FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.11.2

स उच्चकाशे धवलोदरो दरो- ऽप्युरुक्रमस्याधरशोणशोणिमा । दाध्मायमान: करकञ्जसम्पुटे यथाब्जखण्डे कलहंस उत्स्वन: ॥ २ ॥
sa uccakāśe dhavalodaro daro
[sa uchchakaashe dhavalodaro daro]
’py urukramasyādharaśoṇa-śoṇimā
[’py urukramasyaadharashona-shonimaa]
dādhmāyamānaḥ kara-kañja-sampuṭe
[daadhmaayamaanah kara-kanja-sampute]
yathābja-khaṇḍe kala-haṁsa utsvanaḥ
[yathaabja-khande kala-hamsa utsvanah]
Word-for-word
saḥ — that uccakāśe — became brilliant dhavala-udaraḥ — white and fat-bowled daraḥ — conchshell api — although it is so urukramasya — of the great adventurer adharaśoṇa — by the transcendental quality of His lips śoṇimā — reddened dādhmāyamānaḥ — being sounded kara-kañja-sampuṭe — being caught by the grip of the lotus hand yathā — as it is abja-khaṇḍe — by the stems of lotus flowers kala-haṁsaḥ — ducking swan utsvanaḥ — loudly sounding.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sa uccakāśe dhavalodaro daro
saḥ
that
uccakāśe
became brilliant
dhavala-udaraḥ
white and fat-bowled
daraḥ
conchshell
api
although it is so
’py urukramasyādharaśoṇa-śoṇimā
urukramasya
of the great adventurer
adharaśoṇa
by the transcendental quality of His lips
śoṇimā
reddened
dādhmāyamānaḥ kara-kañja-sampuṭe
dādhmāyamānaḥ
being sounded
kara-kañja-sampuṭe
being caught by the grip of the lotus hand
yathābja-khaṇḍe kala-haṁsa utsvanaḥ
yathā
as it is
abja-khaṇḍe
by the stems of lotus flowers
kala-haṁsaḥ
ducking swan
utsvanaḥ
loudly sounding.
The white and fat-bowled conchshell, being gripped by the hand of Lord Kṛṣṇa and sounded by Him, appeared to be reddened by the touch of His transcendental lips. It seemed that a white swan was playing in the stems of red lotus flowers.
Purport

The redness of the white conchshell due to the lip-touch of the Lord is a symbol of spiritual significance. The Lord is all spirit, and matter is ignorance of this spiritual existence. Factually there is nothing like matter in spiritual enlightenment, and this spiritual enlightenment takes place at once by the contact of the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The Lord is present in every particle of all existence, and He can manifest His presence in anyone. By ardent love and devotional service to the Lord, or in other words by spiritual contact with the Lord, everything becomes spiritually reddened like the conchshell in the grip of the Lord, and the paramahaṁsa, or the supremely intelligent person, plays the part of the ducking swan in the water of spiritual bliss, eternally decorated by the lotus flower of the Lord’s feet.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The white-bellied conch, continually blown in his lotus hands, like a bellowing swan amidst a lotus grove, reddened by the touch of Kṛṣṇa’s lips, appeared most attractive.
Commentary

That conch appeared beautiful (uccakāśe), being reddened by the red of his lips. He continually blew it (dādhmāyamānaḥ). The conch held in his hands was like a swan in a group of lotuses (abja-ṣaṇḍe).

Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The conch in His hand, reddened by His lips, looked like a white swan among red lotuses. Even sacred objects take on color from contact with the Lord. Touch transmits beauty.
Reflection Questions
  • What ordinary object has become beautiful by association?
  • Where could mere contact transmit something I've received?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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