Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 3: “The Status Quo”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Fifteen
SB3.15.31
TEXT 31
tabhyam misatsv animisesu nisidhyamanah
svarhattama hy api hareh pratihara-pabhyam
ucuh suhrttama-didrksita-bhanga isat
kamanujena sahasa ta upaplutaksah
SYNONYMS
tabhyam—by those two porters; misatsu—while looking on; animisesu—demigods living in Vaikuntha; nisidhyamanah—being forbidden; su-arhattamah—by far the fittest persons; hi api—although; hareh—of Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; pratihara-pabhyam—by the two doorkeepers; ucuh—said; suhrt-tama—most beloved; didrksita—eagerness to see; bhange—hindrance; isat—slight; kama-anujena—by the younger brother of lust (anger); sahasa—suddenly; te—those great sages; upapluta—agitated; aksah—eyes.
TRANSLATION
When the Kumaras, although by far the fittest persons, were thus forbidden entrance by the two chief doorkeepers of Sri Hari while other divinities looked on, their eyes suddenly turned red because of anger due to their great eagerness to see their most beloved master, Sri Hari, the Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
According to the Vedic system, a sannyasi, a person in the renounced order of life, is dressed in saffron-colored garments. This saffron dress is practically a passport for the mendicant and sannyasi to go anywhere. The sannyasi’s duty is to enlighten people in Krsna consciousness. Those in the renounced order of life have no other business but preaching the glories and supremacy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the Vedic sociological conception is that a sannyasi should not be restricted; he is allowed to go anywhere and everywhere he wants, and he is not refused any gift he might demand from a householder. The four Kumaras came to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead Narayana. The word suhrttama, “best of all friends,” is important. As Lord Krsna states in the Bhagavad-gita, He is the best friend of all living entities. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. No one can be a greater well-wishing friend to any living entity than the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is so kindly disposed towards everyone that in spite of our completely forgetting our relationship with the Supreme Lord, He comes Himself—sometimes personally, as Lord Krsna appeared on this earth, and sometimes as His devotee, as did Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu—and sometimes He sends His bona fide devotees to reclaim all the fallen souls. Therefore, He is the greatest well-wishing friend of everyone, and the Kumaras wanted to see Him. The doorkeepers should have known that the four sages had no other business, and therefore to restrict them from entering the palace was not apt.
In this verse it is figuratively stated that the younger brother of desire suddenly appeared in person when the sages were forbidden to see their most beloved Personality of Godhead. The younger brother of desire is anger. If one’s desire is not fulfilled, the younger brother, anger, follows. Here we can mark that even great saintly persons like the Kumaras were also angry, but they were not angry for their personal interests. They were angry because they were forbidden to enter the palace to see the Personality of Godhead. Therefore the theory that in the perfectional stage one should not have anger is not supported in this verse. Anger will continue even in the liberated stage. These four mendicant brothers, the Kumaras, were considered liberated persons, but still they were angry because they were restricted in their service to the Lord. The difference between the anger of an ordinary person and that of a liberated person is that an ordinary person becomes angry because his sense desires are not being fulfilled, whereas a liberated person like the Kumaras becomes angry when restricted in the discharge of duties for serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
In the previous verse it has been clearly mentioned that the Kumaras were liberated persons. Viditatma-tattva means “one who understands the truth of self-realization.” One who does not understand the truth of self-realization is called ignorant, but one who understands the self, the Superself, their interrelation, and activities in self-realization is called viditatma-tattva. Although the Kumaras were already liberated persons, they nevertheless became angry. This point is very important. Becoming liberated does not necessitate losing one’s sensual activities. Sense activities continue even in the liberated stage. The difference is, however, that sense activities in liberation are accepted only in connection with Krsna consciousness, whereas sense activities in the conditioned stage are enacted for personal sense gratification. SB3.15.32 TEXT 32 munaya ucuh ko vam ihaitya bhagavat-paricaryayoccais tad-dharminam nivasatam visamah svabhavah tasmin prasanta-puruse gata-vigrahe vam ko vatmavat kuhakayoh parisankaniyah SYNONYMS munayah—the great sages; ucuh—said; kah—who; vam—you two; iha—in Vaikuntha; etya—having attained; bhagavat—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; paricaryaya—by the service; uccaih—having been developed by past pious actions; tat-dharminam—of the devotees; nivasatam—dwelling in Vaikuntha; visamah—discordant; svabhavah—mentality; tasmin—in the Supreme Lord; prasanta-puruse—without anxieties; gata-vigrahe—without any enemy; vam—of you two; kah—who; va—or; atma-vat—like yourselves; kuhakayoh—maintaining duplicity; parisankaniyah—not becoming trustworthy. TRANSLATION The sages said: Who are these two persons who have developed such a discordant mentality even though they are posted in the service of the Lord in the highest position and are expected to have developed the same qualities as the Lord? How are these two persons living in Vaikuntha? Where is the possibility of an enemy’s coming into this kingdom of God? The Supreme Personality of Godhead has no enemy. Who could be envious of Him? Probably these two persons are imposters; therefore they suspect others to be like themselves. PURPORT The difference between the inhabitants of a Vaikuntha planet and those of a material planet is that in Vaikuntha all the residents engage in the service of the Lord Himself and are equipped with all His good qualities. It has been analyzed by great personalities that when a conditioned soul is liberated and becomes a devotee, about seventy-nine percent of all the good qualities of the Lord develop in his person. Therefore in the Vaikuntha world there is no question of enmity between the Lord and the residents. Here in this material world the citizens may be inimical to the chief executives or heads of state, but in Vaikuntha there is no such mentality. One is not allowed to enter Vaikuntha unless he has completely developed the good qualities. The basic principle of goodness is to accept subordination to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The sages, therefore, were surprised to see that the two doormen who checked them from entering the palace were not exactly like the residents of Vaikunthaloka. It may be said that a doorman’s duty is to determine who should be allowed to enter the palace and who should not. But that is not relevant in this matter because no one is allowed to enter the Vaikuntha planets unless he has developed one hundred percent his mentality of devotional service to the Supreme Lord. No enemy of the Lord can enter Vaikunthaloka. The Kumaras concluded that the only reason for the doormen’s checking them was that the doormen themselves were imposters. SB3.15.33 TEXT 33 na hy antaram bhagavatiha samasta-kuksav atmanam atmani nabho nabhasiva dhirah pasyanti yatra yuvayoh sura-linginoh kim vyutpaditam hy udara-bhedi bhayam yato ’sya SYNONYMS na—not; hi—because; antaram—distinction; bhagavati—in the Supreme Personality of Godhead; iha—here; samasta-kuksau—everything is within the abdomen; atmanam—the living entity; atmani—in the Supersoul; nabhah—the small quantity of air; nabhasi—within the whole air; iva—as; dhirah—the learned; pasyanti—see; yatra—in whom; yuvayoh—of you two; sura-linginoh—dressed like inhabitants of Vaikuntha; kim—how; vyutpaditam—awakened, developed; hi—certainly; udara-bhedi—distinction between the body and the soul; bhayam—fearfulness; yatah—wherefrom; asya—of the Supreme Lord. TRANSLATION In the Vaikuntha world there is complete harmony between the residents and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just as there is complete harmony within space between the big and the small skies. Why then is there a seed of fear in this field of harmony? These two persons are dressed like inhabitants of Vaikuntha, but wherefrom can their disharmony come into existence? PURPORT Just as there are different departments in each state in this material world—the civil department and the criminal department—so, in God’s creation, there are two departments of existence. As in the material world we find that the criminal department is far, far smaller than the civil department, so this material world, which is considered the criminal department, is one fourth of the entire creation of the Lord. All living entities who are residents of the material universes are considered to be more or less criminals because they do not wish to abide by the order of the Lord or they are against the harmonious activities of God’s will. The principle of creation is that the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, is by nature joyful, and He becomes many in order to enhance His transcendental joy. The living entities like ourselves, being part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, are meant to satisfy the senses of the Lord. Thus, whenever there is a discrepancy in that harmony, immediately the living entity is entrapped by maya, or illusion. The external energy of the Lord is called the material world, and the kingdom of the internal energy of the Lord is called Vaikuntha, or the kingdom of God. In the Vaikuntha world there is no disharmony between the Lord and the residents. Therefore God’s creation in the Vaikuntha world is perfect. There is no cause of fear. The entire kingdom of God is such a completely harmonious unit that