Canto
8
Chapter 8: More Appears from the Churning: Mother Lakshmî and Dhanvantari
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'When the poison was drunk by him who rides the bull resumed all the immortals and Dânavas very pleased the churning of the ocean and was from the great force of it generated the cow of plenty [the surabhi, the source of the ghee]. (2) The sages conversant with the injunctions for the yajñas took charge of her, o King, because she, from the clarified butter, was fit for making oblations with the fire sacrifices and the progress towards God.
(3) Next was generated a horse white as the moon, named Uccaihs'ravâ, that Mahârâja Bali liked to have, while Indra desisted from the claim on the advise of the Lord [see B.G. 10: 27 and compare 4.19: 23].
(4) Thereafter was produced the king of resistance, the elephant Airâvata who white, with four tusks, defied the mountain [Kailâsa] that is the glory of the First Devotee [Lord S'iva, see 6.11: 11 and again B.G. 10: 27]. (5) Airâvana preceded eight elephants to each direction of the sky and following him was also generated a group of eight she-elephants headed by one named Abhramu, o King.
(6) Next was from the wide expanse of milk generated a valuable gem known as the Kaustubha and another one named Padmarâga; Lord Hari who desired their possession decorated His chest with them. Thereupon was generated the pârijâta flower which embellishes the heavenly places and thereby fulfills the wishes of the ones desiring wealth in much the same way, o King, as you always fulfill the wishes in the world.
(7) Then were also generated the Apsaras, who exquisitely dressed and decorated with gold were the extremely beautiful and attractive inhabitants of heaven who smoothly moving divert each his heart.
(8) After that manifested directly the Goddess of Splendor [Ramâ or Lakshmî] herself who along with the Lord illumined all directions with her lightening luster as Saudâmanî [lit.: forked lightening, also the sorceress; to deal with that splendor see the 'peace formula' of B.G. 5: 29]. (9) Each Sura, Asura and human being desired her, as the magnificent beauty of her features, youth, complexion and glories caught their minds. (10) The king of heaven arranged for her a seat and all the glorious and wonderful, sacred rivers and reservoirs assumed with their filling of golden waterpots thus a form with their pure waters. (11) The land delivered the complete of all the necessities and herbs for installing the deity; the cows contributed with the pure of their five products [milk, yogurt, ghee, dung and urine] and springtime brought together her fresh flowers and fruits. (12) The sages performed the ceremony of installation as is prescribed, to which for all good fortune the Gandharvas chanted the lore while their women did their best to dance to the occasion and sing mantras. (13) The clouds vibrated the two-sided drums, kettledrums, murajas and ânakas [two other types of drums] and with the sounds of bugles, conchshells, flutes and vînas it was a great tumult. (14) Next poured the great elephants jugs full of sacred water over the [deity of the] chaste goddess so beautiful with the lotus in her hand, while the twice-born were chanting hymns [see also a classic picture of Lakshmî]. (15) The ocean presented yellow silks for her to dress herself from top to bottom and Varuna brought the biggest garland together with drunken bumblebees to its sweetness. (16) From Prajâpati Vis'vakarmâ there was a choice of ornaments, Sarasvatî [the goddess of learning] supplied a necklace, Lord Brahmâ provided a lotus flower and the Nâgas [the excellent] brought earrings. (17) Thereupon worshiped in an all-auspicious ceremony went she, radiating a natural beauty, with the lotus garland held in her hand and the bees about it, around, with the decoration of the earrings to her cheeks and a coy smile on her face. (18) With her two breasts and her thin waist in symmetry and harmony and smeared with sandalwood pulp and kunkuma, appeared she, moving here and there with the sweet tinkling of her anklebells, exactly like a golden creeper. (19) In her position looking for the eternal qualities could she among the indwellers of heaven, the perfected, the unenlightened, the keepers of the wealth, the venerable ones and all the rest of the demigods, not find a single one who was faultless:
(20) 'Of the certain of one's austerity has one not conquered the anger, of spiritual knowledge is the scholar not free of attachments and someone great may not have overcome material desires; how can a person as such under the control of something else be a controller? (21) Proficient in the religion doesn't mean that one found friendship with other living beings, with one's renunciation may the cause of liberation be missed and with whatever power one may have over people, is one still subjected to the power of time; never will one, free from the contamination of the modes of nature, [apart from the Lord] find a second one [see also 1.2: 8]. (22) Someone may live long but still be unlucky or of misconduct, someone may master the art of living but not know to live long; if one is of both is such a person in some other way unlucky, and of someone best in all fields is not said that he has envisioned me [the devotion]!'
