SB 02.09.11 syamavadatah sata-patra-locanah... cited

Expressions researched:
"pisanga-vastrah surucah supesasah" |"praveka-niskabharanah suvarcasah" |"sarve catur-bahava unmisan-mani" |"syamavadatah sata-patra-locanah"

SB Canto 2

SB 2.9.11, Translation and Purport:

The inhabitants of the Vaikuṇṭha planets are described as having a glowing sky-bluish complexion. Their eyes resemble lotus flowers, their dress is of yellowish color, and their bodily features 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.

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 Vaikuṇṭhaloka 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 Vaikuṇṭhaloka are completely different from those in the material universe. For example, the four hands are distinct from the two hands in this world.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 2.9.11 -- Tokyo, April 27, 1972:

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.

Lecture on SB 2.9.11 -- Tokyo, April 27, 1972:

This is Kali-yuga, very abominable condition, precarious condition. You cannot get justice, you cannot get nice food, you cannot get nice treatment, your age is diminished, your power is diminished, everything is topsy-turvied. The best thing is to prepare yourself very quickly to go back to home, back to Godhead, and there you become one of them, like these Vaikuṇṭha persons. These are the description already there. So many ornaments. We do not see what is... If you ask somebody... They may have some plastic utensils, but if you ask somebody that "Have you seen pearl, sapphire, or coral, or diamond?" everyone will say, "I have never seen in my life." And still they are proud: "Oh, we are now advanced." What advanced? Simply plastic and paper. I see in Japan, all paper, simply papers. All big, big buildings packed up with papers. I was observing from the train all the big, big... What is the contents? Contents means paper. That's it. The house is made of paper. And Japan is considered to be very advanced, and industrialist. Simply outward dress. Actually nobody has got any wealth. The money is also paper. No pearl, no gold, no silver, nothing. But they are satisfied with papers. That's all. Paper house, paper money, paper book, paper everything. Plastic, paper.

Now intelligent person should be anxious that if Kṛṣṇa says, mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma: (BG 15.6) "If you go to this planet..." Why you are trying nonsensically to go to the moon planet? Suppose you have gone there? What is there? You see piles of dust. That is your explanation. Why don't you try here, rascals, and go, and become so nicely dressed with decoration, ornaments. And all young men. What is that? Sarve catur-bāhava unmiṣan-maṇi. Where is that?

Pradyumna: Supeśasaḥ.

Prabhupāda: Surucaḥ supeśasaḥ. Supeśasaḥ. What is the meaning of supeśasaḥ?

Pradyumna: Growing youthful.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Supeśasaḥ means this. Just like we are old man. Now it has become slackened. But when I was young it was very tight. This is called supeśasaḥ, muscles very tight. Supeśasaḥ means young, all young. Suvarcasaḥ, and luster. When a man is young, there is some luster, attractive luster. This is nature's gift. A woman becomes... A girl becomes full of youth, lustrous. A man, a boy becomes... Attraction. Without attraction, there cannot be sex. And without sex, there will be stopped of generation. So by nature these things are there. So śāstra makes some adjustments. The natural attractions are there, but they know what is the meaning of this attraction. Therefore, according to Vedic rules, the boy is selected by the father, the girl is selected by the father. They are given in marriage so that that natural attraction can be utilized for generating good population, not prostitution. You see? Therefore early marriage, selection by the parents, these are recommended. That is called marriage. Now the boys and girls are loitering in the street, and they are mixing freely and having all business. And then one day say, "All right, I agree. You are my wife. You are my husband." Svīkāra eva ca udvāhe. These are the signs of Kali-yuga. It is simply deteriorating. The human civilization is deteriorating. In the name of advancement of civilization, they are becoming animals simply. And the more the age of Kali-yuga will increase, these things will also increase more and more, more and more. Later on, you won't get foodstuff. You will be obliged to kill some animal and eat. Now you have got alternative. But we are becoming very much fond of animals, so Kṛṣṇa will, or nature will make some arrangement that you cannot eat except animals. That day will come. You cannot eat, even if you do not like. Nobody will say, "I don't like." Everyone will like. So there will be no supply of wheat, no supply of rice, no supply of sugar, no supply of fruit. These things will be stopped. No supply of milk. These are stated. You won't get. Then naturally... Just like in Arabian desert, they were animal eaters. What is growing there? So if in Jerusalem, if they have eaten flesh, so that is not their fault. Jesus Christ might have allowed: "All right." But why in other places where there are so many nice foodstuff? What is the reason?