there is no possibility of enmity. Everything there is absolute. Just as there are many physiological constructions within the body yet they work in one order for the satisfaction of the stomach, and just as in a machine there are hundreds and thousands of parts yet they run in harmony to fulfill the function of the machine, in the Vaikuntha planets the Lord is perfect, and the inhabitants also perfectly engage in the service of the Lord. The Mayavadi philosophers, the impersonalists, interpret this verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam to mean that the small sky and the big sky are one, but this idea cannot stand. The example of the big sky and the small skies is also applicable within a person’s body. The big sky is the body itself, and the intestines and other parts of the body occupy the small sky. Each and every part of the body has individuality, even though occupying a small part of the total body. Similarly, the whole creation is the body of the Supreme Lord, and we created beings, or anything that is created, are but a small part of that body. The parts of the body are never equal to the whole. This is never possible. In Bhagavad-gita it is said that the living entities, who are parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, are eternally parts and parcels. According to the Mayavadi philosophers, the living entity in illusion considers himself part and parcel although he is actually one and the same as the supreme whole. This theory is not valid. The oneness of the whole and the part is in their quality. The qualitative oneness of the small and large portions of the sky does not imply that the small sky becomes the big sky. There is no cause for the politics of divide and rule in the Vaikuntha planets; there is no fear, because of the united interests of the Lord and the residents. Maya means disharmony between the living entities and the Supreme Lord, and Vaikuntha means harmony between them. Actually all living entities are provided for and maintained by the Lord because He is the supreme living entity. But foolish creatures, although actually under the control of the supreme living entity, defy His existence, and that state is called maya. Sometimes they deny that there is such a being as God. They say, “Everything is void.” And sometimes they deny Him in a different way: “There may be a God, but He has no form.” Both these conceptions arise from the rebellious condition of the living entity. As long as this rebellious condition prevails, the material world will continue in disharmony. Harmony or disharmony is realized because of the law and order of a particular place. Religion is the law and order of the Supreme Lord. In the Srimad Bhagavad-gita we find that religion means devotional service, or Krsna consciousness. Krsna says, “Give up all other religious principles and simply become a soul surrendered unto Me.” This is religion. When one is fully conscious that Krsna is the supreme enjoyer and Supreme Lord and one acts accordingly, that is real religion. Anything which goes against this principle is not religion. Krsna therefore says: “Just give up all other religious principles.” In the spiritual world this religious principle of Krsna consciousness is maintained in harmony, and therefore that world is called Vaikuntha. If the same principles can be adopted here, wholly or partially, then it is also Vaikuntha. So it is with any society, such as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness: If the members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, putting faith in Krsna as the center, live in harmony according to the order and principles of Bhagavad-gita, then they are living in Vaikuntha, not in this material world. SB3.15.34 TEXT 34 tad vam amusya paramasya vikuntha-bhartuh kartum prakrstam iha dhimahi manda-dhibhyam lokan ito vrajatam antara-bhava-drstya papiyasas traya ime ripavo ’sya yatra SYNONYMS tat—therefore; vam—unto these two; amusya—of Him; paramasya—the Supreme; vikuntha-bhartuh—the Lord of Vaikuntha; kartum—to bestow; prakrstam—benefit; iha—in the matter of this offense; dhimahi—let us consider; manda-dhibhyam—those whose intelligence is not very nice; lokan—to the material world; itah—from this place (Vaikuntha); vrajatam—go; antara-bhava—duality; drstya—on account of seeing; papiyasah—sinful; trayah—three; ime—these; ripavah—enemies; asya—of a living entity; yatra—where. TRANSLATION Therefore let us consider how these two contaminated persons should be punished. The punishment should be apt, for thus benefit can eventually be bestowed upon them. Since they find duality in the existence of Vaikuntha life, they are contaminated and should be removed from this place to the material world, where the living entities have three kinds of enemies. PURPORT The reason why pure souls come into the existential circumstances of the material world, which is considered to be the criminal department of the Supreme Lord, is stated in Bhagavad-gita, Seventh Chapter, verse 27. It is stated that as long as a living entity is pure, he is in complete harmony with the desires of the Supreme Lord, but as soon as he becomes impure he is in disharmony with the desires of the Lord. By contamination he is forced to transfer to this material world, where the living entities have three enemies, namely desire, anger and lust. These three enemies force the living entities to continue material existence, and when one is free from them he is eligible to enter the kingdom of God. One should not, therefore, be angry in the absence of an opportunity for sense gratification, and one should not be lusty to acquire more than necessary. In this verse it is clearly stated that the two doormen should be sent into the material world, where criminals are allowed to reside. Since the basic principles of criminality are sense gratification, anger and unnecessary lust, persons conducted by these three enemies of the living entity are never promoted to Vaikunthaloka. People should learn Bhagavad-gita and accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, as the Lord of everything; they should practice satisfying the senses of the Supreme Lord instead of trying to satisfy their own senses. Training in Krsna consciousness will help one be promoted to Vaikuntha. SB3.15.35 TEXT 35 tesam itiritam ubhav avadharya ghoram tam brahma-dandam anivaranam astra-pugaih sadyo harer anucarav uru bibhyatas tat- pada-grahav apatatam atikatarena SYNONYMS tesam—of the four Kumaras; iti—thus; iritam—uttered; ubhau—both doorkeepers; avadharya—understanding; ghoram—terrible; tam—that; brahma-dandam—curse of a brahmana; anivaranam—not able to be counteracted; astra-pugaih—by any kind of weapon; sadyah—at once; hareh—of the Supreme Lord; anucarau—devotees; uru—very much; bibhyatah—became fearful; tat-pada-grahau—grasping their feet; apatatam—fell down; ati-katarena—in great anxiety. TRANSLATION When the doormen of Vaikunthaloka, who were certainly devotees of the Lord, found that they were going to be cursed by the brahmanas, they at once became very much afraid and fell down at the feet of the brahmanas in great anxiety, for a brahmana’s curse cannot be counteracted by any kind of weapon. PURPORT Although, by chance, the doormen committed a mistake by checking the brahmanas from entering the gate of Vaikuntha, they were at once aware of the gravity of the curse. There are many kinds of offenses, but the greatest offense is to offend a devotee of the Lord. Because the doormen were also devotees of the Lord, they were able to understand their mistake and were terrified when the four Kumaras were ready to curse them. SB3.15.36 TEXT 36 bhuyad aghoni bhagavadbhir akari dando yo nau hareta sura-helanam apy asesam ma vo ’nutapa-kalaya bhagavat-smrti-ghno moho bhaved iha tu nau vrajator adho ’dhah SYNONYMS bhuyat—let it be; aghoni—for the sinful; bhagavadbhih—by you; akari—was done; dandah—punishment; yah—that which; nau—in relation to us; hareta—should destroy; sura-helanam—disobeying great demigods; api—certainly; asesam—unlimited; ma—not; vah—of you; anutapa—repentance; kalaya—by a little; bhagavat—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; smrti-ghnah—destroying the memory of; mohah—illusion; bhavet—should be; iha—in the foolish species of life; tu—but; nau—of us; vrajatoh—who are going; adhah adhah—down to the material world. TRANSLATION After being cursed by the sages, the doormen said: It is quite apt that you have punished us for neglecting to respect sages like you. But we pray that due to your compassion at our repentance, the illusion of forgetting the Supreme Personality of Godhead will not come upon us as we go progressively downward. PURPORT To a devotee, any heavy punishment is tolerable but the one which effects forgetfulness of the Supreme Lord. The doormen, who were also devotees, could understand the punishment meted out to them, for they were conscious of the great offense they had committed by not allowing the sages to enter Vaikunthaloka. In the lowest species of life, including the animal species, forgetfulness of the Lord is very prominent. The doormen were aware that they were going to the criminal department of the material world, and they expected that they might go to the lowest species and forget the Supreme Lord. They prayed, therefore, that this might not happen in the lives they were going to accept because of the curse. In Bhagavad-gita, Sixteenth Chapter, verses 19 and 20, it is said that those who are envious of the Lord and His devotees are thrown into the species of abominable life; life after life such fools are unable to remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore they continue going down and down. SB3.15.37 TEXT 37 evam tadaiva bhagavan aravinda-nabhah svanam vibudhya sad-atikramam arya-hrdyah tasmin yayau paramahamsa-maha-muninam anvesaniya-caranau calayan saha-srih SYNONYMS evam—thus; tada eva—at that very moment; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; aravinda-nabhah—with a lotus growing from His navel; svanam—of His own servants; vibudhya—learned about; sat—to the great sages; atikramam—the insult; arya—of the righteous; hrdyah—the delight; tasmin—there; yayau—went; paramahamsa—recluses; maha-muninam—by the great sages; anvesaniya—which are worthy to be