FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.9.22-25

महामरकतश्यामं श्रीमद्वदनपङ्कजम् । कम्बुग्रीवं महोरस्कं सुनसं सुन्दरभ्रुवम् ॥ २२ ॥ श्वासैजदलकाभातं कम्बुश्रीकर्णदाडिमम् । विद्रुमाधरभासेषच्छोणायितसुधास्मितम् ॥ २३ ॥ पद्मगर्भारुणापाङ्गं हृद्यहासावलोकनम् । श्वासैजद्वलिसंविग्ननिम्ननाभिदलोदरम् ॥ २४ ॥ चार्वङ्गुलिभ्यां पाणिभ्यामुन्नीय चरणाम्बुजम् । मुखे निधाय विप्रेन्द्रो धयन्तं वीक्ष्य विस्मित: ॥ २५ ॥
mahā-marakata-śyāmaṁ
[mahaa-marakata-shyaamam]
śrīmad-vadana-paṅkajam
[shreemad-vadana-pankajam]
kambu-grīvaṁ mahoraskaṁ
[kambu-greevam mahoraskam]
su-nasaṁ sundara-bhruvam
[su-nasam sundara-bhruvam]
śvāsaijad-alakābhātaṁ
[shvaasaijad-alakaabhaatam]
kambu-śrī-karṇa-dāḍimam
[kambu-shree-karna-daadimam]
vidrumādhara-bhāseṣac-
[vidrumaadhara-bhaaseshach-]
choṇāyita-sudhā-smitam
[chonaayita-sudhaa-smitam]
padma-garbhāruṇāpāṅgaṁ
[padma-garbhaarunaapaangam]
hṛdya-hāsāvalokanam
[hridya-haasaavalokanam]
śvāsaijad-vali-saṁvigna-
[shvaasaijad-vali-samvigna-]
nimna-nābhi-dalodaram
[nimna-naabhi-dalodaram]
cārv-aṅgulibhyāṁ pāṇibhyām
[chaarv-angulibhyaam paanibhyaam]
unnīya caraṇāmbujam
[unneeya charanaambujam]
mukhe nidhāya viprendro
[mukhe nidhaaya viprendro]
dhayantaṁ vīkṣya vismitaḥ
[dhayantam veekshya vismitah]
mahā-marakata — like a great emerald śyāmam — dark blue śrīmat — beautiful vadana-paṅkajam — whose lotus face kambu — like a conchshell grīvam — whose throat mahā — broad uraskam — whose chest su-nasam — having a beautiful nose sundara-bhruvam — having beautiful eyebrows śvāsa — by His breath ejat — trembling alaka — with the hair ābhātam — splendid kambu — like a conchshell śrī — beautiful karṇa — His ears dāḍimam — resembling pomegranate flowers vidruma — like coral adhara — of His lips bhāsā — by the effulgence īṣat — slightly śoṇāyita — reddened sudhā — nectarean smitam — His smile padma-garbha — like the whorl of a lotus aruṇa — reddish apāṅgam — the corners of His eyes hṛdya — charming hāsa — with a smile avalokanam — His countenance śvāsa — by His breath ejat — made to move vali — by the lines saṁvigna — contorted nimna — deep nābhi — with His navel dala — like a leaf udaram — whose abdomen cāru — attractive aṅgulibhyām — having fingers pāṇibhyām — by His two hands unnīya — picking up caraṇa-ambujam — His lotus foot mukhe — in His mouth nidhāya — placing vipra-indraḥ — the best of brāhmaṇas, Mārkaṇḍeya dhayantam — drinking vīkṣya — seeing vismitaḥ — was amazed.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
mahā-marakata-śyāmaṁ
mahā-marakata
like a great emerald
śyāmam
dark blue
śrīmad-vadana-paṅkajam
śrīmat
beautiful
vadana-paṅkajam
whose lotus face
kambu
like a conchshell
kambu-grīvaṁ mahoraskaṁ
grīvam
whose throat
mahā
broad
uraskam
whose chest
su-nasaṁ sundara-bhruvam
su-nasam
having a beautiful nose
sundara-bhruvam
having beautiful eyebrows
śvāsaijad-alakābhātaṁ
śvāsa
by His breath
ejat
trembling
alaka
with the hair
ābhātam
splendid
kambu-śrī-karṇa-dāḍimam
kambu
like a conchshell
śrī
beautiful
karṇa
His ears
dāḍimam
resembling pomegranate flowers
vidrumādhara-bhāseṣac-
vidruma
like coral
adhara
of His lips
bhāsā
by the effulgence
choṇāyita-sudhā-smitam
padma-garbhāruṇāpāṅgaṁ
hṛdya-hāsāvalokanam
śvāsaijad-vali-saṁvigna-
īṣat
slightly
śoṇāyita
reddened
sudhā
nectarean
nimna-nābhi-dalodaram
cārv-aṅgulibhyāṁ pāṇibhyām
unnīya caraṇāmbujam
mukhe nidhāya viprendro
dhayantaṁ vīkṣya vismitaḥ
smitam
His smile
padma-garbha
like the whorl of a lotus
aruṇa
reddish
apāṅgam
the corners of His eyes
hṛdya
charming
hāsa
with a smile
avalokanam
His countenance
śvāsa
by His breath
ejat
made to move
vali
by the lines
saṁvigna
contorted
nimna
deep
nābhi
with His navel
dala
like a leaf
udaram
whose abdomen
cāru
attractive
aṅgulibhyām
having fingers
pāṇibhyām
by His two hands
unnīya
picking up
caraṇa-ambujam
His lotus foot
mukhe
in His mouth
nidhāya
placing
vipra-indraḥ
the best of brāhmaṇas, Mārkaṇḍeya
dhayantam
drinking
vīkṣya
seeing
vismitaḥ
was amazed.
The infant’s dark-blue complexion was the color of a flawless emerald, His lotus face shone with a wealth of beauty, and His throat bore marks like the lines on a conchshell. He had a broad chest, a finely shaped nose, beautiful eyebrows, and lovely ears that resembled pomegranate flowers and that had inner folds like a conchshell’s spirals. The corners of His eyes were reddish like the whorl of a lotus, and the effulgence of His corallike lips slightly reddened the nectarean, enchanting smile on His face. As He breathed, His splendid hair trembled and His deep navel became distorted by the moving folds of skin on His abdomen, which resembled a banyan leaf. The exalted brāhmaṇa watched with amazement as the infant took hold of one of His lotus feet with His graceful fingers, placed a toe within His mouth and began to suck.