Lecture on SB 2.9.11-15 -- Tokyo, April 28, 1972:

Prabhupāda: So here, as Brahmā saw God, His abode, His associates, so anyone can see also. Brahmā is also living being. Just like if Mr. Nixon can become president, you can also become president. But not that you can become God. You can become president, but you cannot become God. That is not possible. A foolish conclusion is that "If I can become president, then I can become also God." But these associates of God, they are equally... We have already heard how their bodily features are. They are also of the same color. They are also same color.

bhrājiṣṇubhir yaḥ parito virājate

lasad-vimānāvalibhir mahātmanām

vidyotamānaḥ pramadottamādyubhiḥ

savidyud abhrāvalibhir yathā nabhaḥ

Where is, the color is described? Ah, yes.

śyāmāvadātāḥ śata-patra-locanāḥ

piśaṅga-vastrāḥ surucaḥ supeśasaḥ

sarve catur-bāhava unmiṣan-maṇi-

praveka-niṣkābharaṇāḥ suvarcasaḥ

There is one śloka where the description is there about the color?

Pradyumna: The devotees?

Bhānu: Śyāma...

Devotee (1): Text eleven. (SB 2.9.11)

Sudāmā: "The inhabitants of the Vaikuṇṭha planets are described as having a glowing, sky-bluish complexion."

Prabhupāda: Yes, śyāmāvadātāḥ, śyāma, śyāma. Śyāmasundara. Kṛṣṇa is known, therefore, Śyāmasundara. This is the sky color. You can understand. Because the sky has no own color, because the color of Kṛṣṇa is spread as brahma-jyotir, that is being reflected in the sky. This is the color of God. Śyāmasundara, therefore called. Yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam aham... So we can see at least the color of the Lord. Here it is said "sky-bluish." How can you deny? Who can say that "I have not..." If you have seen... Just like the sunshine. Sunshine is whitish. So in the sunshine, you can see the whitish color. So you can at least imagine what is the color of the sun planet, what is the color of the predominating deity there. A little intelligence required. So if the sky... When clear sky, you see bluish sky. That is reflection of Kṛṣṇa's bodily effulgence. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Yasya prabhā, by expansion of the bodily effulgence, the brahma-jyotir... In that brahma-jyotir there are many universes, in that brahma-jyotir, jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. The sky's bluish effulgence is there. Above this material sky there is another sky whose reflection you simply can see little. Just like outside there is a brilliant light, so you can get little reflection within your room, similarly, this universe is dark and covered. It is covered, round, surrounded. But outside that universe... Or this universe is floating in that effulgence. It is reflected. The sky is reflected bluish. This is the... Let the so-called scientist challenge it. Here is a description from the Bhāgavata: yasya prabhā (Bs. 5.40).

So we have to know from the right source what is God. We cannot imagine. You cannot know even what is there within the sky. The scientists calculate that to go to the ultimate region... What is called? Circumference.

Śyāmasundara: Stratosphere?

Prabhupāda: Yes. It will take forty thousands of years with the speed of 18,000 miles per hour. No, or... Some estimation. Anyway, forty thousands of years. So who is going to live for forty thousand years to see and go and see and come back? They cannot go even to the moon planet, theorizing. How they can go? But this is fact. If you have got power, you go and see. But they cannot go a few miles, and they are proud that "We have known everything. We know everything." This is their foolishness. Our knowledge is so imperfect; still, we are proud of our knowledge: "Oh, I have known everything. I know everything. I am God. I am God." So, and foolish like that... Just like a foolish child, he is declaring himself, "I am God," and there are so many followers: "Oh, he is God, he is God." That's it. They do not know what is God. At least we know what is God in this sense, that our God, when... Actually He is God. Therefore, at the age of seven years, He lifted a big mountain on the finger. So we accept this God. When He was young man He married sixteen thousand wives. These are the unique instances. And why shall I accept a cheap God who cannot provide even one wife? We are not... Because he cannot provide it, he does not marry. So this kind of God we don't accept.

There must be symptoms of God, sarva-śaktimān, with all potency, aiśvaryasya, all riches, aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya, with all strength. If He has all strength, is it very difficult for Him to raise a hill on the finger if He has got all strength? That is the definition of God, all-powerful. So why should I deny that "Ah, this is all story"? It is not story. It is fact. If He is all-powerful, what is the difficulty for Him to lift a mountain? If He is all-strong, then where is the difficulty to maintain sixteen thousand wives? Why sixteen thousand? If He maintains sixteen millions of wives, still, it is insufficient. Because if we say "All potency, all-powerful, all-good," then to maintain sixteen thousand wives with sixteen thousand palaces and all the palaces made of first-class marble and gold and jewels, and the furnitures are made of ivory... These are description. That is God. Why we shall accept a nonsense God simply having a big beard or some...? You see? No. We don't accept. We accept real God.