sought; caranau—the two lotus feet; calayan—walking; saha-srih—with the goddess of fortune. TRANSLATION At that very moment, the Lord, who is called Padmanabha because of the lotus grown from His navel and who is the delight of the righteous, learned about the insult offered by His own servants to the saints. Accompanied by His spouse, the goddess of fortune, He went to the spot on those very feet sought for by recluses and great sages. PURPORT In Bhagavad-gita the Lord declares that His devotees cannot be vanquished at any time. The Lord could understand that the quarrel between the doormen and the sages was taking a different turn, and therefore He instantly came out of His place and went to the spot to stop further aggravation so that His devotees, the doormen, might not be vanquished for good. SB3.15.38 TEXT 38 tam tv agatam pratihrtaupayikam sva-pumbhis te ’caksataksa-visayam sva-samadhi-bhagyam hamsa-sriyor vyajanayoh siva-vayu-lolac- chubhratapatra-sasi-kesara-sikarambum SYNONYMS tam—Him; tu—but; agatam—coming forward; pratihrta—carried; aupayikam—the paraphernalia; sva-pumbhih—by His own associates; te—the great sages (the Kumaras); acaksata—saw; aksa-visayam—now a subject matter for seeing; sva-samadhi-bhagyam—visible simply by ecstatic trance; hamsa-sriyoh—as beautiful as white swans; vyajanayoh—the camaras (bunches of white hair); siva-vayu—favorable winds; lolat—moving; subhra-atapatra—the white umbrella; sasi—the moon; kesara—pearls; sikara—drops; ambum—water. TRANSLATION The sages, headed by Sanaka Rsi, saw that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, who was formerly visible only within their hearts in ecstatic trance, had now actually become visible to their eyes. As He came forward, accompanied by His own associates bearing all paraphernalia, such as an umbrella and a camara fan, the white bunches of hair moved very gently, like two swans, and due to their favorable breeze the pearls garlanding the umbrella also moved, like drops of nectar falling from the white full moon or ice melting due to a gust of wind. PURPORT In this verse we find the word acaksataksa-visayam. The Supreme Lord cannot be seen by ordinary eyes, but He now became visible to the eyesight of the Kumaras. Another significant word is samadhi-bhagyam. Meditators who are very fortunate can see the Visnu form of the Lord within their hearts by following the yogic process. But to see Him face to face is a different matter. This is only possible for pure devotees. The Kumaras, therefore, upon seeing the Lord coming forward with His associates, who were holding an umbrella and a camara fan, were struck with wonder that they were seeing the Lord face to face. It is said in the Brahma-samhita that devotees, being elevated in love of God, always see Syamasundara, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, within their hearts. But when they are mature, the same God is visible before them face to face. For ordinary persons the Lord is not visible; however, when one can understand the significance of His holy name and one engages himself in the devotional service of the Lord, beginning with the tongue, by chanting and tasting prasada, then gradually the Lord reveals Himself. Thus the devotee constantly sees the Lord within his heart, and, in a more mature stage, one can see the same Lord directly, as we see everything else. SB3.15.39 TEXT 39 krtsna-prasada-sumukham sprhaniya-dhama snehavaloka-kalaya hrdi samsprsantam syame prthav urasi sobhitaya sriya svas- cudamanim subhagayantam ivatma-dhisnyam SYNONYMS krtsna-prasada—blessing everyone; su-mukham—auspicious face; sprhaniya—desirable; dhama—shelter; sneha—affection; avaloka—looking upon; kalaya—by expansion; hrdi—within the heart; samsprsantam—touching; syame—unto the Lord with blackish color; prthau—broad; urasi—chest; sobhitaya—being decorated; sriya—goddess of fortune; svah—heavenly planets; cuda-manim—summit; subhagayantam—spreading good fortune; iva—like; atma—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; dhisnyam—abode. TRANSLATION The Lord is the reservoir of all pleasure. His auspicious presence is meant for everyone’s benediction, and His affectionate smiling and glancing touch the core of the heart. The Lord’s beautiful bodily color is blackish, and His broad chest is the resting place of the goddess of fortune, who glorifies the entire spiritual world, the summit of all heavenly planets. Thus it appeared that the Lord was personally spreading the beauty and good fortune of the spiritual world. PURPORT When the Lord came, He was pleased with everyone; therefore it is stated here, krtsna-prasada-sumukham. The Lord knew that even the offensive doormen were His pure devotees, although by chance they committed an offense at the feet of other devotees. To commit an offense against a devotee is very dangerous in devotional service. Lord Caitanya therefore said that an offense to a devotee is just like a mad elephant run loose; when a mad elephant enters a garden, it tramples all the plants. Similarly, an offense unto the feet of a pure devotee murders one’s position in devotional service. On the part of the Lord there