Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 53
Parīkṣit’s Inquiry into Vṛtrāsura’s Bhakti and the Beginning of Citraketu’s Trial
स्तनद्वयं कुङ्कुमपङ्कमण्डितं निषिञ्चती साञ्जनबाष्पबिन्दुभि: । विकीर्य केशान् विगलत्स्रज: सुतं शुशोच चित्रं कुररीव सुस्वरम् ॥ ५३ ॥
stana-dvayaṁ kuṅkuma-paṅka-maṇḍitaṁ niṣiñcatī sāñjana-bāṣpa-bindubhiḥ vikīrya keśān vigalat-srajaḥ sutaṁ śuśoca citraṁ kurarīva susvaram
La guirnalda de flores que decoraba la cabeza de la Reina cayó, y su cabello se esparció. Las lágrimas que caían derritieron el colirio de sus ojos y humedecieron su pecho, que estaba cubierto con polvo de kuṅkuma. Mientras lamentaba la pérdida de su hijo, su fuerte llanto se asemejaba al dulce sonido de un ave kurarī.
FAQs
This verse depicts the queen’s intense, bodily visible sorrow—showing how material attachment naturally produces overwhelming grief when separation comes.
The kurarī is known for a piercing, plaintive cry; the comparison highlights the queen’s sweet yet heartbreaking lamentation as she mourns her son.
It reminds a reader that grief is a natural outcome of deep attachment; Bhagavatam uses such scenes to turn the mind toward detachment and refuge in bhakti as the lasting support.