Devanagari
मुखेन लोकार्तिहरस्मितेन
परिस्फुरत्कुण्डलमण्डितेन ।
शोणायितेनाधरबिम्बभासा
प्रत्यर्हयन्तं सुनसेन सुभ्र्वा ॥ २७ ॥
Verse text
mukhena lokārti-hara-smitena
parisphurat-kuṇḍala-maṇḍitena
śoṇāyitenādhara-bimba-bhāsā
pratyarhayantaṁ sunasena subhrvā
Synonyms
mukhena
—
by a gesture of the face
;
loka
—
ārti — hara — vanquisher of the distress of the devotees
;
smitena
—
by smiling
;
parisphurat
—
dazzling
;
kuṇḍala
—
earrings
;
maṇḍitena
—
decorated with
;
śoṇāyitena
—
acknowledging
;
adhara
—
of His lips
;
bimba
—
reflection
;
bhāsā
—
rays
;
pratyarhayantam
—
reciprocating
;
su
—
nasena — by His pleasing nose
;
su
—
bhrvā — and pleasing eyebrows .
Translation
He also acknowledged the service of the devotees and vanquished their distress by His beautiful smile. The reflection of His face, decorated with earrings, was so pleasing because it dazzled with the rays from His lips and the beauty of His nose and eyebrows.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The Lord respected his servants by a face slightly smiling to destroy the devotees’ suffering due to separation, ornamented with bright earrings, red lips, graceful nose and with movement of one attractive eyebrow.
The Lord returns the devotees’ worship by worshipping them (pratyarhayantam) through showing his beautiful face. He repays the debt of the devotees’ service by this, since the devotees do not accept material gifts or liberation. His smile destroys the suffering of the devotees and also the suffering out of longing to see him. He shows one beautiful eyebrow (subhruvā). This indicates a confidential emotion of Kṛṣṇa. Those who receive such worship by the Lord are actually special devotees.
Purport
Devotional service to the Lord is very much obliging to Him. There are many transcendentalists in different fields of spiritual activities, but devotional service to the Lord is unique. Devotees do not ask anything from the Lord in exchange for their service. Even the most desirable liberation is refused by devotees, although offered by the Lord. Thus the Lord becomes a kind of debtor to the devotees, and He can only try to repay the devotees’ service with His ever-enchanting smile. The devotees are ever satisfied by the smiling face of the Lord, and they become enlivened. And by seeing the devotees so enlivened, the Lord Himself is further satisfied. So there is continuous transcendental competition between the Lord and His devotees by such reciprocation of service and acknowledgement.