(23) This way of due consideration accepted the Goddess of the Splendor Him Mukunda, the reservoir of the Supreme so desirable and qualified in every way, as her husband even though He never looked for it, for He possessed the extraordinary transcendental qualities that were all good and independent of others. (24) After placing on His shoulders a ravishing fresh garland of lotuses vibrating with humming, maddened bumblebees, remained she, with a shy smile to her glittering eyes, by His side with His bosom as her real resort. (25) He, the father of the three worlds, made His bosom the residence of the mother, the goddess, the supreme of the wealth; she installed there increases by her mercifully glancing over the threefold creation the fortune of His servants and leaders. (26) With the sound of conchshells, bugles and all sorts of drums was there the greatest tumult of musical instruments so that all the gods of heaven and their women started to sing and dance. (27) Brahmâ, S'iva and all the directors of the world headed by Angirâ honored, with all they thus saw, the personality that was really the greatest by chanting and showering flowers. (28) With the merciful glance of the Goddess upon all the godly, the fathers of mankind and their generations were they all blessed with good behavior and good qualities and achieved they the ultimate satisfaction.
(29) When the Daityas and Dânavas, o King, being neglected by Lakshmî got frustrated, lost they depressed in their aching greed all sense of shame. (30) Following appeared Vârunî, the goddess of the drunkards, as a young lotus-eyed girl upon which the Asuras accepted her the way the Lord had arranged it for them.
(31) When thereupon the ocean was churned by the sons of Kas'yapa so eager for the nectar appeared there, o great King, a most wonderful man. (32) He was long, had stout and strong arms, a neck like a conch, reddish eyes, a blackish complexion, looked very young, had a garland and was decorated all over. (33) Clad in yellow, with his broad chest, his earrings with pearls well polished, his gleaming curly hair hanging down in strings, came he, decorated with bangles and moving strong as a lion, forward with a jar that to the rim was filled with nectar. (34) He was a plenary part of a plenary portion of the Supreme Lord Vishnu known by the name of Dhanvantari who, representing the full knowledge of medical science, was there to demand his share of the sacrifices. (35) The Asuras, greedy after all things, who saw him with the container full of nectar, immediately snatched the jug away. (36) When that jug containing the nectar by the Asuras was carried away, were all the godly desolate and turned they to the Lord for their protection. (37) Witnessing their sadness about it did the Supreme Lord who always tries to fulfill the wishes say: 'Do not be aggrieved, by means of a quarrel among them will I personally see to it that the nectar will be there for all of you.' (38) O master of man, then rose there among them a fugue about the nectar in which they with a thirsting heart said: 'Let me first, I first, not you, you wait!' (39-40) When the godly deserve it to take their share, have all who were of an equal effort in the duty of sacrifice an equal right; this is a matter of traditional duties [sanâtana dharma]!' This way tried the Daityas envious and weak, o King, violently to appropriate the jug, denying it factually each other constantly. (41-46) After this had passed assumed Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Controller who has a solution for each situation, the form of a supremely beautiful, wonderful woman who mystified all of them. Pleasing to behold was she as dark as a newly grown lotus, was she in all her limbs of the greatest beauty and harmony, and had she a straight nose to her ornamented ears and fine cheeks. She had fresh, firm, young but weighty breasts to her thin waist and a blissful expression on her face. From the humming bumblebees arround her she looked a bit anxious. With the mass of her waving hair and her nice neck with a mallikâ flower garland around it, with the beauty of her arms that were ornamented with the finest jewelry and bangles, with the fair sari spread over her breast that was an island of beauty and with the belt that covered her waist, moved she with her anklebells in grace. Coyly casting her glances with her eyebrows moving, gave she in the core of the hearts of the daitya leaders rise to a long-standing lusty desire.
Second edition, loaded September 10, 2007.
Source texts:
The Churning of the Milk Ocean
S'rî S'uka said: 'S'rî S'uka said: 'When the poison was drunk by him who rides the bull resumed all the immortals and Dânavas very pleased the churning of the ocean and was from the great force of it generated the cow of plenty [the surabhi, the source of the ghee].S'ukadeva Gosvâmî continued: Upon Lord S'iva's drinking the poison, both the demigods and the demons, being very pleased, began to churn the ocean with renewed vigor. As a result of this, there appeared a cow known as surabhi. (Vedabase)
The sages conversant with the injunctions for the yajñas took charge of her, o King, because she, from the clarified butter, was fit for making oblations with the fire sacrifices and the progress towards God.
