Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvitiya Skandha, Shloka 16
Brahmā’s Tapasya, the Vision of Vaikuṇṭha, and the Lord’s Seed Instructions
Catuḥ-śloki
भृत्यप्रसादाभिमुखं दृगासवं प्रसन्नहासारुणलोचनाननम् । किरीटिनं कुण्डलिनं चतुर्भुजं पीतांशुकं वक्षसि लक्षितं श्रिया ॥ १६ ॥
bhṛtya-prasādābhimukhaṁ dṛg-āsavaṁ prasanna-hāsāruṇa-locanānanam kirīṭinaṁ kuṇḍalinaṁ catur-bhujaṁ pītāṁśukaṁ vakṣasi lakṣitaṁ śriyā
La Suprême Personnalité de Dieu paraissait se pencher avec bienveillance vers Ses serviteurs aimants; Son regard, enivrant et captivant, s’accordait à un visage souriant, aux yeux et au teint d’une douce rougeur. Il portait couronne et boucles d’oreilles, avait quatre bras, était vêtu de jaune, et Sa poitrine portait les marques de Śrī (Lakṣmī).
In the Padma Purāṇa, Uttara-khaṇḍa, there is a full description of the yoga-pīṭha, or the particular place where the Lord is in audience to His eternal devotees. In that yoga-pīṭha, the personifications of religion, knowledge, opulence and renunciation are all seated at the lotus feet of the Lord. The four Vedas, namely Ṛk, Sāma, Yajur and Atharva, are present there personally to advise the Lord. The sixteen energies headed by Caṇḍa are all present there. Caṇḍa and Kumuda are the first two doorkeepers, at the middle door are the doorkeepers named Bhadra and Subhadra, and at the last door are Jaya and Vijaya. There are other doorkeepers also, named Kumuda, Kumudākṣa, Puṇḍarīka, Vāmana, Śaṅkukarṇa, Sarvanetra, Sumukha, etc. The Lord’s palace is well decorated and protected by the above-mentioned doorkeepers.
FAQs
This verse portrays the Lord’s glance as nectar-like and especially turned toward granting mercy (prasāda) to His servant, emphasizing that divine compassion is central to the devotee’s experience of God.
In Brahmā’s vision, the Lord appears in His majestic Viṣṇu form—catur-bhuja, crowned, adorned, and clad in yellow—revealing His supreme sovereignty and auspicious beauty as the source of creation and shelter for devotees.
Regularly meditating on the Lord’s benevolent, smiling form can steady the mind, strengthen devotion, and cultivate trust that divine mercy guides one through uncertainty and responsibility.