Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 38: Mārīca Instructs Rāvaṇa
Text 3.38.30
परदाराभिमर्शात्तु नान्यत्पापतरं महत्।
प्रमदानां सहस्राणि तव राजन्परिग्रहः॥
para-dārābhimarśāt tu nānyat pāpataraṁ mahat
pramadānāṁ sahasrāṇi tava rājan parigrahaḥ
para-dāra-abhimarśāt tu = touching someone else’s wife; na = [there is] no; anyat pāpataram mahat = sin greater than; pramadānām = of enchanting; sahasrāṇi = thousands; tava = you have; rājan = O king; parigrahaḥ = wives 2.
NOTE. It might be astonishing that Rāvaṇa wanted yet another female to enjoy, despite his possessing thousands of enchanting wives. Such dissatisfaction is actually natural because unless one controls his senses and mind (the inner sense), there is no question of personal satisfaction. This is noted in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.4.19 and Prabhupāda’s purport:
sa itthaṁ nirjita-kakub eka-rāḍ viṣayān priyān
yathopajoṣaṁ bhuñjāno nātṛpyad ajitendriyaḥ
“In spite of achieving the power to control in all directions and in spite of enjoying all types of dear sense gratification as much as possible, Hiraṇyakaśipu was dissatisfied because instead of controlling his senses he remained their servant.”
PURPORT. This is an example of asuric life. Atheists can advance materially and create an extremely comfortable situation for the senses, but because they are controlled by the senses, they cannot be satisfied. This is the effect of modern civilization. Materialists are very much advanced in enjoying money and women, yet dissatisfaction prevails within human society because human society cannot be happy and peaceful without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As far as material sense gratification is concerned, materialists may go on increasing their enjoyment as far as they can imagine, but because people in such a material condition are servants of their senses, they cannot be satisfied. Hiraṇyakaśipu was a vivid example of this dissatisfied state of humanity.