Upanishads · Yājñavalkya 11
॥
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 Desire
विकीर्णाः मुग्ध-चेतसःvikīrṇāḥ mugdha-cetasaḥscattered, for those deluded in mind
नार्यः नर-विहङ्गानाम्nāryaḥ nara-vihaṅgānāmwomen, for men-birds
अङ्ग-बन्धन-वागुराःaṅga-bandhana-vāgurāḥare snares that bind the body
Translation
Scattered by the hunter named Desire, for those deluded in mind — women are body-binding snares for men-birds.
Version
8de0f8c3a973 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
It is worth noting that here the culprit is named: kāma-nāmnā kirātena, "by the hunter named Desire." That is, it is kāma who sets the snares; women are the snares, but it is not they who catch. This is already more precise than the preceding verses, and it is worth noting as a correction, even if unintended.
If it is desire that catches, then it is desire that must be dealt with, not the snares; and the whole set of ten verses turns out to be aimed in the wrong direction. The Vaiṣṇava side reasons exactly this way, as was discussed when reading the Rudrākṣa-jābāla (2.15): attraction in itself is not vicious; its direction is vicious. Let us add the Gītā's verse, where Arjuna asks exactly this question, and Kṛṣṇa answers; it was discussed when reading the Jābāla-darśana (6.50).
Arjuna: "then impelled by what does a person commit sin, as if against his will?" (3.36). The answer: kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ, "this is desire, this is anger, born of the guṇa of passion; know it here as the enemy" (3.37). What is named the enemy is not the object of desire, but desire itself; and the Gītā never transfers the blame onto those to whom a person is drawn.
The image of the kirāta, "wild hunter," setting snares, is nonetheless good, and it is worth keeping. A snare is set on the path, where one walks; and that a person is caught where he walks every day is an indication of exactly where he needs to watch his step.