SB 10.9.3 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

क्षौमं वास: पृथुकटितटे बिभ्रती सूत्रनद्धं पुत्रस्‍नेहस्‍नुतकुचयुगं जातकम्पं च सुभ्रू: । रज्ज्वाकर्षश्रमभुजचलत्कङ्कणौ कुण्डले च स्विन्नं वक्त्रं कबरविगलन्मालती निर्ममन्थ ॥ ३ ॥

Verse text

kṣaumaṁ vāsaḥ pṛthu-kaṭi-taṭe bibhratī sūtra-naddhaṁ putra-sneha-snuta-kuca-yugaṁ jāta-kampaṁ ca subhrūḥ rajjv-ākarṣa-śrama-bhuja-calat-kaṅkaṇau kuṇḍale ca svinnaṁ vaktraṁ kabara-vigalan-mālatī nirmamantha

Synonyms

kṣaumam — saffron and yellow mixed ; vāsaḥ — mother Yaśodā was wearing such a sari ; pṛthu — kaṭi — taṭe — surrounding her large hips ; bibhratī — shaking ; sūtra — naddham — bound with a belt ; putra — sneha — snuta — because of intense love for her child, became wet with milk ; kuca — yugam — the nipples of her breasts ; jāta — kampam ca — as they were very nicely moving and quivering ; su — bhrūḥ — who had very beautiful eyebrows ; rajju — ākarṣa — by pulling on the rope of the churning rod ; śrama — because of the labor ; bhuja — on whose hands ; calat — kaṅkaṇau — the two bangles were moving ; kuṇḍale — the two earrings ; ca — also ; svinnam — her hair was black like a cloud, so perspiration was dropping like rain ; vaktram — throughout her face ; kabara — vigalat — mālatī — and mālatī flowers were dropping from her hair ; nirmamantha — thus mother Yaśodā was churning the butter .

Translation

Dressed in a saffron-yellow sari, with a belt tied about her full hips, mother Yaśodā pulled on the churning rope, laboring considerably, her bangles and earrings moving and vibrating and her whole body shaking. Because of her intense love for her child, her breasts were wet with milk. Her face, with its very beautiful eyebrows, was wet with perspiration, and mālatī flowers were falling from her hair.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Dressed in a saffron-yellow sari, with a belt tied about her full hips, mother Yaśodā pulled on the churning rope, laboring considerably, her bangles and earrings moving and vibrating and her whole body shaking. Because of her intense love for her child, her breasts were wet with milk. Her face, with its very beautiful eyebrows, was wet with perspiration, and mālatī flowers were falling from her hair. KB 10.9.3 The end of her sari was tightly wrapped while she churned, and on account of her intense love for her son, milk automatically dripped from her breasts, which moved as she labored very hard, churning with two hands. The bangles and bracelets on her hands tinkled as they touched each other, and her earrings and breasts shook. There were drops of perspiration on her face, and the flower garland which was on her head scattered here and there.

Purport

Anyone who desires to be Kṛṣṇa conscious in motherly affection or parental affection should contemplate the bodily features of mother Yaśodā. It is not that one should desire to become like Yaśodā, for this is Māyāvāda. Either in parental affection or conjugal love, friendship or servitorship — in any way — we must follow in the footsteps of the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, not try to become like them. Therefore this description is provided here. Advanced devotees must cherish this description, always thinking of mother Yaśodā’s features — how she was dressed, how she was working and perspiring, how beautifully the flowers were arranged in her hair, and so on. One should take advantage of the full description provided here by thinking of mother Yaśodā in maternal affection for Kṛṣṇa.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

This verse, in presenting the ideal mother of Krsna in her affection, form and qualities, is a meditation necessary for those worshippers in the vatsalya mood. Her cloth (ksaumam), made for fibers of the atasi tree, was very fine and colored yellow. Her face was blackish according to the Krama dipika. She wore a belt while performing the churning. By mentioning her wide hips and moving eyebrows, the beauty of all her limbs is indicated. Her bangles moving on her arms tired from churning and her sweating face both shone. From her hair, black like a rain cloud, fell malati flowers like drops of rain.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Describing Yaśodā because of a manifestation of affection for her as a mother having unalloyed affection for Kṛṣṇa, he shows her qualification by her beauty and affection. The description of her eye brows and hips indicate as well the beautiful of all her other limbs though they are not mentioned. The beauty of her dress is indicated by her cloth and belt. Ksauma means linen, cloth made from the flax. This had a thin appearance and was of various colors including shades of yellow. According to Krama-dīpikā here complexion is blackish, but yellow according to Gautamīya-tantra. The cloth was tied with a cord having great beauty. Or the cord was used to tie her petticoat while she churned the yogurt. The beauty of her natural movements is described: she pulled the ropes and her earrings swayed. Her hair was tied up with jasmine flowers, which grow profusely during Kārtika month. The suffix ka is optional in the compound kabara-vigalan-mālatī. Her affection is described: milk dripped from her breasts out of affection for her son. Her breasts moved because of her singing about Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. Joy was expressed by the movements of her eyebrows.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

Having shown her skill in singing as a qualification for being the Lord’s mother, her beauty and her dress at that time are described. She wore yellow silk. According to scriptures she had a dark complexion, and thus the combination with yellow was spectacular. The belt tied on her waist enhanced her beauty. Or to churn the yogurt she had tightly tied her belt. Her breasts flowed with milk out of affection for her son. This affection arose naturally or because she had been singing about her son. The movement of her brows increased her beauty. Her earrings also swayed. Jasmines fell from her bound hair. Absence of the suffix ka is poetic license. The verse depicts her manifestation of affection.