O King Parîkshit, great sages who were completely aware of the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies took charge of that surabhi cow, which produced all the yogurt, milk and ghee absolutely necessary for offering oblations into the fire. They did this just for the sake of pure ghee, which they wanted for the performance of sacrifices to elevate themselves to the higher planetary systems, up to Brahmaloka. (Vedabase)
Next was generated a horse white as the moon, named Uccaihs'ravâ, that Mahârâja Bali liked to have, while Indra desisted from the claim on the advise of the Lord [see B.G. 10: 27 and compare 4.19: 23].
Thereafter, a horse named Uccaihs'ravâ, which was as white as the moon, was generated. Bali Mahârâja desired to possess this horse, and Indra, the King of heaven, did not protest, for he had previously been so advised by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Vedabase)
Thereafter was produced the king of resistance, the elephant Airâvata who white, with four tusks, defied the mountain [Kailâsa] that is the glory of the First Devotee [Lord S'iva, see 6.11: 11 and again B.G. 10: 27].
As the next result of the churning, the king of elephants, named Airâvata, was generated. This elephant was white, and with its four tusks it defied the glories of Kailâsa Mountain, the glorious abode of Lord S'iva. (Vedabase)
Airâvana preceded eight elephants to each direction of the sky and following him was also generated a group of eight she-elephants headed by one named Abhramu, o King.
Thereafter, O King, eight great elephants, which could go in any direction, were generated. They were headed by Airâvana. Eight she-elephants, headed by Abhramu, were also generated. (Vedabase)
Next was from the wide expanse of milk generated a valuable gem known as the Kaustubha and another one named Padmarâga; Lord Hari who desired their possession decorated His chest with them. Thereupon was generated the pârijâta flower which embellishes the heavenly places and thereby fulfills the wishes of the ones desiring wealth in much the same way, o King, as you always fulfill the wishes in the world.
Generated thereafter from the great ocean were the celebrated gems Kaustubha-mani and Padmarâga-mani. Lord Vishnu, to decorate His chest, desired to possess them. Generated next was the pârijâta flower, which decorates the celestial planets. O King, as you fulfill the desires of everyone on this planet by fulfilling all ambitions, the pârijâta fulfills the desires of everyone. (Vedabase)
Then were also generated the Apsaras, who exquisitely dressed and decorated with gold were the extremely beautiful and attractive inhabitants of heaven who smoothly moving divert each his heart.
Next there appeared the Apsaras [who are used as prostitutes on the heavenly planets]. They were fully decorated with golden ornaments and lockets and were dressed in fine and attractive clothing. The Apsaras move very slowly in an attractive style that bewilders the inhabitants of the heavenly planets. (Vedabase)
After that manifested directly the Goddess of Splendor [Ramâ or Lakshmî] herself who along with the Lord illumined all directions with her lightening luster as Saudâmanî [lit.: forked lightening, also the sorceress; to deal with that splendor see the 'peace formula' of B.G. 5: 29].
Then there appeared the goddess of fortune, Ramâ, who is absolutely dedicated to being enjoyed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. She appeared like electricity, surpassing the lightning that might illuminate a marble mountain. (Vedabase)
Each Sura, Asura and human being desired her, as the magnificent beauty of her features, youth, complexion and glories caught their minds.
Because of her exquisite beauty, her bodily features, her youth, her complexion and her glories, everyone, including the demigods, the demons and the human beings, desired her. They were attracted because she is the source of all opulences. (Vedabase)
The king of heaven arranged for her a seat and all the glorious and wonderful, sacred rivers and reservoirs assumed with their filling of golden waterpots thus a form with their pure waters.
The King of heaven, Indra, brought a suitable sitting place for the goddess of fortune. All the rivers of sacred water, such as the Ganges and Yamunâ, personified themselves, and each of them brought pure water in golden waterpots for mother Lakshmî, the goddess of fortune. (Vedabase)
The land delivered the complete of all the necessities and herbs for installing the deity; the cows contributed with the pure of their five products [milk, yogurt, ghee, dung and urine] and springtime brought together her fresh flowers and fruits.
The land became a person and collected all the drugs and herbs needed for installing the Deity. The cows delivered five products, namely milk, yogurt, ghee, urine and cow dung, and spring personified collected everything produced in spring, during the months of Caitra and Vais'âkha [April and May]. (Vedabase)
The sages performed the ceremony of installation as is prescribed, to which for all good fortune the Gandharvas chanted the lore while their women did their best to dance to the occasion and sing mantras.
