अन्वेषमाणामृषभमप्रौढां कामरूपिणीम् ॥२१॥
pañca-śīrá¹£ÄhinÄ guptÄá¹
pratÄ«hÄreṇa sarvataḥ
anveá¹£amÄṇÄm ṛṣabham
aprauá¸hÄá¹ kÄma-rÅ«piṇīm
pañca - five; śīrá¹£a - heads; ahinÄ - by a snake; guptÄm - protected; pratÄ«hÄreṇa - by a bodyguard; sarvataḥ - all around; anveá¹£amÄṇÄm - one who is searching after; ṛṣabham - a husband; aprauá¸hÄm - not very old; kÄma-rÅ«piṇīm - very attractive to fulfill lusty desires.
The woman was protected on all sides by a five-hooded snake. She was very beautiful and young, and she appeared very anxious to find a suitable husband.
The vital force of a living entity includes the five kinds of air working within the body, which are known as prÄṇa, apÄna, vyÄna, samÄna and udÄna. The vital force is compared to a serpent because a serpent can live by simply drinking air. The vital force carried by the air is described as the pratÄ«hÄra, or the bodyguard. Without the vital force one cannot live for a moment. Indeed, all the senses are working under the protection of the vital force.
The woman, who represents intelligence, was searching after a husband. This indicates that intelligence cannot act without consciousness. A beautiful woman is useless unless protected by the proper husband. Intelligence must always be very fresh; therefore the word aprauá¸hÄm, “very young,†is used here. Material enjoyment means utilizing the intelligence for the sake of rÅ«pa, rasa, gandha, Å›abda and sparÅ›a, or form, taste, smell, sound and touch.
