FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.9.11

श्यामावदाता: शतपत्रलोचना: पिशङ्गवस्त्रा: सुरुच: सुपेशस: । सर्वे चतुर्बाहव उन्मिषन्मणि- प्रवेकनिष्काभरणा: सुवर्चस: ॥ ११ ॥
śyāmāvadātāḥ śata-patra-locanāḥ
[shyaamaavadaataah shata-patra-lochanaah]
piśaṅga-vastrāḥ surucaḥ supeśasaḥ
[pishanga-vastraah suruchah supeshasah]
sarve catur-bāhava unmiṣan-maṇi-
[sarve chatur-baahava unmishan-mani-]
praveka-niṣkābharaṇāḥ suvarcasaḥ
[praveka-nishkaabharanaah suvarchasah]
Word-for-word
śyāma — sky-bluish avadātāḥ — glowing śata-patra — lotus flower locanāḥ — eyes piśaṅga — yellowish vastrāḥ — clothing su-rucaḥ — greatly attractive su-peśasaḥ — growing youthful sarve — all of them catuḥ — four bāhavaḥ — hands unmiṣan — rising luster maṇi — pearls praveka — superior quality niṣka-ābharaṇāḥ — ornamental medallions su-varcasaḥ — effulgent.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śyāmāvadātāḥ śata-patra-locanāḥ
śyāma
sky-bluish
avadātāḥ
glowing
śata-patra
lotus flower
locanāḥ
eyes
piśaṅga-vastrāḥ surucaḥ supeśasaḥ
piśaṅga
yellowish
vastrāḥ
clothing
su-rucaḥ
greatly attractive
su-peśasaḥ
growing youthful
sarve
all of them
sarve catur-bāhava unmiṣan-maṇi-
catuḥ
four
bāhavaḥ
hands
unmiṣan
rising luster
maṇi
pearls
praveka-niṣkābharaṇāḥ suvarcasaḥ
praveka
superior quality
niṣka-ābharaṇāḥ
ornamental medallions
su-varcasaḥ
effulgent.
The inhabitants of the Vaikuṇṭha planets are described as having a glowing sky-bluish complexion. Their eyes resemble lotus flowers, their dress is of yellowish color, and their bodily features very attractive. They are just the age of growing youths, they all have four hands, they are all nicely decorated with pearl necklaces with ornamental medallions, and they all appear to be effulgent.
Purport

The inhabitants in Vaikuṇṭhaloka are all personalities with spiritual bodily features not to be found in the material world. We can find the descriptions in the revealed scriptures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Impersonal descriptions of transcendence in the scriptures indicate that the bodily features in Vaikuṇṭhaloka are never to be seen in any part of the universe. As there are different bodily features in different places of a particular planet, or as there are different bodily features between bodies in different planets, similarly the bodily features of the inhabitants in Vaikuṇṭhaloka are completely different from those in the material universe. For example, the four hands are distinct from the two hands in this world.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The inhabitants of Vaikuṇṭha are dark in complexion and effulgent. They have lotus eyes, yellow cloth, and pleasing demeanor and are youthful. They all have four arms and wear ornaments of the best shining jewels. They have all splendors. Some are colored red, yellow or white. They wear glittering earrings, crowns and garlands.
Commentary

They are dark in complexion, and shining (avadātā) with lotus eyes and yellow cloth. They are pleasing and very young (supeśasaḥ). They wear ornaments with the best (praveka) shining (unmiṣat) jewels, and are extremely glorious. They have colors of coral, vaidūrya and the water lily. The Bhagavat-sandarbha explains that those devotees have forms like the Lord with colors like red and yellow.

harer anuvratā yatra śyāmāruṇa-harit-sitāḥ | tat-tad-varṇam upāsyeśaṁ tat-sārūpyam upāgatāḥ ||

In that place the Lord’s associates are black, reddish, green or white in complexion. By worshipping the Lord with a particular complexion the devotee attains a form with a similar complexion. Laghu-bhagavatāmṛta 237

They have earrings, crowns and garlands which glitter.

Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Vaikuṇṭha residents have sky-blue complexions, four hands, lotus eyes, yellow garments, eternal youth, and effulgent forms — completely unlike anything seen here. Don't reduce the spiritual world to a vague light or boring abstraction.
Reflection Questions
  • Do I let the spiritual world be as concretely beautiful as scripture describes?
  • What in my imagination keeps insisting the spiritual must be featureless?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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