FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.15.28

मत्तद्विरेफवनमालिकया निवीतौ विन्यस्तयासितचतुष्टयबाहुमध्ये । वक्त्रं भ्रुवा कुटिलया स्फुटनिर्गमाभ्यां रक्तेक्षणेन च मनाग्रभसं दधानौ ॥ २८ ॥
matta-dvirepha-vanamālikayā nivītau
[matta-dvirepha-vanamaalikayaa niveetau]
vinyastayāsita-catuṣṭaya-bāhu-madhye
[vinyastayaasita-chatushtaya-baahu-madhye]
vaktraṁ bhruvā kuṭilayā sphuṭa-nirgamābhyāṁ
[vaktram bhruvaa kutilayaa sphuta-nirgamaabhyaam]
raktekṣaṇena ca manāg rabhasaṁ dadhānau
[raktekshanena cha manaag rabhasam dadhaanau]
matta — intoxicated dvi-repha — bees vana-mālikayā — with a garland of fresh flowers nivītau — hanging on the neck vinyastayā — placed around asita — blue catuṣṭaya — four bāhu — hands madhye — between vaktram — face bhruvā — with their eyebrows kuṭilayā — arched sphuṭa — snorting nirgamābhyām — breathing rakta — reddish īkṣaṇena — with eyes ca — and manāk — somewhat rabhasam — agitated dadhānau — glanced over.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
matta-dvirepha-vanamālikayā nivītau
matta
intoxicated
dvi-repha
bees
vana-mālikayā
with a garland of fresh flowers
nivītau
hanging on the neck
vinyastayāsita-catuṣṭaya-bāhu-madhye
vinyastayā
placed around
asita
blue
catuṣṭaya
four
bāhu
hands
madhye
between
vaktraṁ bhruvā kuṭilayā sphuṭa-nirgamābhyāṁ
vaktram
face
bhruvā
with their eyebrows
kuṭilayā
arched
sphuṭa
snorting
nirgamābhyām
breathing
raktekṣaṇena ca manāg rabhasaṁ dadhānau
rakta
reddish
īkṣaṇena
with eyes
ca
and
manāk
somewhat
rabhasam
agitated
dadhānau
glanced over.
The two doormen were garlanded with fresh flowers which attracted intoxicated bees and which were placed around their necks and between their four blue arms. From their arched eyebrows, discontented nostrils and reddish eyes, they appeared somewhat agitated.

Their garlands attracted swarms of bees because they were garlands of fresh flowers. In the Vaikuṇṭha world everything is fresh, new and transcendental. The inhabitants of Vaikuṇṭha have bodies of bluish color and four hands like Nārāyaṇa.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
In Vaikuṇṭha, after passing through six gates, the sages with no attachment saw at the seventh gate two gate keepers adorned with armbands, earrings crowns, and attractive clothing. The gate keepers with four blue arms were holding clubs and were decorated with garlands surrounded by maddened bees. Their faces were slightly agitated with anger, expressed by frowning brows, heavily breathing nostrils and red eyes. In Vaikuṇṭha (tasmin), passing through six walls with gates, the sages, without attachment, since they had realized Brahman from birth, saw the two doormen. They did not have any attraction by material intelligence to the gates, walls or to the aspects of form, fragrance or beauty they experienced there. At the seventh wall, they saw two guards Jaya and Vijaya holding clubs. Their faces were slightly disturbed with anger (manāg rabhasam). The symptoms are described. Their nostrils (noun must be supplied) were breathing heavily (sphuta-nirgamābhyām).
The Lord is named here as the actual proprietor of everything we manage. The verse asks us to relax our grip on what was never ours and let Him hold it again.
Reflection Questions
  • What in your life are you treating as 'mine' that the verse would call 'His'?
  • What would change if you treated one possession this week as belonging to the Lord and on loan to you?
📝 My note

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