Devanagari
तस्यारविन्दनयनस्य पदारविन्द-
किञ्जल्कमिश्रतुलसीमकरन्दवायु: ।
अन्तर्गत: स्वविवरेण चकार तेषां
सङ्क्षोभमक्षरजुषामपि चित्ततन्वो: ॥ ४३ ॥
Verse text
tasyāravinda-nayanasya padāravinda-
kiṣjalka-miśra-tulasī-makaranda-vāyuḥ
antar-gataḥ sva-vivareṇa cakāra teṣāṁ
saṅkṣobham akṣara-juṣām api citta-tanvoḥ
Synonyms
tasya
—
of Him
;
aravinda
—
nayanasya — of the lotus-eyed Lord
;
pada
—
aravinda — of the lotus feet
;
kiṣjalka
—
with the toes
;
miśra
—
mixed
;
tulasī
—
the tulasī leaves
;
makaranda
—
fragrance
;
vāyuḥ
—
breeze
;
antaḥ
—
gataḥ — entered within
;
sva
—
vivareṇa — through their nostrils
;
cakāra
—
made
;
teṣām
—
of the Kumāras
;
saṅkṣobham
—
agitation for change
;
akṣara
—
juṣām — attached to impersonal Brahman realization
;
api
—
even though
;
citta
—
tanvoḥ — in both mind and body .
Translation
When the breeze carrying the aroma of tulasī leaves from the toes of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead entered the nostrils of those sages, they experienced a change both in body and in mind, even though they were attached to the impersonal Brahman understanding.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The wind carrying the aroma of tulasī which had touched the filaments of the Lord’s toe nails on his lotus feet entered their minds through the nostrils and began to agitate their minds and bodies, even though they were fixed in Brahman.
When the sweetness of the Lord’s body produced in them a level of astonishment much higher than the bliss of Brahman, it penetrated within them. What can be said? The wind touching something related to a limb of the Lord made them fall from their position of Brahman, and produced great agitation in them. The wind carrying the aroma of tulasī combined with the red and white of the Lord’s toe nails, like filaments on the lotus of his feet, entered the sages’ minds to take control of the place. “But without permission is it not improper to enter their minds, just as it would be improper for the Kumāras and others to enter into someone else’s inner chambers?” But the nostrils are the natural (sva) holes for the air. The air entered their nostrils. Whose permission does the air need? What happened when the air entered? Their mind and bodies became agitated. First the mind became very strongly agitated by the changes arising from bliss. Then the body became agitated with tears, hairs standing on end, and perspiration. A person desiring to enter another’s country first kills the leader, plunders the place and disturbs the place. Then he conquers it with his troops. If they were so fixed in the bliss of Brahman, why should the bliss of realizing Bhagavān make them identify with the Lord? Even though they had been practicing contact with the Brahman, the bliss of Bhagavān was more powerful because of its sweetness.
Purport
It appears from this verse that the four Kumāras were impersonalists or protagonists of the philosophy of monism, becoming one with the Lord. But as soon as they saw the Lord’s features, their minds changed. In other words, the impersonalist who feels transcendental pleasure in striving to become one with the Lord is defeated when he sees the beautiful transcendental features of the Lord. Because of the fragrance of His lotus feet, carried by the air and mixed with the aroma of
tulasī,
their minds changed; instead of becoming one with the Supreme Lord, they thought it wise to be devotees. Becoming a servitor of the lotus feet of the Lord is better than becoming one with the Lord.