SB 10.13.47 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

चतुर्भुजा: शङ्खचक्रगदाराजीवपाणय: । किरीटिन: कुण्डलिनो हारिणो वनमालिन: ॥ ४७ ॥ श्रीवत्साङ्गददोरत्नकम्बुकङ्कणपाणय: । नूपुरै: कटकैर्भाता: कटिसूत्राङ्गुलीयकै: ॥ ४८ ॥

Verse text

catur-bhujāḥ śaṅkha-cakra- gadā-rājīva-pāṇayaḥ kirīṭinaḥ kuṇḍalino hāriṇo vana-mālinaḥ śrīvatsāṅgada-do-ratna- kambu-kaṅkaṇa-pāṇayaḥ nūpuraiḥ kaṭakair bhātāḥ kaṭi-sūtrāṅgulīyakaiḥ

Synonyms

catuḥ — bhujāḥ — having four arms ; śaṅkha — cakra — gadā — rājīva — pāṇa — yaḥ — holding conchshell, disc, club and lotus flower in Their hands ; kirīṭinaḥ — bearing helmets on Their heads ; kuṇḍalinaḥ — wearing earrings ; hāriṇaḥ — wearing pearl necklaces ; vana — mālinaḥ — wearing garlands of forest flowers ; śrīvatsa — aṅgada — do — ratna — kambu — kaṅkaṇa — pāṇayaḥ — bearing the emblem of the goddess of fortune on Their chests, armlets on Their arms, the Kaustubha gem on Their necks, which were marked with three lines like a conchshell, and bracelets on Their hands ; nūpuraiḥ — with ornaments on the feet ; kaṭakaiḥ — with bangles on Their ankles ; bhātāḥ — appeared beautiful ; kaṭi — sūtra — aṅgulī — yakaiḥ — with sacred belts around the waist and with rings on the fingers .

Translation

All those personalities had four arms, holding conchshell, disc, mace and lotus flower in Their hands. They wore helmets on Their heads, earrings on Their ears and garlands of forest flowers around Their necks. On the upper portion of the right side of Their chests was the emblem of the goddess of fortune. Furthermore, They wore armlets on Their arms, the Kaustubha gem around Their necks, which were marked with three lines like a conchshell, and bracelets on Their wrists. With bangles on Their ankles, ornaments on Their feet, and sacred belts around Their waists, They all appeared very beautiful.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

All those personalities had four arms, holding conchshell, disc, mace and lotus flower in Their hands. They wore helmets on Their heads, earrings on Their ears and garlands of forest flowers around Their necks. On the upper portion of the right side of Their chests was the emblem of the goddess of fortune. Furthermore, They wore armlets on Their arms, the Kaustubha gem around Their necks, which were marked with three lines like a conchshell, and bracelets on Their wrists. With bangles on Their ankles, ornaments on Their feet, and sacred belts around Their waists, They all appeared very beautiful. KB 10.13.47-48 All of Them had four hands decorated with club, disc, lotus flower and conchshell. On Their heads were glittering golden helmets inlaid with jewels; They were bedecked with pearls and earrings and garlanded with beautiful flowers. On Their chests was the mark of Śrīvatsa, Their arms were decorated with armlets and other jewelry, and Their necks were just like conchshells. Their legs were decorated with bells, Their waists with golden belts, and Their fingers with jeweled rings.

Purport

All the Viṣṇu forms had four arms, with conchshell and other articles, but these characteristics are also possessed by those who have attained sārūpya-mukti in Vaikuṇṭha and who consequently have forms exactly like the form of the Lord. However, these Viṣṇu forms appearing before Lord Brahmā also possessed the mark of Śrīvatsa and the Kaustubha gem, which are special characteristics possessed only by the Supreme Lord Himself. This proves that all these boys and calves were in fact directly expansions of Viṣṇu, the Personality of Godhead, not merely His associates of Vaikuṇṭha. Viṣṇu Himself is included within Kṛṣṇa. All the opulences of Viṣṇu are already present in Kṛṣṇa, and consequently for Kṛṣṇa to demonstrate so many Viṣṇu forms was actually not very astonishing. The Śrīvatsa mark is described by the Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī as being a curl of fine yellow hair on the upper portion of the right side of Lord Viṣṇu’s chest. This mark is not for ordinary devotees. It is a special mark of Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

While Brahma was contemplating these matters, he saw all the calves and cowherd boys (vatsa palah), but they gave no heed to him (pasyato’ jasya). "O resident of satya loka, unborn (aja) Brahma! True (satya), you are aja (a goat). By your intelligence you create the universe, and now you want to bewilder us with your maya. You don’t know at all who we are. We will show you! Look! Though we are all the calves grazing on Vrndavana’s grass, and all the cowherd boys herding those calves, our real form is only one form." Endowed with spiritual vision, he was able to see it spontaneously (vyadrsyantah). They were marked with the line of laksmi (sri) on the chest (vatsa). They had armbands (angada) on their upper arms (dos), kaustubha jewels (ratna) on their necks (kambu). Their hands were ornamented with bracelets (kankana) and their feet with anklets (katakaih).

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Because they had four arms, they were Viṣṇu forms. They were the first and second puruṣas, controllers of māyā. sṛjāmi tan-niyukto ’haṁ haro harati tad-vaśaḥ | viśvaṁ puruṣa-rūpeṇa paripāti tri-śakti-dhṛk || I, Brahmā, create under his order, and Śiva destroys under his order. Holding his three energies, he protects the universe as the Paramātmā. SB 2.6.32 Brahmā speaks these words. Viṣṇu forms appeared also because generally it is heard that they appear showing all powers for carrying out creation and other works for Brahmā. The three forms make their appearance now in a mixed form in order show non-difference of the three. Śrīvatsa is a fine curl of hair turning to the right, situated on the right side of Viṣṇu’s chest. This is a unique mark of the Lord. Or his chest was endowed with effulgence. Or the chest was endowed with Lakṣmī. Vatsa means chest according to Amara-koṣa. Kaṭakas are anklets. Kambu indicates that he had three lines like the mouth of the conch on the neck. Or it means bracelet. Kaṅkaṇi is a string around the wrist with jewels. Kambu means a conch or a bracelet according to Amara-koṣa. Kaṅkaṇa is a hand ornament according to Nr-varga. These are explained thus by Kṣīrasvāmī.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

They had four arms to show that they were lords of Vaikuṇṭha so that Brahmā, Viṣṇu’s servant, could realize Kṛṣṇa’s greatness. Or Kṛṣṇa generally showed four armed forms to Brahmā and others. Śrīvatsa is a fine curl of hair turning to the right, situated on the right side of Viṣṇu’s chest. This is a unique mark of the Lord. Thus these forms were not followers with sārūpya, but Viṣṇu himself. Kaṭakas are anklets.