Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.8.24
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Lord’s Beauty Surpasses Material Nature
“The luster of the transcendental body of the Lord mocked the beauty of the coral mountain. The coral mountain is very beautifully dressed by the evening sky, but the yellow dress of the Lord mocked its beauty. There is gold on the summit of the mountain, but the Lord’s helmet, bedecked with jewels, mocked it. The mountain’s waterfalls, herbs, etc., with a panorama of flowers, seem like garlands, but the Lord’s gigantic body, and His hands and legs, decorated with jewels, pearls, tulasī leaves and flower garlands, mocked the scene on the mountain.”
What the purport teaches
- The Lord’s transcendental body, yellow dress, jeweled helmet and ornaments surpassed the beauty of a coral mountain.
- The wonderful beauty of nature may be understood as a perverted reflection of the Lord’s transcendental body.
- One attracted by the Lord’s beauty is no longer attracted by material beauty, though not minimizing it. Attraction to the Supreme leaves one no longer attracted by anything inferior.
Try this today
When you notice something beautiful in nature today, recall one detail of the Lord’s beauty described here.
Ask yourself
How can the beauty I notice in nature remind me of the Lord’s greater beauty?
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.