FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.21.1

Devanagari
maitreya uvāca
[maitreya uvaacha]
mauktikaiḥ kusuma-sragbhir
[mauktikaih kusuma-sragbhir]
dukūlaiḥ svarṇa-toraṇaiḥ
[dukoolaih svarna-toranaih]
mahā-surabhibhir dhūpair
[mahaa-surabhibhir dhoopair]
maṇḍitaṁ tatra tatra vai
[manditam tatra tatra vai]
Word-for-word
maitreyaḥ uvāca — the great sage Maitreya continued to speak mauktikaiḥ — with pearls kusuma — of flowers sragbhiḥ — with garlands dukūlaiḥ — cloth svarṇa — golden toraṇaiḥ — by gates mahā-surabhibhiḥ — highly perfumed dhūpaiḥ — by incense maṇḍitam — decorated tatra tatra — here and there vai — certainly.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
maitreya uvāca
maitreyaḥ uvāca
the great sage Maitreya continued to speak
mauktikaiḥ kusuma-sragbhir
mauktikaiḥ
with pearls
kusuma
of flowers
sragbhiḥ
with garlands
dukūlaiḥ svarṇa-toraṇaiḥ
dukūlaiḥ
cloth
svarṇa
golden
toraṇaiḥ
by gates
mahā-surabhibhir dhūpair
mahā-surabhibhiḥ
highly perfumed
dhūpaiḥ
by incense
maṇḍitaṁ tatra tatra vai
maṇḍitam
decorated
tatra tatra
here and there
vai
certainly.
The great sage Maitreya told Vidura: When the King entered his city, it was very beautifully decorated to receive him with pearls, flower garlands, beautiful cloth and golden gates, and the entire city was perfumed with highly fragrant incense.
Purport

Real opulence is supplied by natural gifts such as gold, silver, pearls, valuable stones, fresh flowers, trees and silken cloth. Thus the Vedic civilization recommends opulence and decoration with these natural gifts of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such opulence immediately changes the condition of the mind, and the entire atmosphere becomes spiritualized. King Pṛthu’s capital was decorated with such highly opulent decorations.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Maitreya said: The city was decorated with pearls, flower garlands, cloth, golden arches, and fragrant incense in various places. In the Twenty-first Chapter, Pṛthu, decorated with all beauty, an ocean of humility, gives instructions to the citizens during a great sacrifice. The previous chapter stated that Pṛthu returned to his city. That city is described in three verses. The sentence continues from the last chapter.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The city was beautifully decorated with pearls, garlands, golden gates and fragrant incense. Real opulence is natural — gold, gemstones, flowers, silk — not plastic; civilization shows up in how it greets a returning king.
Reflection Questions
  • Which 'natural' opulence in my own life do I underuse in favor of disposable substitutes?
  • How would I prepare my space for someone important's return — and could I begin to honor my own returns this way?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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