Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.24.47-48
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Lord’s Merciful Smile and Auspicious Signs
“The Lord is superexcellently beautiful on account of His open and merciful smile and His sidelong glance upon His devotees. His black hair is curly, and His garments, waving in the wind, appear like flying saffron pollen from lotus flowers. His glittering earrings, shining helmet, bangles, garland, ankle bells, waist belt and various other bodily ornaments combine with conchshell, disc, club and lotus flower to increase the natural beauty of the Kaustubha pearl on His chest.”
What the purport teaches
- The Lord’s merciful smile and sidelong glance upon His devotees make Him superexcellently beautiful. His curling black hair, flowing garments and ornaments further adorn His form.
- The purport especially connects Kṛṣṇa’s smile and sidelong glances with His dealings with the gopīs. His joking mood increases their feelings of conjugal rasa, or devotional relationship.
- The conchshell, club, disc and lotus flower may be held in His hands or appear as signs on His palms. These signs mark great personalities and especially indicate the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Try this today
Read the translation slowly once, then pause to remember the Lord’s merciful smile upon His devotees.
Ask yourself
What draws my attention to the Lord’s mercy in this description of His 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.