RELIGION OF THE HEART
PART TWO : "Krishna's Four Super-excellent Qualities"

Chapter 4
Krishna's Unparalleled
Beauty and Opulence

asamanordhva-rupa-sri-vismapita-characharah

"Krsna's personal beauty and opulence are beyond compare."

The fourth quality Srila Rupa Goswami presents as the unique possession of Krsna, which no other form or incarnation of the Lord has, is Krsna's incredible beauty: asamanordhva-rupa-sri-vismapita-characharah.

Mad by beauty

How much beauty does Krsna have? Krsna's beauty is beyond compare. Krsna becomes mad when He sees His own beauty. In Krsna's house there are so many mirrors that sometimes He is afraid to go inside because when He sees His own beauty He forgets Himself. Srila Guru Maharaj said Krsna has so much beauty because He is Reality, and Reality's nature is the Supreme Personality of Godhead—Reality the Beautiful.

syamam hiranya-paridhim vanamalya-barha-
dhatu-pravala-nata-vesam anavratamse
vinyasta-hastam itarena dhunanam abjam
karnotpalalaka-kapola-mukhabja-hasam

(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.23.22)

This verse describes the beauty of Krsna. "Krsna always has a crown with peacock feathers and flowers in it. His cloth is golden and He is always bedecked with flower garlands made from fresh wild flowers. He is always dancing and playing on His flute." There are no weapons in Vrndavan. When Krsna killed the various demons—Putana, Vatsasura, Kesi, etc.—He did it all by hand. Sometimes He uses an arm or leg or another part of His body, but never any weapon.

Also we see in Srimad-Bhagavatam (9.24.65):

yasyananam makara-kundala-charu-karna-
bhrajat-kapola-subhagam savilasa-hasam
nityotsavam na tatrpur drsibhih pibantyo
naryo naras cha muditah kupita nimes cha

"Krsna's face is so beautiful. It is decorated with ornaments such as earrings that resemble sharks. His ears are beautiful, His cheeks brilliant and His smile is attractive to everyone. Whoever sees Krsna sees a festival. Simply by seeing Krsna one sees a festival taking place.

"When the demigods are flying in their airplanes with their wives and they see Krsna walking through the forest of Vrndavan herding His cows and playing His flute, they are having a festival in their airplanes. Krsna's beauty is so overwhelming for everyone that the gopis are angry at the creator, Lord Brahma, for making eyes that blink because in that split second they can't see Krsna."

When the gopis see Krsna and Balaram roaming in the Vrndavan forest they say:

malanuprkta-paridhana-vichitra-vesau
madhye virejatur alam pasu-pala-gosthyam
range yatha nata-varau kvacha gayamanau

(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.21.8)

"Dressed in a charming variety of garments, decorated with garlands, peacock feathers, lotuses, lilies, newly grown mango sprouts and clusters of flower buds, Krsna and Balaram shine forth magnificently among the assembly of cowherd boys. They look just like the best of dancers appearing on a dramatic stage, and sometimes They even sing."

Unique loveliness

In Sri Brahma-samhita there are many slokas describing Krsna's beauty.

alola-chandraka-lasad-vanamalya-vamsi-
ratnangadam pranaya-keli-kala-vilasam
syamam tri-bhanga-lalitam niyata-prakasam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

(Sri Brahma-samhita, 5.31)

Alola-chandraka-lasad-vanamalya-vamsi: Krsna's dearest lover has made a vanamalya (forest garland) with peacock feathers and forest flowers and given it to Him. There is nothing else on that garland except forest flowers and peacock feathers gathered from the forest. There are no jewels, diamonds or anything else, only forest flowers and peacock feathers. Ratnangadam pranaya-keli-kala-vilasam. Since Krsna is playing with the gopis it is necessary to dress like them. Mother Yasoda has given Krsna some nice dress, golden ornaments, bracelets, ankle bracelets, etc. and He is wearing them and playing with the gopis.

Syamam tri-bhanga-lalitam niyata-prakasam: Krsna's color is so beautiful that it gives peace to the eyes. It isn't effulgent like Narayan's. It is soothing the eyes and attracting them like a magnet.

venum kvanantam aravinda-dalayataksam-
barhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarangam
kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

(Sri Brahma-samhita, 5.30)

Krsna's eyes are like blooming lotus petals and He always has a peacock feather in His hair. His beauty is like the form and color of a blue rain cloud and He charms millions and millions of cupids. Koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham: when millions of cupids see Krsna they faint. His divine form is that beautiful. This is Lord Brahma's description so we must believe it.

