Upanishads · Mahā 3.45
॥
Devanāgarī
कामनाम्ना किरातेन विकीर्णा मुग्धचेतसः नार्यो नरविहङ्गानामङ्गबन्धनवागुराः
Transliteration (IAST)
kāmanāmnā kirātena vikīrṇā mugdhacetasaḥ nāryo naravihaṅgānāmaṅgabandhanavāgurāḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
काम-नाम्ना किरातेनkāma-nāmnā kirātenaby the hunter named Kāma; by the trapper whose name is Kāma
विकीर्णाः मुग्ध-चेतसःvikīrṇāḥ mugdha-cetasaḥare laid out — O simple-hearted ones; are strewn about, O simpletons of mind
नार्यः नर-विहङ्गानाम्nāryaḥ nara-vihaṅgānāmwomen — for the man-birds; women, for men who are as birds
अङ्ग-बन्धन-वागुराःaṅga-bandhana-vāgurāḥsnares that bind the limbs; toils that entangle the members
Translation
“By the hunter named Kāma are laid out — O simple-hearted ones! — women, snares that bind the limbs of the man-birds.”
Version
5b221f76128c · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here at last is named the one who arranged it all: Kāma.
He is depicted not as the god of love with flower arrows, but as a kirāta — a forest hunter setting snares for birds.
This changes the alignment. There is no evil design in the snares: they are a thing. The trapper is to blame, not the net.
Thereby the verse itself lifts the accusation from those of whom it spoke for four lines running. Women in this image are not agents but an instrument laid out by craving.
Note the address mugdha-cetasaḥ — “simple-hearted, light-minded”. It is said of those who get caught, that is, of Nidāgha himself and his like. The bird is to blame for flying without looking.
And further: the word mugdha means both “simple-hearted” and “charming, sweet”. Calling himself a simpleton, he chose the word by which beauties are extolled.