Extraordinary Beauty of the Lord [granthraj]

The beauty of the Lord, has described by Markendya Rsi, Srimad Bhagavatam 12.9.22-25:

mahaa-marakata-shyaamam / srimad-vadana-pankajam
kambu-greevam mahoraskam / su-naasam sundara-bhurvam
shvaasaijad-alakaabhaatam / kambu-sri-karna-dhaadimam
vidhrumaadhara-bhaasheshac / chonaayita sudhaa-smitam
padma-garbhaarunaapaangam / hrdaya-haasaavalokanam
shvaasaijad-vali-samvigna / nimna-naabhi-dalodaram
caarv-angulibhyaam paanibhyaam / unneeya caranaambujam
mukhe nidhaaya viprendro / dhayantam veekshya vismitah

"The infant’s dark-blue complexion was the color of a flawless emerald, His lotus face shone with a wealth of beauty, and His throat bore marks like the lines on a conch shell. He had a broad chest, a finely shaped nose, beautiful eyebrows, and lovely ears that resembled pomegranate flowers and that had inner folds like a conch shell’s spirals. The corners of His eyes were reddish like the whorl of a lotus, and the effulgence of His coral-like lips slightly reddened the nectarean, enchanting smile on His face. As He breathed, His splendid hair trembled and His deep navel became distorted by the moving folds of skin on His abdomen, which resembled a banyan leaf. The exalted brahmana watched with amazement as the infant took hold of one of His lotus feet with His graceful fingers, placed a toe within His mouth and began to suck."

Markendya Rshi after seeing Krishna in the infant form appreciates the beauty of the Lord. He describes that Krishna’s ears are like the pomegranate flowers, even the corner of Krishna’s eyes were reddish like the whorl of a lotus and even though Krishna was dark blue in color, Markendya Rshi describes that Krishna’s face shone like an emerald which usually is green in color, since for Krishna’s even the gems and jewels will change to suit the Lord. Even Krishna’s lips were like that of a coral. Whenever we see the conch shell spirals, it should automatically remind us of two things, that Krishna’s inner folds of the ear were like a conch shell spirals and the throat bore marks like the lines of a conch shell.

Krishna’s cheeks are so soft in nature. (mrdu-gandinam). The Gopis comment that "When Krishna’s plays melodies with his flute, even demigods like Brahma, Shiva, Indra and other chief demigods become confused upon hearing the sound. Although they are the most learned authorities, they cannot ascertain the essence of that music, and thus they bow down their heads and hearts." (SB 10.35.14-15)

The exalted devotee of the Lord, Lord Shiva describes the beauty of the Lord as snigdha praavrd ghana-shyaamam sarva saundarya sangraham – "The Lord’s beauty resembles a dark cloud during the rainy season. As the rainfall glistens, His bodily features also glisten. Indeed, He is the sum total of all beauty." (S.B. 4.24.45-46) and he describes the Lords chest as follows – "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." (S.B. 4.24.49 Purport)

Oh, what to speak of the lotus feet of the Lord, even the demigods are attracted to it. It is said in Brahma Samhita (BS:50),"The Lords lotus feet are always held by demigod Ganesha, in order to obtain power for his function of destroying all the obstacles on the path of progress of the three worlds."

Lord Shiva describes the Lord’s beauty thus in SB 4.24.52: "Even, the nails of the Lord’s lotus feet emanate such great effulgence that they immediately dissipate all the darkness in the heart of a conditioned soul."

How fortunate, the king of serpents, Kaliya would have been, when Krishna lotus feet danced on his head! What a beauty, and how ungrateful that we have left Him and come here!

Even the name of the Lord, "Krishna" itself is so attractive, that it cools our mind instantly.

I am not at all qualified to describe the Lord’s beauty and that’s one of the important reasons that I have taken all the verses/translation from the divine nectar Srimad Bhagavatam. Meditating on the Sundara Nanda Gopala form is the ultimate good that we can do to ourselves.

Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Gurudev,
Sharada Devi Dasi
Bangalore.

Disclaimer: This article was originally published in the Yahoo Groups granthraj – run by the disciples of H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj – by the devotee name mentioned above. The posting in this article, is original realizations of our Guru Maharaj and the devotee who wrote this. Any comments regarding this article would be passed on directly to the devotee. In this article, ‘Maharaj’ and ‘Gurudev’ implicitly refer to our spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj.

Related posts:

1. Beauty of Krishna’s Presence [granthraj]
2. Extraordinary Beauty of the Lord [granthraj]