FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.25.22

सुनासां सुदतीं बालां सुकपोलां वराननाम् । समविन्यस्तकर्णाभ्यां बिभ्रतीं कुण्डलश्रियम् ॥ २२ ॥
sunāsāṁ sudatīṁ bālāṁ
[sunaasaam sudateem baalaam]
sukapolāṁ varānanām
[sukapolaam varaananaam]
sama-vinyasta-karṇābhyāṁ
[sama-vinyasta-karnaabhyaam]
bibhratīṁ kuṇḍala-śriyam
[bibhrateem kundala-shriyam]
su-nāsām — very beautiful nose su-datīm — very beautiful teeth bālām — the young woman su-kapolām — nice forehead vara-ānanām — beautiful face sama — equally vinyasta — arranged karṇābhyām — both ears bibhratīm — dazzling kuṇḍala-śriyam — having beautiful earrings.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sunāsāṁ sudatīṁ bālāṁ
su-nāsām
very beautiful nose
su-datīm
very beautiful teeth
bālām
the young woman
sukapolāṁ varānanām
su-kapolām
nice forehead
vara-ānanām
beautiful face
sama-vinyasta-karṇābhyāṁ
sama
equally
vinyasta
arranged
karṇābhyām
both ears
bibhratīṁ kuṇḍala-śriyam
bibhratīm
dazzling
kuṇḍala-śriyam
having beautiful earrings.
The woman’s nose, teeth and forehead were all very beautiful. Her ears were equally very beautiful and were bedecked with dazzling earrings.

The body of intelligence enjoys the objects of sense gratification that cover it, such as smell, vision and hearing. The word sunāsām, “beautiful nose,” indicates the organ for acquiring knowledge by smell. Similarly, the mouth is the instrument for acquiring knowledge by taste, for by chewing an object and touching it with the tongue we can understand its taste. The word sukapolām, “nice forehead,” indicates a clear brain capable of understanding things as they are. By intelligence one can set things in order. The earrings set upon the two ears are placed there by the work of the intelligence. Thus the ways of acquiring knowledge are described metaphorically.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
She had a beautiful nose, teeth, forehead, and face, and equally placed ears decorated with earrings. Her beautiful nose represents the knowledge of smell, a function of intelligence. Her teeth represent the ability to taste flavors and to hew. Her forehead represents the clarity of intelligence. Her face represents the superior part of intelligence. Her ears were placed skillfully by the creator, sparkling with earrings, for understanding the meaning of the scriptures concerning enjoyment and liberation.
Beautiful nose, teeth, forehead, dazzling earrings. Intelligence's beauty includes specific sensory powers — smell, taste, sight, hearing — each ornamented.
Reflection Questions
  • Which 'ornament' of my intelligence is most undervalued?
  • Where am I letting one beautiful capacity overshadow the others?
📝 My note

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