Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.3.9-10
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesKṛṣṇa’s Wonderful Form Reveals His Divine Descent
“Vasudeva then saw the newborn child, who had very wonderful lotuslike eyes and who bore in His four hands the four weapons śaṅkha, cakra, gadā and padma. On His chest was the mark of Śrīvatsa and on His neck the brilliant Kaustubha gem. Dressed in yellow, His body blackish like a dense cloud, His scattered hair fully grown, and His helmet and earrings sparkling uncommonly with the valuable gem Vaidūrya, the child, decorated with a brilliant belt, armlets, bangles and other ornaments, appeared very wonderful.”
What the purport teaches
- Kṛṣṇa first appeared with four hands as Lord Viṣṇu. His descent was completely distinct from the birth of an ordinary child.
- His beautiful form resembled the blackish color of dense clouds. He appeared with fully grown hair, yellow garments and wonderful ornaments.
- His helmet and earrings were decorated with the Vaidūrya gem, which is available in Vaikuṇṭhaloka. These decorations and opulences show why His appearance is described as wonderful.
Try this today
Read the description of the Lord’s form slowly, then spend a minute remembering one of its features with devotion.
Ask yourself
Which feature of the Lord’s form helps me appreciate that His appearance is not ordinary?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.