SB 3.33.28 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

तद्देह: परत: पोषोऽप्यकृशश्चाध्यसम्भवात् । बभौ मलैरवच्छन्न: सधूम इव पावक: ॥ २८ ॥

Verse text

tad-dehaḥ parataḥ poṣo ’py akṛśaś cādhy-asambhavāt babhau malair avacchannaḥ sadhūma iva pāvakaḥ

Synonyms

tat — dehaḥ — her body ; parataḥ — by others (the damsels created by Kardama) ; poṣaḥ — maintained ; api — although ; akṛśaḥ — not thin ; ca — and ; ādhi — anxiety ; asambhavāt — from not occurring ; babhau — shone ; malaiḥ — by dust ; avacchannaḥ — covered ; sa — dhūmaḥ — surrounded with smoke ; iva — like ; pāvakaḥ — a fire .

Translation

Her body was being taken care of by the spiritual damsels created by her husband, Kardama, and since she had no mental anxiety at that time, her body did not become thin. She appeared just like a fire surrounded by smoke.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Her body was cared for the maidens created by Kardama and because of no anxieties, she was not thin. Though covered by dirt, her body shone like a fire covered by smoke. This verse describes her condition at that time. He body was cared for by the maidens created by Kardama. Because she had no mental anxieties, because of being absorbed in the Lord, she was not thin. The doctors say that happiness makes the body stout.

Purport

Because she was always in trance in transcendental bliss, the thought of the Personality of Godhead was always carefully fixed in her mind. She did not become thin, for she was taken care of by the celestial maidservants created by her husband. It is said, according to the Āyurvedic medical science, that if one is free from anxieties he generally becomes fat. Devahūti, being situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, had no mental anxieties, and therefore her body did not become thin. It is customary in the renounced order of life that one should not take any service from a servant or maid, but Devahūti was being served by the celestial maidservants. This may appear to be against the spiritual concept of life, but just as fire is still beautiful even when surrounded by smoke, she looked completely pure although it seemed that she was living in a luxurious way.