Verse Text
yathā vā lalita-mādhave (1.46) –
niculita-giri-dhātu-sphīta-patrāvalīkān
akhila-surabhi-reṇūn kṣālayadbhir yaśodā |
kuca-kalasa-vimuktaiḥ sneha-mādhvīka-medhyais
tava navam abhiṣekaṁ dugdha-pūraiḥ karoti ||47||
Translation
Another example, from Lalita-mādhava: O Kṛṣṇa! Yaśodā, by most pure streams of milk mixed with the honey of her affection flowing from the pots in the form of her breasts, is washing away the dust raised by the cows’ hooves which covers the painted patterns on Your body, derived from minerals found in the mountains. In this way, she performs a first bath for You.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Niculita means covered. Yaśodā’s affection (sneha) was the honey (mādhvīka) used for the abhiṣeka. Medhya means “most pure.” Sneha-mādhvīka-medha is a compound of two adjectives (with the purity of honey-like affection). The suggestion is that this would be very enjoyable for Kṛṣṇa. Nava here means “first.” There would be another bath for Kṛṣṇa soon after, using water, but it would be insignificant compared to this bath with milk.
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
In the Lalita-mādhava, compiled by Rūpa Gosvāmī, Kṛṣṇa is addressed as follows: “My dear Kṛṣṇa, when You are engaged in herding the animals, the dust caused by the hooves of the calves and cows covers Your nice face and artistic tilaka, and You appear very dusty. But when You return home, the milk flowing out of the breasts of Your mother washes Your face of its dust covering, and You appear to be purified by this milk, just as when the Deity is washed during the performance of the abhiṣeka ceremony.” It is the custom in the temples of Deities that if there have been some impure activities, the Deity has to be washed with milk. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He was washed by the milk from the breast of Mother Yaśodā, which purified Him from the dust covering.