Text 32
aho mayātmā paritāpito vṛthā
sāṅketya-vṛttyāti-vigarhya-vārtayā
straiṇān narād yārtha-tṛṣo ’nuśocyāt
krītena vittaṁ ratim ātmanecchatī
aho — oh; mayā — by me; ātmā — the soul; paritāpitaḥ — subjected to great pain; vṛthā — uselessly; sāṅketya — of a prostitute; vṛttyā — by the occupation; ati-vigarhya — most reprehensible; vārtayā — occupation; straiṇāt — from lusty woman-hunters; narāt — from men; yā — who (me); artha-tṛṣaḥ — from the greedy; anuśocyāt — the pitiable; krītena — with that which was sold; vittam — money; ratim — sex pleasure; ātmanā — with my body; icchatī — desiring.
Oh, how I have uselessly tortured my own soul! I have sold my body to lusty, greedy men who are themselves objects of pity. Thus practicing the most abominable profession of a prostitute, I hoped to get money and sex pleasure.
The art of prostitution is based on awakening the enjoying propensity in men. Apparently this prostitute was so foolish that she maintained a romantic conception of her profession and was actually trying to enjoy loving affairs with her customers, not realizing that they were the lowest of men with the most abominable motives. Like the prostitute Piṅgalā, one should understand that by giving up the devotional service of the Lord one simply becomes a victim of the illusory energy and suffers greatly.