FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.22.2

तांस्तु सिद्धेश्वरान् राजा व्योम्नोऽवतरतोऽर्चिषा । लोकानपापान् कुर्वाणान् सानुगोऽचष्ट लक्षितान् ॥ २ ॥
tāṁs tu siddheśvarān rājā
[taams tu siddheshvaraan raajaa]
vyomno ’vatarato ’rciṣā
[vyomno ’vatarato ’rchishaa]
lokān apāpān kurvāṇān
[lokaan apaapaan kurvaanaan]
sānugo ’caṣṭa lakṣitān
[saanugo ’chashta lakshitaan]
tān — them tu — but siddha-īśvarān — masters of all mystic power rājā — the King vyomnaḥ — from the sky avatarataḥ — while descending arciṣā — by their glaring effulgence lokān — all the planets apāpān — sinless kurvāṇān — doing so sa-anugaḥ — with his associates acaṣṭa — recognized lakṣitān — by seeing them.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tāṁs tu siddheśvarān rājā
tān
them
tu
but
siddha-īśvarān
masters of all mystic power
rājā
the King
vyomno ’vatarato ’rciṣā
vyomnaḥ
from the sky
avatarataḥ
while descending
arciṣā
by their glaring effulgence
lokān apāpān kurvāṇān
lokān
all the planets
apāpān
sinless
kurvāṇān
doing so
sānugo ’caṣṭa lakṣitān
sa-anugaḥ
with his associates
acaṣṭa
recognized
lakṣitān
by seeing them.
Seeing the glowing effulgence of the four Kumāras, the masters of all mystic power, the King and his associates could recognize them as they descended from the sky.

The four Kumāras are described herein as siddheśvarān, which means “masters of all mystic power.” One who has attained perfection in yoga practice immediately becomes master of the eight mystic perfections — to become smaller than the smallest, to become lighter than the lightest, to become bigger than the biggest, to achieve anything one desires, to control everything, etc. These four Kumāras, as siddheśvaras, had achieved all the yogic perfectional achievements, and as such they could travel in outer space without machines. While they were coming to Mahārāja Pṛthu from other planets, they did not come by airplane, but personally. In other words, these four Kumāras were also spacemen who could travel in space without machines. The residents of the planet known as Siddhaloka can travel in outer space from one planet to another without vehicles. However, the special power of the Kumāras mentioned herewith is that whatever place they went to would immediately become sinless. During the reign of Mahārāja Pṛthu, everything on the surface of this globe was sinless, and therefore the Kumāras decided to see the King. Ordinarily they do not go to any planet which is sinful.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Pṛthu and his followers saw the lords of mystic power descending from the sky, purifying all the people, and recognized them as the Kumāras by their effulgence. They were known as the Kumāras by their effulgence (arcisā lakṣitān). Acaṣṭa means “he saw.”
Seeing their glowing effulgence, the king and his associates recognized them as the Kumāras. Recognition of greatness is itself a capacity; some never see what's right in front of them.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose effulgence have I been blind to in someone I see regularly?
  • What in me would have to sharpen for me to recognize the great when they walk past?
📝 My note

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