Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 6
The Curse on the Yadus Begins: Kṛṣṇa’s Plan to Withdraw His Dynasty
स्वमूर्त्या लोकलावण्यनिर्मुक्त्या लोचनं नृणाम् । गीर्भिस्ता: स्मरतां चित्तं पदैस्तानीक्षतां क्रिया: ॥ ६ ॥ आच्छिद्य कीर्तिं सुश्लोकां वितत्य ह्यञ्जसा नु कौ । तमोऽनया तरिष्यन्तीत्यगात् स्वं पदमीश्वर: ॥ ७ ॥
sva-mūrtyā loka-lāvaṇya- nirmuktyā locanaṁ nṛṇām gīrbhis tāḥ smaratāṁ cittaṁ padais tān īkṣatāṁ kriyāḥ
Kṛṣṇa, la Personne Suprême de Dieu, est le réservoir de toute beauté. Sa forme était si captivante qu’elle dérobait aux hommes leurs regards, et tout le reste paraissait sans charme auprès de Lui. Ses paroles attiraient l’esprit de ceux qui s’en souvenaient. En voyant l’empreinte de Ses pas, les gens voulaient Le suivre et offrir leurs actes corporels au service du Seigneur. Ainsi Il répandit aisément Ses gloires, chantées dans les vers vediques les plus essentiels et sublimes. Kṛṣṇa estima qu’en entendant et en psalmodiant ces gloires, les âmes à venir traverseraient les ténèbres de l’ignorance. Satisfait de cet arrangement, le Seigneur partit vers le but désiré, Sa demeure éternelle.
According to Śrīdhara Svāmī, these two verses indicate that Lord Kṛṣṇa, having achieved all the purposes for which He had descended, went back to His spiritual kingdom. It is natural that people in the material world hanker to see a beautiful object. In materialistic life, however, our consciousness is polluted by the influence of the three modes of nature, and therefore we hanker for material objects of beauty and pleasure. The materialistic process of sense gratification is imperfect, because the laws of material nature will not allow us to be happy or satisfied in materialistic life. The living entity is constitutionally an eternal servant of God and is meant to appreciate the infinite beauty and pleasure of the Supreme Lord. Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth and the reservoir of all beauty and pleasure. By serving Kṛṣṇa we can also share in His ocean of beauty and pleasure, and thus our desire to see beautiful things and enjoy life will be fully satisfied. The example is given that the hand cannot enjoy food independently but can assimilate it indirectly by giving it to the stomach. Similarly, by serving Lord Kṛṣṇa the living entity, who is part and parcel of the Lord, will derive unlimited happiness.
FAQs
This verse says Kṛṣṇa’s form is free from material, worldly allure, yet it powerfully captivates the eyes and consciousness, showing His beauty is spiritual and purifying.
He is explaining how the Lord naturally attracts and spiritualizes the senses—vision through darśana, mind through remembrance of His words, and action through following His divine footsteps—illustrating the mechanics of bhakti.
See the Lord through deity/holy images and sacred places, remember His teachings by regular śravaṇa and japa, and align daily actions with devotional service and dharma—engaging eyes, mind, and work in Kṛṣṇa-consciousness.