--- stumbling block for self-realization

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Studying the whole scheme of disassociation from women, it appears that a

woman is a stumbling block for self-realization, and the Lord appeared as

Narayana to teach the principle of womanly disassociation with a vow in

life. The demigods, being envious of the austere life of the rigid

brahmacaris, would try to cause them to break their vows by dispatching

soldiers of Cupid. But in the case of the Lord, it became an unsuccessful

attempt when the celestial beauties saw that the Lord can produce

innumerable such beauties by His mystic internal potency and that there was

consequently no need to be attracted by others externally. There is a common

proverb that a confectioner is never attracted by sweetmeats. The

confectioner, who is always manufacturing sweetmeats, has very little desire

to eat them; similarly, the Lord, by His pleasure potential powers, can

produce innumerable spiritual beauties and not be the least attracted by the

false beauties of material creation. (SB 2.7.6)