Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.24.49
सिंहस्कन्धत्विषो बिभ्रत्सौभगग्रीवकौस्तुभम् ।
श्रियानपायिन्या क्षिप्तनिकषाश्मोरसोल्लसत् ॥ ४९ ॥
siṁha-skandha-tviṣo bibhrat
[simha-skandha-tvisho bibhrat]
saubhaga-grīva-kaustubham
[saubhaga-greeva-kaustubham]
śriyānapāyinyā kṣipta-
[shriyaanapaayinyaa kshipta-]
nikaṣāśmorasollasat
[nikashaashmorasollasat]
Word-for-word
siṁha
—
a lion
skandha
—
shoulders
tviṣaḥ
—
the coils of hair
bibhrat
—
bearing
saubhaga
—
fortunate
grīva
—
neck
kaustubham
—
the pearl of the name
śriyā
—
beauty
anapāyinyā
—
never decreasing
kṣipta
—
defeating
nikaṣa
—
the stone for testing gold
aśma
—
stone
urasā
—
with the chest
ullasat
—
glittering.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
siṁha-skandha-tviṣo bibhrat
siṁha
a lion
skandha
shoulders
tviṣaḥ
the coils of hair
bibhrat
bearing
saubhaga-grīva-kaustubham
saubhaga
fortunate
grīva
neck
kaustubham
the pearl of the name
śriyānapāyinyā kṣipta-
śriyā
beauty
anapāyinyā
never decreasing
kṣipta
defeating
nikaṣāśmorasollasat
nikaṣa
the stone for testing gold
aśma
stone
urasā
with the chest
ullasat
glittering.
The Lord has shoulders just like a lion’s. Upon these shoulders are garlands, necklaces and epaulets, and all of these are always glittering. Besides these, there is the beauty of the Kaustubha-maṇi pearl, and on the dark chest of the Lord there are streaks named Śrīvatsa, which are signs of the goddess of fortune. The glittering of these streaks excels the beauty of the golden streaks on a gold-testing stone. Indeed, such beauty defeats a gold-testing stone.
Purport
The curling hair on the shoulders of a lion always appears very, very beautiful. Similarly, the shoulders of the Lord were just like a lion’s, and the necklace and garlands, along with the Kaustubha pearl necklace, combined to excel the beauty of a lion. The chest of the Lord is streaked with Śrīvatsa lines, the sign of the goddess of fortune. Consequently the Lord’s chest excels the beauty of a testing stone for gold. The black siliceous stone on which gold is rubbed to test its value always looks very beautiful, being streaked with gold lines. Yet the chest of the Lord excels even such a stone in its beauty.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
His lion-like shoulders glitter with reflections from his jewels. The Kaustubha jewel enhances his neck with additional beauty. His chest glows with the mark of imperishable Lakṣmī, deriding the line on a gold-testing stone.
His two shoulders shine because of the light from his earrings and necklace. His neck is made beautiful by the Kaustubha jewel. His chest shines with a golden line of Lakṣmī with permanent beauty which derides the line on a testing stone.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Lion shoulders, garlands, necklaces, epaulets, Kaustubha pearl, Śrīvatsa lines on His dark chest. The shoulders carry both ornament and stature; the chest carries goddess-marks.
Reflection Questions
- Where am I burdened with what I'm carrying because I haven't yet seen His shoulders as the model?
- What would 'carrying lions' shoulders' look like in how I bear responsibility?
My note
Source: vedabase.io