SB 8.7.17 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

मेघश्याम: कनकपरिधि: कर्णविद्योतविद्यु- न्मूर्ध्नि भ्राजद्विलुलितकच: स्रग्धरो रक्तनेत्र: । जैत्रैर्दोर्भिर्जगदभयदैर्दन्दशूकं गृहीत्वा मथ्नन् मथ्ना प्रतिगिरिरिवाशोभताथो धृताद्रि: ॥ १७ ॥

Verse text

megha-śyāmaḥ kanaka-paridhiḥ karṇa-vidyota-vidyun mūrdhni bhrājad-vilulita-kacaḥ srag-dharo rakta-netraḥ jaitrair dorbhir jagad-abhaya-dair dandaśūkaṁ gṛhītvā mathnan mathnā pratigirir ivāśobhatātho dhṛtādriḥ

Synonyms

megha — śyāmaḥ — blackish like a cloud ; kanaka — paridhiḥ — wearing yellow garments ; karṇa — on the ears ; vidyota — vidyut — whose earrings shone like lightning ; mūrdhni — on the head ; bhrājat — gleaming ; vilulita — disheveled ; kacaḥ — whose hair ; srak — dharaḥ — wearing a flower garland ; rakta — netraḥ — with red eyes ; jaitraiḥ — with victorious ; dorbhiḥ — with arms ; jagat — to the universe ; abhaya — daiḥ — which give fearlessness ; dandaśūkam — the snake (Vāsuki) ; gṛhītvā — after taking ; mathnan — churning ; mathnā — by the churning rod (Mandara Mountain) ; pratigiriḥ — another mountain ; iva — like ; aśobhata — He appeared ; atho — then ; dhṛta — adriḥ — having taken the mountain .

Translation

The Lord appeared like a blackish cloud. He was dressed with yellow garments, His earrings shone on His ears like lightning, and His hair spread over His shoulders. He wore a garland of flowers, and His eyes were pinkish. With His strong, glorious arms, which award fearlessness throughout the universe, He took hold of Vāsuki and began churning the ocean, using Mandara Mountain as a churning rod. When engaged in this way, the Lord appeared like a beautifully situated mountain named Indranīla.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The Lord, whose complexion was like a blackish cloud and who had reddish eyes, who wore yellow garments, a garland and earrings shining like lightning, with disheveled hair shining on his head, grabbed the snake with his victorious arms-- which award fearlessness throughout the universe-- and began churning the ocean, using Mandara Mountain as a churning rod. The Lord, on grasping that mountain, appeared like a sapphire mountain. He wore cloth of golden color and earrings shaped like makaras, flashing like lightning. He churned the ocean using the mountain as a rod (mathnā). Prati giri means “an opposite mountain.” Since Mandara was gold, the opposite mountain would be a mountain made of blue sapphire (the color of Viṣṇu).