Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.24.49
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Lord’s Beauty Surpasses Material Comparisons
“The Lord has shoulders just like a lion’s. Upon these shoulders are garlands, necklaces and epaulets, and all of these are always glittering. Besides these, there is the beauty of the Kaustubha-maṇi pearl, and on the dark chest of the Lord there are streaks named Śrīvatsa, which are signs of the goddess of fortune. The glittering of these streaks excels the beauty of the golden streaks on a gold-testing stone. Indeed, such beauty defeats a gold-testing stone.”
What the purport teaches
- The Lord’s shoulders resemble those of a lion. His necklaces, garlands and Kaustubha pearl make their beauty surpass even a lion’s.
- The Śrīvatsa lines on the Lord’s chest are signs of the goddess of fortune.
- A dark gold-testing stone looks beautiful when streaked with gold. Yet the Lord’s chest surpasses even this beauty.
Try this today
Read the description slowly once, then spend a quiet moment remembering the Śrīvatsa lines on the Lord’s chest.
Ask yourself
Which detail in this description helps you appreciate the Lord’s 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.