Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 9

Kardama Muni’s Penance, Viṣṇu’s Darśana, and the Arrangement of Devahūti’s Marriage

Devanagari script

स तं विरजमर्काभं सितपद्मोत्पलस्रजम् । स्‍निग्धनीलालकव्रातवक्त्राब्जं विरजोऽम्बरम् ॥ ९ ॥

Transliteration

sa taṁ virajam arkābhaṁ sita-padmotpala-srajam snigdha-nīlālaka-vrāta- vaktrābjaṁ virajo ’mbaram

Translation

Kardama Muni saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is free from material contamination, in His eternal form, effulgent like the sun, wearing a garland of white lotuses and water lilies. The Lord was clad in spotless yellow silk, and His lotus face was fringed with slick dark locks of curly hair.

Synonyms

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā Ekavacana

• virajam: stainless; free from rajas
• virajam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viraja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of tam

• arka-ābham: sun-like in splendor
• arka-ābham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: arka (प्रातिपदिक) + ābha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā Ekavacana; compound = arkavat ābhaḥ / arkasya ābhā (upamā sense)

• sita-padma-utpala-srajam: wearing a garland of white lotuses and lilies
• sita-padma-utpala-srajam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sita (प्रातिपदिक) + padma (प्रातिपदिक) + utpala (प्रातिपदिक) + sraj (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga? actually sraj is feminine; here Dvitīyā Ekavacana (srajam) used as bahuvrīhi-like epithet for tam: 'wearing a garland of white lotuses and water-lilies'; multi-member compound functioning adjectivally

• snigdha-nīla-alaka-vrāta-vaktra-abjam: with lotus-like face and a mass of glossy dark curls
• snigdha-nīla-alaka-vrāta-vaktra-abjam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: snigdha (प्रातिपदिक) + nīla (प्रातिपदिक) + alaka (प्रातिपदिक) + vrāta (प्रातिपदिक) + vaktra (प्रातिपदिक) + abja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā Ekavacana; compound qualifying tam: 'having a lotus-face (vaktrābja) with a mass of glossy dark curls'; internal: vaktra-abja (कर्मधारय), alaka-vrāta (षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष), snigdha-nīla as adjectives

• virajaḥ: stainless
• virajaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: virajas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa (of implied 'saḥ' or of 'tam' in apposition)

• ambaram: garment; cloth
• ambaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ambara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā Ekavacana; object in sense 'wearing (garment)' implied

Characters & Entities

• Kardama Muni
• Lord Viṣṇu

FAQs

How does Srimad Bhagavatam describe the form of Lord Vishnu in Canto 3?

This verse portrays Lord Viṣṇu as completely spotless and sunlike in radiance, with a lotuslike face, dark glossy curls, pure garments, and a garland of lotuses—emphasizing His transcendental beauty beyond material qualities.

Why did Kardama Muni see Lord Vishnu in Bhagavatam Canto 3 Chapter 21?

In this section of the narrative, Kardama Muni receives the Lord’s audience (darśana) as divine confirmation and blessing connected to his devotion and the unfolding of the Lord’s plan for his life and progeny.

What is the practical application of meditating on the Lord’s form described in Srimad Bhagavatam?

Contemplating these divine features helps steady the mind, deepen devotion, and replace worldly attraction with remembrance of the Supreme—supporting a daily practice of bhakti through śravaṇa and smaraṇa.