Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.23.22
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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śyāmam
—
dark blue in complexion
From √śyai — dark, monsoon-cloud blue. Kṛṣṇa's varṇa, foundational to every visualization. Gauḍīyas: śyāma is the colour of rasa itself; it absorbs every other colour without losing itself.
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vana-mālya
—
with a forest garland
Compound: vana (forest) + mālya (garland). The vaijayantī-mālā that hangs to His knees — strung with five-coloured forest flowers, the visible mark of His vraja-prakāśa.
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barha
—
peacock feather
The signature ornament of Kṛṣṇa's hair. Gauḍīya iconography: the barha is what distinguishes Kṛṣṇa from Viṣṇu — aiśvarya recedes, mādhurya advances. The wives see this, and the rasa is fixed.
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naṭa-veṣam
—
dressed like a dramatic dancer
Compound: naṭa (dancer/actor) + veṣam (dress). Bhāgavatam's most candid acknowledgement that Kṛṣṇa's līlā is theatrical — He is wearing the costume of a player on a stage. The world is His raṅga-bhūmi.
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anuvrata-aṁse
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upon the shoulder of a friend
Compound: anuvrata (devoted follower) + aṁse (on the shoulder). His arm rests on a sakhā — sakhya-rasa rendered visually. He never stands alone in Vraja.
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mukha-abja-hāsam
—
lotus-face with a smile
Compound: mukha (face) + abja (lotus) + hāsam (smile). The image the wives meet — and the image that breaks them. The whole chapter pivots on a smile.
They saw Krsna wearing a yellow cloth (hiranya paridhih). He was decorated with a garland of forest flowers and leaves extending to his feet, with a peacock feather in his top knot, with tilaka and designs of colored clay, with new leaves tucked in his ear and belt. He looked like a theatrical artist. To make known to them his own intentions by his gestures, he is described as having his left arm on the shoulder of a friend and in his right hand he twirled a play lotus. By this he was telling them, with their love for him, that he had accepted their lotus hearts in his hand and would give them bliss. Or he was telling them, "Just see, my lotus heart is turning with bliss. You can conclude this by my actions." He had water lilies over his ears, and curls of hair falling over his cheeks. He had a lotus smile on his face.
He wore a pleated sash streaked with gold color, befitting an actor, and a garland made from forest flowers, which extended over both shoulders. His crown was ornamented with peacock feathers and flower buds. His limbs were colored with clay from a particular mountain in Kāmya-vana names Saugandhika. These items all made him appear like an actor. His left hand was placed on the shoulder of a friend who was always nearby. In his right hand he twirled a play lotus. He had a smile on his lotus face with cheeks surrounded with locks of hair and water lilies in his ears.
He wore an upper cloth (paridhi) which was reddish gold (hiraṇya) and many garlands on his chest, a peacock feather in his hair or on top of his gem studded gold crown. He had minerals like gaurika as tilaka and buds in his hair or crown. Ekenāmala-patreṇa kaṇṭha-sūtrāvalambinā rarāja barhipatreṇa manda-māruta-kampinā He shone with a peacock feather hung from a string around his neck, which fluttered in the gentle breeze. Viṣṇu Purāṇa According to Hari-vaṁśa he had a feather below his throat. His crown always had a peacock feather. He had fresh shoots on top of his yellow cloth turban. This was the dress of a dancer. His hand was placed casually on the shoulder of a friend or out of great affection for the cowherds. In his right hand he twirled a lotus since he was playful by nature. It would also remove unlimited pain of the wives. The order of the description is according to increasing beauty. He did not hold his flute since that was unsuitable for the wives, being most bewitching. His locks hung over his cheeks casually or because of the efforts of playing. Generally the locks fall on his forehead but had fallen to his cheeks.
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- KKP SB 10-23-22 Hindi - Special Ladies Program - 2014-09-26 ISKCON Nairobi
- KKP SB 10-23-22 Hindi - Special Ladies Program- - 2014-09-27 ISKCON Nairobi
- MNS SB 10-23-22 - Each Verse of SB is Swarup of Lord
A painter's most carefully composed canvas — every detail named, every accent placed — but the eye is meant to come to rest on the smile. The verse is a dhyāna-mūrti, a meditative image the bhāgavata-pāṭhakas have memorized for a thousand years.
My note
Source: vedabase.io