it is not enjoyable, but it appears enjoyable, but it is not beautiful but it appears beautiful. So he ended up getting married to Menaka and after living with her for some time, he realized that I have fallen down, I made a big mistake and he regretted everything. So he went back and began to perform more tapasya greater that ever before. So Indra sent another heavenly damsel, Rambha. She was also very beautiful and she also very beautiful and she also had nice bangles and anyway when she was singing beautiful songs and everything. And when Vishvamitra muni saw her, he understood that she has come to induce my lust, but I will not allow it to happen and he remembered what had happened last time and he became intolerably angry and by his glance, he cursed her to become a block of salt or stone. And again he lost the merits of his tapasya because he fell down to anger.

- H.H.Radhanath Swami