1.179.1
पू॒र्वीर॒हं श॒रद॑: शश्रमा॒णा दो॒षा वस्तो॑रु॒षसो॑ ज॒रय॑न्तीः |
मि॒नाति॒ श्रियं॑ जरि॒मा त॒नूना॒मप्यू॒ नु पत्नी॒र्वृष॑णो जगम्युः ||
Many years have I been serving you diligently, both day and night, and through mornings, bringing on old age; decay now impairs the beauty of my limbsn What, therefore, is now (to be done); let husbands approach their wives.
For many autumns I have served you day and night through aging dawns; age wastes my body's beauty—let husbands approach their wives.
Lopāmudrā's speech is śraddhā across years and a dharmic claim of gṛhastha: dampati companionship is not negation of tapas but its timely fulfillment. Aging beauty is named without shame—truthful speech in intimate dharma.
Relationships need timely reciprocity. Long one-sided service plus ignored intimacy becomes unsustainable—name needs early, with dignity.
1.179.2
ये चि॒द्धि पूर्व॑ ऋत॒साप॒ आस॑न् त्सा॒कं दे॒वेभि॒रव॑दन्नृ॒तानि॑ |
ते चि॒दवा॑सुर्न॒ह्यन्त॑मा॒पुः समू॒ नु पत्नी॒र्वृष॑भिर्जगम्युः ||
The ancient sages, disseminators of truth, who, verily, conversed of tuths with the gods, begot (progeny), nor thereby violated (their vow of continence), therefore should wives be approached by their husbands.
Even ancient ṛta-speaking sages who conversed truths with the gods begot progeny without destroying their vow—therefore husbands should approach their wives.
Precedent of ancient ṛṣis: progeny need not annul ṛta-commitment. Lopāmudrā argues from śāstra-like memory—kula and spiritual truth coexist in Sanātana householder ideals later crystallized as āśrama-dharma.
Use healthy precedents: fulfillment of personal and generative life can coexist with integrity when framed by shared values.
1.179.3
न मृषा॑ श्रा॒न्तं यदव॑न्ति दे॒वा विश्वा॒ इत् स्पृधो॑ अ॒भ्य॑श्नवाव |
जया॒वेदत्र॑ श॒तनी॑थमा॒जिं यत् स॒म्यञ्चा॑ मिथु॒नाव॒भ्यजा॑व ||
(Agastya): Penance has not been practised in vain; since the gods protect us, we may indulge all our desires; in this world we may triumph in many conflicts, if we exert ourselves mutually together
Agastya: Penance is not in vain; since gods protect us we may fulfill desires; together we may win many contests if we strive as a paired force.
Agastya affirms tapas was not futile and that divine protection allows kāma within dharma. The couple as joint exertion wins battles—sakhyam of spouses as spiritual alliance, not mere appetite.
Discipline and desire need not cancel each other. Protected by shared ethics, couples who strive together outperform isolated extremes.
1.179.4
न॒दस्य॑ मा रुध॒तः काम॒ आग॑न्नि॒त आजा॑तो अ॒मुत॒: कुत॑श्चित् |
लोपा॑मुद्रा॒ वृष॑णं॒ नी रि॑णाति॒ धीर॒मधी॑रा धयति श्व॒सन्त॑म् ||
Desire, either from this cause or from that, has come upon me whilst engaged in prayer and suppressing (passion); let Lopāmudrā approach her husband; the unsteady feminine le beguiles the firm and resolute man.
Desire has come upon me from somewhere while I prayed and restrained passion; Lopāmudrā draws her husband—the unsteady beguiles the resolute.
Agastya names kāma arising even in prayer and restraint—honest psychology of the sādhaka. Lopāmudrā draws the husband; the tension admits that relational pull can move even the firm—confession of human vulnerability within dharma-dialogue.
Even disciplined people feel desire. Mature dialogue admits vulnerability instead of pretending spiritual practice erases embodiment.
1.179.5
इ॒मं नु सोम॒मन्ति॑तो हृ॒त्सु पी॒तमुप॑ ब्रुवे |
यत् सी॒माग॑श्चकृ॒मा तत् सु मृ॑ळतु पुलु॒कामो॒ हि मर्त्य॑: ||
(Pupil): I beseech the Soma, which has been drunk in my heart, that it may fully expiate the sin we have committed; man is subject to many desires.
The brahmacārin: I beseech the Soma drunk in the heart to forgive the fault we have committed—mortal is subject to many desires.
Disciple-voice seeks heart-soma as expiation for the tension witnessed. Many-desiring mortal is a humble anthropology: compassion for human plurality of wants within spiritual training.
Witnesses of adult complexity need compassionate frameworks. Acknowledge desire-multiplicity without collapsing into shame or license.
1.179.6
अ॒गस्त्य॒: खन॑मानः ख॒नित्रै॑: प्र॒जामप॑त्यं॒ बल॑मि॒च्छमा॑नः |
उ॒भौ वर्णा॒वृषि॑रु॒ग्रः पु॑पोष स॒त्या दे॒वेष्वा॒शिषो॑ जगाम ||
Agastya, a venerable sage, working with (fit) implements, desiring progeny, offspring, and strength, practised both classes (of obligations), and received true benedictions from the gods.
Agastya, digging with tools, desiring progeny, offspring, and strength, fulfilled both duties and received true blessings among the gods.
Culmination: practical effort, desire for progeny and strength, and both modes—tapas and gṛhastha obligations—flourish. True blessings from the gods: the hymn blesses integrated life, not one-sided renunciation alone.
Integration wins: do the practical work for family and vitality while honoring both discipline and relationship—wholeness attracts lasting blessing.