FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.23.31

स्‍नातं कृतशिर:स्‍नानं सर्वाभरणभूषितम् । निष्कग्रीवं वलयिनं कूजत्काञ्चननूपुरम् ॥ ३१ ॥
snātaṁ kṛta-śiraḥ-snānaṁ
[snaatam krita-shirah-snaanam]
sarvābharaṇa-bhūṣitam
[sarvaabharana-bhooshitam]
niṣka-grīvaṁ valayinaṁ
[nishka-greevam valayinam]
kūjat-kāñcana-nūpuram
[koojat-kaanchana-noopuram]
snātam — bathed kṛta-śiraḥ — including the head snānam — bathing sarva — all over ābharaṇa — with ornaments bhūṣitam — decorated niṣka — a gold necklace with a locket grīvam — on the neck valayinam — with bangles kūjat — tinkling kāñcana — made of gold nūpuram — ankle bells.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
snātaṁ kṛta-śiraḥ-snānaṁ
snātam
bathed
kṛta-śiraḥ
including the head
snānam
bathing
sarvābharaṇa-bhūṣitam
sarva
all over
ābharaṇa
with ornaments
bhūṣitam
decorated
niṣka-grīvaṁ valayinaṁ
niṣka
a gold necklace with a locket
grīvam
on the neck
valayinam
with bangles
kūjat-kāñcana-nūpuram
kūjat
tinkling
kāñcana
made of gold
nūpuram
ankle bells.
Her entire body, including her head, was completely bathed, and she was decorated all over with ornaments. She wore a special necklace with a locket. There were bangles on her wrists and tinkling anklets of gold about her ankles.

The word kṛta-śiraḥ-snānam appears here. According to the smṛti-śāstra’s directions for daily duties, ladies are allowed to bathe daily up to the neck. The hair on the head does not necessarily have to be washed daily because the mass of wet hair may cause a cold. For ladies, therefore, taking a bath up to the neck is ordinarily prescribed, and they take a full bath only on certain occasions. On this occasion Devahūti took a full bath and washed her hair very nicely. When a lady takes an ordinary bath it is called mala-snāna, and when she takes a full bath, including the head, it is called śiraḥ-snāna. At this time she needs sufficient oil to smear on her head. That is the direction of the commentators of smṛti-śāstra.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
In a mirror, she saw that her body was made auspicious and clean, tended carefully by the girls, adorned with a garland and clean cloth, bathed fully including the head, and decorated with all ornaments, with a niṣka around her neck, armlets, and jingling, gold anklets. She saw herself in a mirror. The verb “saw” should be supplied. Some women of the western provinces do not bath the head. To defeat that idea, here it is stated that her head was bathed.
The verse points beyond impersonal abstraction to a Lord who hears, acts, and relates. Spiritual life gets real once we stop talking about Him and start talking to Him.
Reflection Questions
  • Whom do you actually address when you pray — a concept, or a person?
  • 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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