was no offended mood because He does not accept any offense created by His sincere devotee. But a devotee should be very cautious of committing offenses at the feet of another devotee. The Lord, being equal to all, and being especially inclined to His devotee, looked as mercifully at the offenders as at the offended. This attitude of the Lord was due to His unlimited quantity of transcendental qualities. His cheerful attitude towards the devotees was so pleasing and heart-touching that His very smile was attractive for them. That attraction was glorious not only for all the higher planets of this material world, but beyond, for the spiritual world also. Generally a human being has no idea of what the constitutional position is in the higher material planets, which are far better constituted in regard to all paraphernalia, yet the Vaikuntha planet is so pleasing and so celestial that it is compared to the middle jewel or locket in a necklace of jewels. In this verse the words sprhaniya-dhama indicate that the Lord is the reservoir of all pleasure because He has all the transcendental qualities. Although only some of these are aspired for by persons who hanker after the pleasure of merging in the impersonal Brahman, there are other aspirants who want to associate with the Lord personally as His servants. The Lord is so kind that He gives shelter to everyone—both impersonalists and devotees. He gives shelter to the impersonalists in His impersonal Brahman effulgence, whereas He gives shelter to the devotees in His personal abodes known as the Vaikunthalokas. He is especially inclined to His devotee; He touches the core of the heart of the devotee simply by smiling and glancing over him. The Lord is always served in the Vaikunthaloka by many hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune, as stated by the Brahma-samhita (laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam [Bs. 5.29]). In this material world, one is glorified if he is favored even a pinch by the goddess of fortune, so we can simply imagine how glorified is the kingdom of God in the spiritual world, where many hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune engage in the direct service of the Lord. Another feature of this verse is that it openly declares where the Vaikunthalokas are situated. They are situated as the summit of all the heavenly planets, which are above the sun globe, at the upper limit of the universe, and are known as Satyaloka, or Brahmaloka. The spiritual world is situated beyond the universe. Therefore it is stated here that the spiritual world, Vaikunthaloka, is the summit of all planetary systems. SB3.15.40 TEXT 40 pitamsuke prthu-nitambini visphurantya kancyalibhir virutaya vana-malaya ca valgu-prakostha-valayam vinata-sutamse vinyasta-hastam itarena dhunanam abjam SYNONYMS pita-amsuke—covered with a yellow cloth; prthu-nitambini—on His large hips; visphurantya—shining brightly; kancya—with a girdle; alibhih—by the bees; virutaya—humming; vana-malaya—with a garland of fresh flowers; ca—and; valgu—lovely; prakostha—wrists; valayam—bracelets; vinata-suta—of Garuda, the son of Vinata; amse—on the shoulder; vinyasta—rested; hastam—one hand; itarena—with another hand; dhunanam—being twirled; abjam—a lotus flower. TRANSLATION He was adorned with a girdle that shone brightly on the yellow cloth covering His large hips, and He wore a garland of fresh flowers which was distinguished by humming bees. His lovely wrists were graced with bracelets, and He rested one of His hands on the shoulder of Garuda, His carrier, and twirled a lotus with another hand. PURPORT Here is a full description of the Personality of Godhead as personally experienced by the sages. The Lord’s personal body was covered with yellow robes, and His waist was thin. In Vaikuntha, whenever there is a flower garland on the chest of the Personality of Godhead or any one of His associates, it is described that the humming bees are there. All these features were very beautiful and attractive for the devotees. One of the Lord’s hands rested on His carrier, Garuda, and in another hand He twirled a lotus flower. These are personal characteristics of the Personality of Godhead, Narayana. SB3.15.41 TEXT 41 vidyut-ksipan-makara-kundala-mandanarha- ganda-sthalonnasa-mukham manimat-kiritam dor-danda-sanda-vivare harata parardhya- harena kandhara-gatena ca kaustubhena SYNONYMS vidyut—lightning; ksipat—outshining; makara—alligator shaped; kundala—earrings; mandana—decoration; arha—as it fits; ganda-sthala—cheeks; unnasa—prominent nose; mukham—countenance; mani-mat—gem-studded; kiritam—crown; doh-danda—of His four stout arms; sanda—group; vivare—between; harata—charming; para-ardhya—by the most precious; harena—necklace; kandhara-gatena—adorning His neck; ca—and; kaustubhena—by the Kaustubha jewel. TRANSLATION His countenance was distinguished by cheeks that enhanced the beauty of His alligator-shaped pendants, which outshone lightning. His nose was prominent, and His head was covered with a gem-studded crown. A charming necklace hung between His stout arms, and His neck was adorned with the gem known by the name Kaustubha.