Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.8.30
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Lord’s Fearsome Beauty
“Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva’s mouth and mane were sprinkled with drops of blood, and His fierce eyes, full of anger, were impossible to look at. Licking the edge of His mouth with His tongue, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nṛsiṁhadeva, decorated with a garland of intestines taken from Hiraṇyakaśipu’s abdomen, resembled a lion that has just killed an elephant.”
What the purport teaches
- Drops of blood made the hair on Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva’s face reddish. The purport describes this appearance as very beautiful.
- The Lord wore the demon’s intestines as a garland, which the purport says enhanced His beauty.
- His angry eyes were impossible to look at, and His appearance was very fearsome. He resembled a lion fighting an elephant.
Try this today
Reread the purport once, noticing how it describes the Lord as both beautiful and fearsome.
Ask yourself
How does the purport challenge my expectation that divine beauty must always appear gentle?
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.