The young child was the Supreme Personality of Godhead. According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Lord Kṛṣṇa wondered, “So many devotees are hankering for the nectar of My lotus feet. Therefore let Me personally experience that nectar.” Thus the Lord, playing like an ordinary baby, began to suck on His toes.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The infant's dark-blue complexion was the color of a flawless emerald, his lotus face shone with a wealth of beauty, and his throat bore marks like the lines on a conchshell. He had a broad chest, a finely shaped nose, beautiful eyebrows, and lovely ears decorated with pomegranate flowers, having inner folds like a conchshell's spirals. The corners of his eyes were reddish like the whorl of a lotus, and the effulgence of his coral-like lips slightly reddened the sweet, enchanting smile on his face. As he breathed, his splendid hair trembled and his deep navel moved along with the deep folds of skin on his abdomen which was shaped like a banyan leaf. The exalted brāhmaṇa watched with amazement as the infant took hold of one of his lotus feet with his graceful fingers, placed a toe within his mouth, and began to suck. Kakudi means “on a raised area.” He looked splendid with locks of hair trembling because of his breathing. He had pomegranate flowers decorating his ears whose ear folds had the beauty of conches. His abdomen was shaped like a banyan leaf with a deep navel which quivered, and with deep horizontal skin folds which trembled when he breathed. He held his toe and sucked it, thinking, “What is the sweetness of my lotus foot? Since many of my devotees attempt to taste that sweetness, I should also try to taste it.”
The infant is described in lush detail — dark-blue, emerald-flawless, lotus face, throat marked. The Lord's beauty even in tiny form is exquisitely particular. Devotion delights in details; abstraction starves love.
Reflection Questions
  • Have I let myself notice particular details of the Lord's beauty in form?
  • Which detail most calls me lately?
📝 My note

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