The great sages performed the bathing ceremony of the goddess of fortune as directed in the authorized scriptures, the Gandharvas chanted all-auspicious Vedic mantras, and the professional women dancers very nicely danced and sang authorized songs prescribed in the Vedas. (Vedabase)
The clouds vibrated the two-sided drums, kettledrums, murajas and ânakas [two other types of drums] and with the sounds of bugles, conchshells, flutes and vînas it was a great tumult.
The clouds in personified form beat various types of drums, known as mridangas, panavas, murajas and ânakas. They also blew conchshells and bugles known as gomukhas and played flutes and stringed instruments. The combined sound of these instruments was tumultuous. (Vedabase)
Next poured the great elephants jugs full of sacred water over the [deity of the] chaste goddess so beautiful with the lotus in her hand, while the twice-born were chanting hymns [see also a classic picture of Lakshmî].
Thereafter, the great elephants from all the directions carried big water jugs full of Ganges water and bathed the goddess of fortune, to the accompaniment of Vedic mantras chanted by learned brâhmanas. While thus being bathed, the goddess of fortune maintained her original style, with a lotus flower in her hand, and she appeared very beautiful. The goddess of fortune is the most chaste, for she does not know anyone but the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Vedabase)
The ocean presented yellow silks for her to dress herself from top to bottom and Varuna brought the biggest garland together with drunken bumblebees to its sweetness.
The ocean, which is the source of all valuable jewels, supplied the upper and lower portions of a yellow silken garment. The predominating deity of the water, Varuna, presented flower garlands surrounded by six-legged bumblebees, drunken with honey. (Vedabase)
From Prajâpati Vis'vakarmâ there was a choice of ornaments, Sarasvatî [the goddess of learning] supplied a necklace, Lord Brahmâ provided a lotus flower and the Nâgas [the excellent] brought earrings.
Vis'vakarmâ, one of the prajâpatis, supplied varieties of decorated ornaments. The goddess of learning, Sarasvatî, supplied a necklace, Lord Brahmâ supplied a lotus flower, and the inhabitants of Nâgaloka supplied earrings. (Vedabase)
Thereupon worshiped in an all-auspicious ceremony went she, radiating a natural beauty, with the lotus garland held in her hand and the bees about it, around, with the decoration of the earrings to her cheeks and a coy smile on her face.
Thereafter, mother Lakshmî, the goddess of fortune, having been properly celebrated with an auspicious ritualistic ceremony, began moving about, holding in her hand a garland of lotus flowers, which were surrounded by humming bumblebees. Smiling with shyness, her cheeks decorated by her earrings, she looked extremely beautiful. (Vedabase)
With her two breasts and her thin waist in symmetry and harmony and smeared with sandalwood pulp and kunkuma, appeared she, moving here and there with the sweet tinkling of her anklebells, exactly like a golden creeper.
Her two breasts, which were symmetrical and nicely situated, were covered with sandalwood pulp and kunkuma powder, and her waist was very thin. As she walked here and there, her ankle bells jingling softly, she appeared like a creeper of gold. (Vedabase)
In her position looking for the eternal qualities could she among the indwellers of heaven, the perfected, the unenlightened, the keepers of the wealth, the venerable ones and all the rest of the demigods, not find a single one who was faultless:
While walking among the Gandharvas, Yakshas, asuras, Siddhas, Câranas and denizens of heaven, Lakshmîdevî , the goddess of fortune, was scrutinizingly examining them, but she could not find anyone naturally endowed with all good qualities. None of them was devoid of faults, and therefore she could not take shelter of any of them. (Vedabase)
'Of the certain of one's austerity has one not conquered the anger, of spiritual knowledge is the scholar not free of attachments and someone great may not have overcome material desires; how can a person as such under the control of something else be a controller?
The goddess of fortune, examining the assembly, thought in this way: Someone who has undergone great austerity has not yet conquered anger. Someone possesses knowledge, but he has not conquered material desires. Someone is a very great personality, but he cannot conquer lusty desires. Even a great personality depends on something else. How, then, can he be the supreme controller? (Vedabase)
Proficient in the religion doesn't mean that one found friendship with other living beings, with one's renunciation may the cause of liberation be missed and with whatever power one may have over people, is one still subjected to the power of time; never will one [apart from the Lord] find a second one as free from the contamination of the modes of nature [see also 1.2: 8].
