SB 3.15.40 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

पीतांशुके पृथुनितम्बिनि विस्फुरन्त्या काञ्‍च्यालिभिर्विरुतया वनमालया च । वल्गुप्रकोष्ठवलयं विनतासुतांसे विन्यस्तहस्तमितरेण धुनानमब्जम् ॥ ४० ॥

Verse text

pītāṁśuke pṛthu-nitambini visphurantyā kāṣcyālibhir virutayā vana-mālayā ca valgu-prakoṣṭha-valayaṁ vinatā-sutāṁse vinyasta-hastam itareṇa dhunānam abjam

Synonyms

pīta — aṁśuke — covered with a yellow cloth ; pṛthu — nitambini — on His large hips ; visphurantyā — shining brightly ; kāṣcyā — with a girdle ; alibhiḥ — by the bees ; virutayā — humming ; vana — mālayā — with a garland of fresh flowers ; ca — and ; valgu — lovely ; prakoṣṭha — wrists ; valayam — bracelets ; vinatā — suta — of Garuḍa, the son of Vinatā ; aṁse — on the shoulder ; vinyasta — rested ; hastam — one hand ; itareṇa — with another hand ; dhunānam — being twirled ; abjam — a lotus flower .

Translation

He was adorned with a girdle that shone brightly on the yellow cloth covering His large hips, and He wore a garland of fresh flowers which was distinguished by humming bees. His lovely wrists were graced with bracelets, and He rested one of His hands on the shoulder of Garuḍa, His carrier, and twirled a lotus with another hand.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

He had broad hips dressed in yellow cloth, covered with a shining belt, and was bedecked with a garland surrounded by humming bees. His wrists were decorated with bracelets, and while resting his left hand on the shoulder of Garuḍa, he twirled a lotus in his right hand. Locative case is used to express attraction to the hips. On his hips was placed yellow cloth. This becomes the focus of attention. On the cloth was a shining belt, which becomes the object of attention. Then over that was placed a garland, surrounded by humming bees. The garland and then the bees become the object of attention. The beeṣ have been given dominion over all things by the Lord. These words in the instrumental case are related to the phrase ātma-dhisnyam (the abode of Vaikuṇṭha) in the previous verse. Having bracelets on his attractive wrists, he placed his left hand on the shoulder of Garuḍa. There is a version with vinasya, a verb from. In that case valgu-prakoṣṭha-valayaṁ modified hastam. In his right hand he was twirling a lotus. This indicates that he made the fixed realization of Brahman in the lotus of their hearts insignificant by showing them his sweetness. “Since you are fixed in the bliss of impersonal realization, convinced that it is the best, why do you disturb your hearts? Why don’ṭ you steady yourselves? Do not give up your steadiness in Brahman.” In this way, joking with them is suggested.

Purport

Here is a full description of the Personality of Godhead as personally experienced by the sages. The Lord’s personal body was covered with yellow robes, and His waist was thin. In Vaikuṇṭha, whenever there is a flower garland on the chest of the Personality of Godhead or any one of His associates, it is described that the humming bees are there. All these features were very beautiful and attractive for the devotees. One of the Lord’s hands rested on His carrier, Garuḍa, and in another hand He twirled a lotus flower. These are personal characteristics of the Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa.