Devanagari
तं त्वागतं प्रतिहृतौपयिकं स्वपुम्भि-
स्तेऽचक्षताक्षविषयं स्वसमाधिभाग्यम् ।
हंसश्रियोर्व्यजनयो: शिववायुलोल-
च्छुभ्रातपत्रशशिकेसरशीकराम्बुम् ॥ ३८ ॥
Verse text
taṁ tv āgataṁ pratihṛtaupayikaṁ sva-pumbhis
te ’cakṣatākṣa-viṣayaṁ sva-samādhi-bhāgyam
haṁsa-śriyor vyajanayoḥ śiva-vāyu-lolac-
chubhrātapatra-śaśi-kesara-śīkarāmbum
Synonyms
tam
—
Him
;
tu
—
but
;
āgatam
—
coming forward
;
pratihṛta
—
carried
;
aupayikam
—
the paraphernalia
;
sva
—
pumbhiḥ — by His own associates
;
te
—
the great sages (the Kumāras)
;
acakṣata
—
saw
;
akṣa
—
viṣayam — now a subject matter for seeing
;
sva
—
samādhi — bhāgyam — visible simply by ecstatic trance
;
haṁsa
—
śriyoḥ — as beautiful as white swans
;
vyajanayoḥ
—
the cāmaras (bunches of white hair)
;
śiva
—
vāyu — favorable winds
;
lolat
—
moving
;
śubhra
—
ātapatra — the white umbrella
;
śaśi
—
the moon
;
kesara
—
pearls
;
śīkara
—
drops
;
ambum
—
water .
Translation
The sages, headed by Sanaka Ṛṣi, saw that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, who was formerly visible only within their hearts in ecstatic trance, had now actually become visible to their eyes. As He came forward, accompanied by His own associates bearing all paraphernalia, such as an umbrella and a cāmara fan, the white bunches of hair moved very gently, like two swans, and due to their favorable breeze the pearls garlanding the umbrella also moved, like drops of nectar falling from the white full moon or ice melting due to a gust of wind.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The sages saw the Lord surrounded by devotees carrying objects to offer him. He was previously the object of their meditation, but now appeared directly before their eyes. On either side were cāmaras as beautiful as swans, and above him was an umbrella white like the moon, with pearl strands swaying in the pleasant breeze and dropping beads of nectar.
Five verses describe the unprecedented sweetness of the Lord. In meeting the Lord, the sweetness of his form is prominent. It should be understood however that they also experienced the sweetness of sound, smell, and other sensations, by the power of attraction to all things related to the Lord, which was given by the Lord. They saw the Lord approaching, with paraphernalia carried by his devotees. “Look! The Lord’s feet are now decorating the court yard outside!” The devotees at the gate, in the city, on airplanes and in the gardens, came to see the Lord in great longing. They prepared various items such as jewels, cloth, ornaments, fruits, scents, flowers, garlands and aroti. He came within the Kumāras’ sight (akṣa-visāyam). Did they have continual vision of the Lord? No. He was the very form of auspiciousness for those who had realized the bliss of Brahman in their heart through samādhi. “Oh! Our samādhi has now become successful by seeing the Lord in person!” He was accompanied on his sides by two moving cāmaras whose beauty was like swans, and had an umbrella white like the moon, fringed with pearl strands, moving in the pleasant wind, and dripping with drops of water. This is an example of atiśayokti. The umbrella is like an upside down thousand-petalled lotus with the pearl strands as its filaments. By this analogy the coolness, fragrance and softness of the umbrella is indicated. The drops of water are compared to the nectar falling from the moon.
Purport
In this verse we find the word
acakṣatākṣa-viṣayam.
The Supreme Lord cannot be seen by ordinary eyes, but He now became visible to the eyesight of the Kumāras. Another significant word is
samādhi-bhāgyam.
Meditators who are very fortunate can see the Viṣṇu form of the Lord within their hearts by following the yogic process. But to see Him face to face is a different matter. This is only possible for pure devotees. The Kumāras, therefore, upon seeing the Lord coming forward with His associates, who were holding an umbrella and a
cāmara
fan, were struck with wonder that they were seeing the Lord face to face. It is said in the
Brahma-saṁhitā
that devotees, being elevated in love of God, always see Śyāmasundara, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, within their hearts. But when they are mature, the same God is visible before them face to face. For ordinary persons the Lord is not visible; however, when one can understand the significance of His holy name and one engages himself in the devotional service of the Lord, beginning with the tongue, by chanting and tasting
prasāda,
then gradually the Lord reveals Himself. Thus the devotee constantly sees the Lord within his heart, and, in a more mature stage, one can see the same Lord directly, as we see everything else.