Someone may possess full knowledge of religion but still not be kind to all living entities. In someone, whether human or demigod, there may be renunciation, but that is not the cause of liberation. Someone may possess great power and yet be unable to check the power of eternal time. Someone else may have renounced attachment to the material world, yet he cannot compare to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, no one is completely freed from the influence of the material modes of nature. (Vedabase)
Someone may live long but still be unlucky or of misconduct, someone may master the art of living but not know how to get old; when someone knows to combine these two may such a person be unlucky another way, and of someone best in all fields is not said that he has envisioned me [the devotion]!'
Someone may have longevity but not have auspiciousness or good behavior. Someone may have both auspiciousness and good behavior, but the duration of his life is not fixed. Although such demigods as Lord S'iva have eternal life, they have inauspicious habits like living in crematoriums. And even if others are well qualified in all respects, they are not devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Vedabase)
This way of due consideration accepted the Goddess of the Splendor Him Mukunda, the reservoir of the Supreme so desirable and qualified in every way, as her husband even though He never looked for it, for He possessed the extraordinary transcendental qualities that were all good and independent of others.
S'ukadeva Gosvâmî continued: In this way, after full deliberation, the goddess of fortune accepted Mukunda as her husband because although He is independent and not in want of her, He possesses all transcendental qualities and mystic powers and is therefore the most desirable. (Vedabase)
After placing on His shoulders a ravishing fresh garland of lotuses vibrating with humming, maddened bumblebees, remained she, with a shy smile to her glittering eyes, by His side with His bosom as her real resort.
Approaching the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the goddess of fortune placed upon His shoulders the garland of newly grown lotus flowers, which was surrounded by humming bumblebees searching for honey. Then, expecting to get a place on the bosom of the Lord, she remained standing by His side, her face smiling in shyness. (Vedabase)
He, the father of the three worlds, made His bosom the residence of the mother, the goddess, the supreme of the wealth; she installed there increases by her mercifully glancing over the threefold creation the fortune of His servants and leaders.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the father of the three worlds, and His bosom is the residence of mother Lakshmî, the goddess of fortune, the proprietor of all opulences. The goddess of fortune, by her favorable and merciful glance, can increase the opulence of the three worlds, along with their inhabitants and their directors, the demigods. (Vedabase)
With the sound of conchshells, bugles and all sorts of drums was there the greatest tumult of musical instruments so that all the gods of heaven and their women started to sing and dance.
The inhabitants of Gandharvaloka and Câranaloka then took the opportunity to play their musical instruments, such as conchshells, bugles and drums. They began dancing and singing along with their wives. (Vedabase)
Brahmâ, S'iva and all the directors of the world headed by Angirâ honored, with all they thus saw, the personality that was really the greatest by chanting and showering flowers.
Lord Brahmâ, Lord S'iva, the great sage Angirâ, and similar directors of universal management showered flowers and chanted mantras indicating the transcendental glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Vedabase)
With the merciful glance of the Goddess upon all the godly, the fathers of mankind and their generations were they all blessed with good behavior and good qualities and achieved they the ultimate satisfaction.
All the demigods, along with the prajâpatis and their descendants, being blessed by Lakshmîjî's glance upon them, were immediately enriched with good behavior and transcendental qualities. Thus they were very much satisfied. (Vedabase)
When the Daityas and Dânavas, o King, being neglected by Lakshmî got frustrated, lost they depressed in their aching greed all sense of shame.
O King, because of being neglected by the goddess of fortune, the demons and Râkshasas were depressed, bewildered and frustrated, and thus they became shameless. (Vedabase)
Following appeared Vârunî, the goddess of the drunkards, as a young lotus-eyed girl upon which the Asuras accepted her the way the Lord had arranged it for them.
Next appeared Vârunî, the lotus-eyed goddess who controls drunkards. With the permission of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, the demons, headed by Bali Mahârâja, took possession of this young girl. (Vedabase)
When thereupon the ocean was churned by the sons of Kas'yapa so eager for the nectar appeared there, o great King, a most wonderful man.
O King, thereafter, while the sons of Kas'yapa, both demons and demigods, were engaged in churning the ocean of milk, a very wonderful male person appeared. (Vedabase)
He was long, had stout and strong arms, a neck like a conch, reddish eyes, a blackish complexion, looked very young, had a garland and was decorated all over.
