SB 10.39.44 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

भूयस्तत्रापि सोऽद्राक्षीत्स्तूयमानमहीश्वरम् । सिद्धचारणगन्धर्वैरसुरैर्नतकन्धरै: ॥ ४४ ॥ सहस्रशिरसं देवं सहस्रफणमौलिनम् । नीलाम्बरं विसश्वेतं श‍ृङ्गै: श्वेतमिव स्थितम् ॥ ४५ ॥

Verse text

bhūyas tatrāpi so ’drākṣīt stūyamānam ahīśvaram siddha-cāraṇa-gandharvair asurair nata-kandharaiḥ sahasra-śirasaṁ devaṁ sahasra-phaṇa-maulinam nīlāmbaraṁ visa-śvetaṁ śṛṅgaiḥ śvetam iva sthitam

Synonyms

bhūyaḥ — again ; tatra api — in that same place ; saḥ — he ; adrākṣīt — saw ; stūyamānam — being praised ; ahi — īśvaram — the Lord of serpents (Ananta Śeṣa, the plenary expansion of Lord Balarāma who serves as the bed of Viṣṇu) ; siddha — cāraṇa — gandharvaiḥ — by Siddhas, Cāraṇas and Gandharvas ; asuraiḥ — and by demons ; nata — bowed ; kandharaiḥ — whose necks ; sahasra — thousands ; śirasam — having heads ; devam — the Supreme Lord ; sahasra — thousands ; phaṇa — having hoods ; maulinam — and helmets ; nīla — blue ; ambaram — whose clothing ; visa — like the filaments of a lotus stem ; śvetam — white ; śṛṅgaiḥ — with its peaks ; śvetam — Kailāsa Mountain ; iva — as if ; sthitam — situated .

Translation

There Akrūra now saw Ananta Śeṣa, the Lord of the serpents, receiving praise from Siddhas, Cāraṇas, Gandharvas and demons, who all had their heads bowed. The Personality of Godhead whom Akrūra saw had thousands of heads, thousands of hoods and thousands of helmets. His blue garment and His fair complexion, as white as the filaments of a lotus stem, made Him appear like white Kailāsa Mountain with its many peaks.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

There Akrūra now saw Ananta Śeṣa, the Lord of the serpents, receiving praise from Siddhas, Cāraṇas, Gandharvas and demons, who all had their heads bowed. The Personality of Godhead whom Akrūra saw had thousands of heads, thousands of hoods and thousands of helmets. His blue garment and His fair complexion, as white as the filaments of a lotus stem, made Him appear like white Kailāsa Mountain with its many peaks. KB 10.39.44-45 This time he saw not only Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa there but many of the demigods and all the Siddhas, Cāraṇas and Gandharvas. They were all bowing down before the Lord. He also saw Lord Śeṣa Nāga, with thousands of hoods. Lord Śeṣa Nāga was covered with bluish garments, and His necks were all white. The white necks of Śeṣa Nāga appeared exactly like snowcapped mountains.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

When Akrura submerged himself a second time in the Yamuna, Krsna showed him the form of Visnu, his amsa, the deity of his mantra. And to hold his attention he showed him directly that form surrounded from head to foot with servants. He showed him that form which had appeared in the house of Vasudeva, the lord of Vaikuntha. This is described in thirteen verses. The first two describe Sesa, the amsa of Balarama. He had a thousand hoods and crowns, towering like Mount Kailasa with peaks of snow. When Akrura went into the Yamuna the second time, he saw Sesa in Vaikuntha, according to Sridhara swami’s comments on 10.28.16 and the statements in Bhagavatamrta "vaikunthe’pi yatha sesa" This is the conclusion of some.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

The Lord showed Akrūra, who did not bathe in the wealth of his highest sweetness, his form of Viṣṇu, his expansion or aṁśa. This described in three verses. In the lake of the Yamunā (tatra) he now saw the form of a snake, not Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. He was being praised by Caraṇas, Gandharvas and the Kumāras, his students. Viṣṇu Purāṇa says vṛtaṁ vāsuki-raṁbhādyair mahadbhiḥ pavanāśibhiḥ: he was surrounded by Vāsuki, Rambha, and other great snakes. He was praised also by demons like Prahlāda. They all bowed their heads. Ananta was worthy of worship by the whole universe (devam). He had thousands of hoods and crowns. He appeared like Kailāsa (śvetam) with many peaks. He was white like the fibers in the lotus stem (visa-śvetam). Maulinam means “possessing a garland’ as per the rule vrīhyādibhyaś ca. (Pāṇini 5.2.116)

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

Immersing himself again (bhūyaḥ) he saw Ananta, not the two boys whom he had seen before. Or he saw what he previously saw but with additions. Though it was extraordinary, he understood it was the two sons by some similarity. Or by the Lord’s mercy he understood. Viṣṇu Purāṇa says bala krṣṇau tadākrūraḥ praty abhijñāya vismitaḥ: understanding the identity of Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa, Akrūra was astonished. He saw a huge snake, served by many servant snakes. Viṣṇu Purāṇa says vṛtaṁ vāsuki-raṁbhādyair mahadbhiḥ pavanāśibhiḥ: he was surrounded by Vāsuki, Rambha, and other great snakes. The siddhas are the Kumāras or the inhabitants of Pātāla, or Kapila and other sages. Asuras living in Pātāla were under Śeṣa’s control. All of them were bowing down, having great bhakti. Ananta is to be worshipped by the world (devam). As the controller of ignorance, he is to be worshipped by all, not just be people in ignorance. Maulinam means “possessing a garland’ as per the rule vrīhyādibhyaś ca. (Pāṇini 5.2.116) He had crowns on his heads and garlands on his hoods. He was huge, like a white mountain. The many peaks had jewels: his many heads had crowns.