sucāru-vaktra-maṇḍalaḿ sukarṇa-ratna-kuṇḍalam
sucarcitāńga-candanaḿ namāmi nanda-nandanam
sudīrgha-netra-pańkajaḿ śikhi-śikhaṇḍa-mūrdhajam
anańga-koṭi-mohanaḿ namāmi nanda-nandanam
sunāsikāgra-mauktikaḿ svacchanda-danta-pańktikam
navāmbudāńga-cikkaṇaḿ namāmi nanda-nandanam
kareṇa veṇu-rañjitaḿ gati-karīndra-gañjitam
dukūla-pīta-śobhanaḿ namāmi nanda-nandanam
tri-bhańga-deha-sundaraḿ nakha-dyuti-sudhākaram
amūlya-ratna-bhūṣaṇaḿ namāmi nanda-nandanam
sugandha-ańga-saurabham uro-virāji-kaustubham
sphurac-chrīvatsa-lāñchanaḿ namāmi nanda-nandanam
vṛndāvana-sunāgaraḿ vilāsānuga-vāsasam
surendra-garva-mocanaḿ namāmi nanda-nandanam
vrajāńganā-sunāyakaḿ sadā sukha-pradāyakam
jagan-manaḥ pralobhanaḿ namāmi nanda-nandanam
śrī-nanda-nandanāṣṭakaḿ paṭhed yaḥ śraddhayānvitaḥ
tared bhavābdhiḿ dustaraḿ labhet tad-ańghri-yugmakam
His Grace Amarendra Prabhu with great care, detail and devotion took us through a most glorious description of the beauty of Krishna. Krishna being the most perfect and magnanimous and unparalleled in all aspects, He melts and attracts the heart of all. The most prominent feature of Krishna is His beauty, which even attracts Krishna Himself! Even when He sees His own reflection He becomes completely attracted and absorbed. The aim of human life is to get on the path of Divine love and to love God with all of our heart. This beautiful description of the exceptional and unequalled beauty of the Lord is meant to melt our hardened hearts like butter so this butter Thief can steal our heart one day.
In all the verses the last line is repeated as we bow down and take shelter of the son of Nanda Maharaj (Krishna). In the first verse we hear of the beautiful face of Krishna, which has been described as a spotless full moon as well as the blue lotus flower, which opens at the full moon. We have been suffering in this material existence for so long that when we see the beautiful moonlike face of Krishna it extinguishes all our sufferings. His beautiful ears have earrings that swing to and fro and are so fortunate to be able to kiss the cheeks of Krishna. His body is anointed with fragrant candana, which in actuality only become attractive and fragrant when it touches the body of the Lord.
The second verse describes the beautiful long, broad eyes of the Lord that are always restless trying to see His devotees in all love and affection. Krishna’s eyes can shoot arrows in the heart of anything and anyone. His head is adorned with peacock feathers, as he is a great dancer like a peacock. Out of love and devotion the peacocks offered Him their feathers and Krishna accepted this showing that He will always accept anything out of love. Krishna is so beautiful that even all of the Gods of love surrendered to Him and rose in love with Krishna.
His nose is so perfect and that of the shape of the sesame flower with rows of effulgent white teeth resembling that of rows of jasmine flower buds. His bluish black complexion is compared to that of a rain cloud about to thunder and pour. His body and skin is so soft as is His heart, which melts in compassion. Krishna is the most soft and kind hearted.
Krishna loves to play the flute and it is always seen in His lotus like hands. It is said that the flute is air on the inside and air on the outside so when His devotees are the same on the outside as they are in the inside, it will capture the heart of Krishna. The flute is simple and straight, so if we want to be closer to Krishna we must try to develop these qualities of being simple, straightforward as well as being the same inside and out. Krishna’s walk is compared to that of the gait of a proud maddened elephant, so proud of His beauty. But it is said that when He sees Srimati Radharani He becomes just like a small mouse. He is described to wear a yellow cloth, which can be described as lightning compared to the rain cloud complexion of His body. The peacock feathers resemble a rainbow and His face is like the moon peering out of the rain clouds.
The fifth verse describes the 3-bend form of Krishna (bend in His feet and knees, bend on His waist and a bend in His neck). This crooked form makes it difficult to catch him and put Him in our heart, but if one succeeds, it is impossible to get Him out. Krishna has 24 and a half moons all over His body, the fingernails, the toe nails, the 2 cheeks, His round Tilaka, His half moon forehead and His full moon face, all beautifully effulgent. Krishna wears many beautiful ornaments on His body, which don’t beautify Krishna but rather Krishna beautifies His ornaments.
In the next verse we hear of the beautiful fragrance of the Lord. Krishna does not need anything to make him more fragrant but any of the sandalwood pulp or garlands adorned by Krishna takes on His heavenly fragrance. The jewel on His chest, the kaustubha jewel which is said to be a dear friend of the Lord. It even lit the way for Krishna in the darkest of caves. Not only the jewel but also Laksmi the Goddess of fortune eternally resides on the chest of the Lord.
Krishna is the most wonderful hero of Vrndavana. He is our one true hero, Sri Radha is our one true heroine and together they are the one true love story. Krishna is described to always be immaculately dressed always according to the past times and seasons. In one of the most famous Krishna past times He crushes the pride of Indra, the King of heaven, and in the same way we should all pray to Krishna to crush our pride and make us humble servants at His lotus feet.
In the last verse we hear of Krishna being the hero of Srimati Radharani’s heart and the lover of the Gopi’s. This gives us a hint in our material world that if we want to have good relationships, we should always put the divine couple in between us. Also, the closer we get to Krishna, the happier we will be. Krishna is so beautiful and attractive that rivers became stunned like rocks and rocks start to flow like rivers when they see His unprecedented beauty.
After hearing of the beautiful features and qualities of the Lord, we gradually turn back towards Him and regain our lost relationship. Only Krishna is the source of all happiness, joy, pleasure and love. Only through devotional service can we cross this ocean of death and attain Vrndavan where we can see Krishna in all of His beauty with our very eyes.
From The People - a WuSA Chronicle 