Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvitiya Skandha, Shloka 11

The Lord in the Heart and the Discipline of Yoga-Bhakti

Devanagari script

विभूषितं मेखलयाङ्गुलीयकै- र्महाधनैर्नूपुरकङ्कणादिभि: । स्निग्धामलाकुञ्चितनीलकुन्तलै- र्विरोचमानाननहासपेशलम् ॥ ११ ॥

Transliteration

vibhūṣitaṁ mekhalayāṅgulīyakair mahā-dhanair nūpura-kaṅkaṇādibhiḥ snigdhāmalākuñcita-nīla-kuntalair virocamānānana-hāsa-peśalam

Translation

Baginda dihiasi dengan ikat pinggang (mekhalā), cincin bertatah permata mahal pada jari, gelang kaki, gelang tangan dan perhiasan lain. Rambut-Nya bersih, berkilau berminyak, berikal dengan rona kebiruan; dan wajah-Nya yang tersenyum lembut amat menawan.

Synonyms

• vibhūṣitam: adorned
• vibhūṣitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + √bhūṣ (भूष्) + ta (क्त)
• Form: Kta-participle, Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; कर्मणि (adorned)

• mekhalayā: with a girdle
• mekhalayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mekhalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana

• aṅgulīyakaiḥ: with rings
• aṅgulīyakaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅgulīyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana (बहुवचन)

• mahā-dhanaiḥ: with very valuable (ornaments)
• mahā-dhanaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana; कर्मधारयः (महद् धनम्)

• nūpura-kaṅkaṇa-ādibhiḥ: with anklets, bracelets, and the like
• nūpura-kaṅkaṇa-ādibhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nūpura (प्रातिपदिक) + kaṅkaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana; इतरेतर-समाहारः ‘नूपुर-कङ्कण-आदि’ (etc.)

• snigdha-amala-ākuñcita-nīla-kuntalaiḥ: with glossy, pure, curled, dark-blue hair
• snigdha-amala-ākuñcita-nīla-kuntalaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: snigdha (प्रातिपदिक) + amala (प्रातिपदिक) + ākuñcita (कृदन्त, ā+√kuñc कुञ्च्, क्त) + nīla (प्रातिपदिक) + kuntala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana; बहु-तत्पुरुषः (स्निग्ध-अमल-आकुञ्चित-नीलाः कुन्तलाः)

• virocamāna-ānana-hāsa-peśalam: charming with a radiant smiling face
• virocamāna-ānana-hāsa-peśalam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: virocamāna (कृदन्त, vi+√ruc रुच्, शतृ) + ānana (प्रातिपदिक) + hāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + peśala (प्रातिपदिक/विशेषण)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; कृदन्त-पूर्वपदः; तत्पुरुषः (आनन-हासेन पेशलम्; तद् विरोचमानम्)

Purport

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the most beautiful person amongst all others, and Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes every part of His transcendental beauty, one after another, in order to teach the impersonalist that the Personality of Godhead is not an imagination by the devotee for facility of worship, but is the Supreme Person in fact and figure. The impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth is but His radiation, as the sun rays are but radiations from the sun.

Characters & Entities

• Paramātmā (the Supreme Lord in the heart)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about meditating on the Lord’s form in the heart?

This verse guides the mind to contemplate the Lord’s beautiful, ornamented form—down to His hair and smile—so meditation becomes steady through affectionate remembrance.

Why did Śukadeva Gosvāmī describe the Lord’s ornaments and smile to King Parīkṣit?

To teach Parīkṣit a practical method of bhakti-yoga: fix the mind on Viṣṇu’s personal form with loving detail, which purifies consciousness and prepares one for liberation.

Practical application of this meditation description in modern life?

Set aside a short daily time to visualize the Lord’s form as described in the Bhagavatam, using the details (ornaments, hair, smile) to keep attention from drifting.