He was strongly built; his arms were long, stout and strong; his neck, which was marked with three lines, resembled a conchshell; his eyes were reddish; and his complexion was blackish. He was very young, he was garlanded with flowers, and his entire body was fully decorated with various ornaments. (Vedabase)
Clad in yellow, with his broad chest, his earrings with pearls well polished, his gleaming curly hair hanging down in strings, came he, decorated with bangles and moving strong as a lion, forward with a jar that to the rim was filled with nectar.
He was dressed in yellow garments and wore brightly polished earrings made of pearls. The tips of his hair were anointed with oil, and his chest was very broad. His body had all good features, he was stout and strong like a lion, and he was decorated with bangles. In his hand he carried a jug filled to the top with nectar. (Vedabase)
He was a plenary part of a plenary portion of the Supreme Lord Vishnu known by the name of Dhanvantari who, representing the full knowledge of medical science, was there to demand his share of the sacrifices.
This person was Dhanvantari, a plenary portion of a plenary portion of Lord Vishnu. He was very conversant with the science of medicine, and as one of the demigods he was permitted to take a share in sacrifices. (Vedabase)
The Asuras, greedy after all things, who saw him with the container full of nectar, immediately snatched the jug away.
Upon seeing Dhanvantari carrying the jug of nectar, the demons, desiring the jug and its contents, immediately snatched it away by force. (Vedabase)
When that jug containing the nectar by the Asuras was carried away, were all the godly desolate and turned they to the Lord for their protection.
When the jug of nectar was carried off by the demons, the demigods were morose. Thus they sought shelter at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari. (Vedabase)
Witnessing their sadness about it did the Supreme Lord who always tries to fulfill the wishes say: 'Do not be aggrieved, by means of a quarrel among them will I personally see to it that the nectar will be there for all of you.'
When the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who always desires to fulfill the ambitions of His devotees, saw that the demigods were morose, He said to them, "Do not be aggrieved. By My own energy I shall bewilder the demons by creating a quarrel among them. In this way I shall fulfill your desire to have the nectar." (Vedabase)
O master of man, then rose there among them a fugue about the nectar in which they with a thirsting heart said: 'Let me first, I first, not you, you wait!'
O King, a quarrel then arose among the demons over who would get the nectar first. Each of them said, "You cannot drink it first. I must drink it first. Me first, not you!" (Vedabase)
When the godly deserve it to take their share, have all who were of an equal effort in the duty of sacrifice an equal right; this is a matter of traditional duties [sanâtana dharma]!' This way tried the Daityas envious and weak, o King, violently to appropriate the jug, denying it factually each other constantly.
Some of the demons said, "All the demigods have taken part in churning the ocean of milk. Now, as everyone has an equal right to partake in any public sacrifice, according to the eternal religious system it is befitting that the demigods now have a share of the nectar." O King, in this way the weaker demons forbade the stronger demons to take the nectar. (Vedabase)
After this had passed assumed Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Controller who has a solution for each situation, the form of a supremely beautiful, wonderful woman who mystified all of them. Pleasing to behold was she as dark as a newly grown lotus, was she in all her limbs of the greatest beauty and harmony, and had she a straight nose to her ornamented ears and fine cheeks. She had fresh, firm, young but weighty breasts to her thin waist and a blissful expression on her face. From the humming bumblebees arround her she looked a bit anxious. With the mass of her waving hair and her nice neck with a mallikâ flower garland around it, with the beauty of her arms that were ornamented with the finest jewelry and bangles, with the fair sari spread over her breast that was an island of beauty and with the belt that covered her waist, moved she with her anklebells in grace. Coyly casting her glances with her eyebrows moving, gave she in the core of the hearts of the daitya leaders rise to a long-standing lusty desire.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu, who can counteract any unfavorable situation, then assumed the form of an extremely beautiful woman. This incarnation as a woman, Mohinî-mûrti, was most pleasing to the mind. Her complexion resembled in color a newly grown blackish lotus, and every part of Her body was beautifully situated. Her ears were equally decorated with earrings, Her cheeks were very beautiful, Her nose was raised and Her face full of youthful luster. Her large breasts made Her waist seem very thin. Attracted by the aroma of Her face and body, bumblebees hummed around Her, and thus Her eyes were restless. Her hair, which was extremely beautiful, was garlanded with mallikâ flowers. Her attractively constructed neck was decorated with a necklace and other ornaments, Her arms were decorated with bangles, Her body was covered with a clean sari, and Her breasts seemed like islands in an ocean of beauty. Her legs were decorated with ankle bells. Because of the movements of Her eyebrows as She smiled with shyness and glanced over the demons, all the demons were saturated with lusty desires, and every one of them desired to possess Her. (Vedabase)
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