Alive with the mood of love

In Srila Guru Maharaj's composition, Sri Sri Prema-dhama-deva-stotram, he wrote rupa-rasa-rangaram (verse 2), Krsna's limbs are "alive with the mood of love that emerges and continually flows from His beautiful form." His beauty is inconceivable, rupa-rasa-lila.

Every part of Krsna's body wants to show itself to other parts. A hand wants to show itself to the other hand. A leg wants to show itself to the mouth and the mouth wants to show itself to other parts. Every part wants to show its beauty to others. All parts of His body want to show their beauty to the other parts.

angani yasya sakalendriya-vrtti-manti
pasyanti panti kalayanti chiram jaganti
ananda-chinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

(Sri Brahma-samhita, 5.32)

"With each part of His transcendental body He can do the function of any other part. With any part He maintains and manifests all the universes, both spiritual and material. All the parts of His body are interchangeable, each being as beautiful as any other. His form has that type of truth, beauty and the most dazzling splendor."

When Krsna was present the whole creation was stunned to see His divine form. There were sixteen thousand girls waiting to marry Him. They were arrested by King Jarasandha, but when they were released, they became mad when they saw Krsna. Everyone ran towards Him and gave Him a garland.

We need to search for Sri Krsna, Reality the Beautiful

Krsna is the Cause of all causes. This is essentially explained in the first sloka of Sri Brahma-samhita:

isvarah paramah krsnah, sach-chid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah, sarva-karana-karanam

Lord Narayan or other forms of the Lord do not have such beauty. These are the four qualities Krsna has that Narayan or other forms or incarnations of the Lord do not have.

Good question, good answer—conclusion

The question about Krsna's unique qualities was a good one and I think the answer was also good because through these topics many things have entered your heart and also through this answer another desire was fulfilled. We are searchers of the spiritual world, of spiritual life and of God, and through these topics we have got a chance to explain something about the glories of Krsna. We have received a clue as to whose lotus feet we should worship and who we should take shelter of. There are many demigods and many forms of the Lord—Kesava, Govinda, Damodar and many others as well. Mahaprabhu expressed His mind in this way:

kahan mora prana-natha murali-vadana
kahan karon kahan pan vrajendra-nandana

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta, Madhya 2.15)

"Where is the Lord of My life who is playing His flute? What shall I do now? Where should I go to find the son of Maharaj Nanda?"

There is also a sloka in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.8.46):

nandah kim akarod brahman, sreya evam mahodayam
yasoda cha maha-bhaga, papau yasyah stanam harih

"O Brahmana, what pious activities did Nanda Maharaj perform to receive the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna as his son? And what pious activities did mother Yasoda perform that made the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna call her 'Mother' and suck her breasts?"

The supreme benefit of our life

At the opening of the Chandrodaya Mandir in Mayapur in 1973, I spoke the following sloka:

kam prati kathayitum ise, samprati ko va pratitim ayatu
go-pati-tanaya-kunje, gopa-vadhuti-vitam brahma

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta, Madhya 19.98)

The meaning is, "Whom shall I tell, and who will believe me, when I say the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is playing in the courtyard of Nanda Maharaj? He is playing with the gopis and gopa-balakas on the banks of the Yamuna. He is playing in Syama Kunda, Radha Kunda and in the caves of Giriraj Govardhan. He is fighting in the arena with Kamsa. His Pastimes are going on everywhere in madhura Vrndavan. If one leaves this area, he cannot go to any other place and find such Pastimes."

Whoever will hear Krsna-lila will be attracted by Krsna. He will never go to any other place. The Name of Krsna attracts everyone and gives joy to our hearts. This is the meaning of the word "Krsna."

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, Bhaja Krsna kaha Krsna laha Krsna Nama. This is the way to surrender to Krsna: take the Name of Krsna, surrender to Krsna and give everything to Krsna. You will be supremely benefited in your spiritual life. All the Scriptures say this. Never abuse any god or demigod or any incarnation of the Lord, but supremely glorify Lord Krsna.

ete chamsa-kalah pumsah, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam
indrari-vyakulam lokam, mrdayanti yuge yuge

(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.3.28)

Krsna is the Creator of the whole creation. This is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam and in Sri Brahma-samhita. We must remember this. Chant Hare Krsna, give attention to Krsna and be happy.

CONTENTS:

Part One: The Glories of Devotional Service
1 The Service of Vrndavan
2 The Lord is not Impersonal
3 Evidence of the Conception of a Personal God in the Scriptures of India
4 Preparing to Understand Krsna's Transcendental Pastimes

Part Two: Krishna's Four Super-excellent Qualities
1 Krishna's Sweet Pastimes
2 Krishna's Wonderful Associates
3 Krishna's Transcendental Flute
4 Krishna's Unparalleled Beauty and Opulence