Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 7
The Glories of Lord Ananta (Śeṣa/Saṅkarṣaṇa) and the Cosmic Foundation Beneath Pātāla
ध्यायमान: सुरासुरोरगसिद्धगन्धर्वविद्याधरमुनिगणैरनवरतमदमुदितविकृतविह्वललोचन: सुललितमुखरिकामृतेनाप्यायमान: स्वपार्षदविबुधयूथपतीनपरिम्लानरागनवतुलसिकामोदमध्वासवेन माद्यन्मधुकरव्रातमधुरगीतश्रियं वैजयन्तीं स्वां वनमालां नीलवासा एककुण्डलो हलककुदि कृतसुभगसुन्दरभुजो भगवान्महेन्द्रो वारणेन्द्र इव काञ्चनीं कक्षामुदारलीलो बिभर्ति ॥ ७ ॥
dhyāyamānaḥ surāsuroraga-siddha-gandharva-vidyādhara-muni-gaṇair anavarata-mada-mudita-vikṛta-vihvala-locanaḥ sulalita-mukharikāmṛtenāpyāyamānaḥ sva-pārṣada-vibudha-yūtha-patīn aparimlāna-rāga-nava-tulasikāmoda-madhv-āsavena mādyan madhukara-vrāta-madhura-gīta-śriyaṁ vaijayantīṁ svāṁ vanamālāṁ nīla-vāsā eka-kuṇḍalo hala-kakudi kṛta-subhaga-sundara-bhujo bhagavān mahendro vāraṇendra iva kāñcanīṁ kakṣām udāra-līlo bibharti.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Demigods, demons, Uragas, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Vidyādharas, and exalted sages constantly offer prayers to the Lord. In divine intoxication He appears bewildered, and His eyes—like fully blossomed flowers—move to and fro. By the sweet vibrations from His mouth He delights His personal associates and the leaders of the demigods. Clad in blue garments and wearing a single earring, He bears a plow upon His back with His two beautiful, well-built arms; a golden belt encircles His waist, and a vaijayantī garland of ever-fresh tulasī blossoms adorns His neck. Bees, drunk on the honeylike fragrance of tulasī, hum melodiously around it, making the garland ever more splendid. Thus the Lord enjoys His most magnanimous pastimes.
FAQs
This verse depicts countless exalted beings continually meditating on the Lord, becoming overwhelmed with bliss—indicating that remembrance and contemplation of Ananta’s divine form naturally awakens ecstatic devotion and steadies the mind in transcendence.
Śukadeva highlights sensory-rich, sacred imagery—Vaijayantī garland and fresh tulasī—showing that the Lord’s beauty is not material but spiritually intoxicating, drawing even nature (bees) into sweet, harmonious glorification.
Practice daily dhyāna and kīrtana by focusing on the Lord’s form and names; keep tulasī with reverence if possible; and cultivate steady remembrance—replacing restless attention with devotional contemplation that brings calm and inner joy.