Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.62.29-30
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesAniruddha’s Beauty and Boldness Astonish Bāṇāsura
“Bāṇāsura saw before him Cupid’s own son, possessed of unrivaled beauty, with dark-blue complexion, yellow garments, lotus eyes and formidable arms. His face was adorned with effulgent earrings and hair, and also with smiling glances. As He sat opposite His most auspicious lover, playing with her at dice, there hung between His arms a garland of spring jasmines that had been smeared with kuṅkuma powder from her breasts when He had embraced her. Bāṇāsura was astonished to see all this.”
What the purport teaches
- Bāṇāsura saw Aniruddha’s unrivaled beauty: His dark-blue complexion, yellow garments, lotus eyes and formidable arms. His face shone with earrings, hair and smiling glances.
- Aniruddha calmly played dice with His most auspicious lover. His spring-jasmine garland bore kuṅkuma powder from her breasts after their embrace.
- The purport emphasizes Bāṇāsura’s amazement at Aniruddha’s boldness. In strict Vedic culture, seeing Him calmly seated with Bāṇa’s supposedly unmarried daughter was unbelievable.
Try this today
Spend a minute rereading Aniruddha’s description, then note the specific reason the purport gives for Bāṇāsura’s amazement.
Ask yourself
How does the purport help me understand why Bāṇāsura was astonished?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.