Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
- śyāmāvadātāḥ śata-patra-locanāḥ
- piśaṅga-vastrāḥ surucaḥ supeśasaḥ
- sarve catur-bāhava unmiṣan-maṇi-
- praveka-niṣkābharaṇāḥ suvarcasaḥ
- (SB 2.9.11)
"The inhabitants of the Vaikuṇṭha planets are described as having a glowing sky-bluish complexion. Their eyes resemble the lotus flower, their dress is of yellowish color, and their bodily features are very attractive. They are just the age of growing youths. They all have four hands, they are all nicely decorated with pearl necklaces with ornamental medallions, and they all appear to be effulgent."
Prabhupāda: So, still you are not prepared to go to Vaikuṇṭha? If you get this body, if you go to Vaikuṇṭha, four hands, catur-bāhavaḥ, four hands? You cannot see any human being here with four hands. Although Kṛṣṇa is two-handed, but Nārāyaṇa, He is four-handed. Therefore when the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes on this platform... You have seen two hands, not four hands. Four hands is not for human being. It is only Brahmā has got four hands, and above him, in the spiritual world, all the inhabitants, they have got exactly the form like Viṣṇu. You cannot distinguish who is Viṣṇu and who is ordinary living being. But Viṣṇu has got some special feature on His chest. So by seeing that, He is recognized by the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī. Otherwise, just like here, if some big man comes, president, he looks like ordinary man, but he has got his badge. By that badge one can understand that he is president or some big man. From general body feature, bodily feature, one cannot understand distinction between Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu, and the devotees. But there are special features of Lord Viṣṇu by which He can be... Then?
Pradyumna: Purport: "The inhabitants in Vaikuṇṭhaloka are all personalities with spiritual bodily features not to be found in the material world. We can find the descriptions in the revealed scriptures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Impersonal descriptions of transcendence in the scriptures indicate that the bodily features in Vaikuṇṭha are never to be seen in any part of the universe. As there are different bodily features in different places of a particular planet, or as there are different bodily features between bodies in different planets, similarly the bodily features of the inhabitants in the Vaikuṇṭhalokas are completely different from those in the material universe. For example, the four hands are distinct from two hands in this world."
Prabhupāda: So in other planets also there are different types of body. Some of the bodies are prominent in earth, earthly body. Just like we have got here earthly body. Similarly, fiery body, watery body, gaseous body, there are different types of body. What the scientists know about? Maybe in Candraloka they are going, but they cannot see the body. They say that there is no life. Suppose there is gaseous body, so they do not see it. But every planet has got different types of body. And Vaikuṇṭha planets also their bodily features are described herein. Then?
Pradyumna: Next verse? Pravāla... (break)
Prabhupāda: ...valuable jewels. Pravāla is coral. Is that? Yes.
Pradyumna: Pravāla-vaidūrya...( break)
Prabhupāda: ...skin some animal nowadays. Nowadays it has become fashion.
Pradyumna: Furs.
Prabhupāda: Cowskin dress.
Śyāmasundara: Leather.
Prabhupāda: Leather dress. Leather was specially used for shoes. Now they have become dress-advancement of civilization. Has become coat. You see? Iti manyate. The Bengali verse is: piśācī pāile yena mati-cchanna haya. Just like ghost-haunted person, he talks so many nonsense things, similarly,
- piśācī pāile yena mati-cchanna haya
- māyā-grasta jīvera haya se bhāva udaya
Māyā-grasta, those who are too much materially covered, they are thinking, "This is nice. This is nice. This is nice." In Kali-yuga it is said, lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam. Keśa-dhāraṇam. When I did not come to your country, I was thinking, "What is that keśa-dhāraṇam?" But as soon as I came to your country I saw the hippies-big, big hair. Keśa-dhāraṇam. Keśa means hair. It is predicted. Just see. This is śāstra: "In the Kali-yuga people will think very, think themselves of very beautiful feature by keeping long hairs." That is stated. This is called śāstra. Five thousand years ago Bhāgavata was written, and there the symptoms of Kali-yuga are mentioned, and this is one of the symptoms, lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam.