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ŚB 3.8.27

Devanagari

मुखेन लोकार्तिहरस्मितेन
परिस्फुरत्कुण्डलमण्डितेन ।
शोणायितेनाधरबिम्बभासा
प्रत्यर्हयन्तं सुनसेन सुभ्र्वा ॥ २७ ॥

Text

mukhena lokārti-hara-smitena
parisphurat-kuṇḍala-maṇḍitena
śoṇāyitenādhara-bimba-bhāsā
pratyarhayantaṁ sunasena subhrvā

Synonyms

mukhena — by a gesture of the face; loka-ārti-hara — vanquisher of the distress of the devotees; smitena — by smiling; parisphurat — dazzling; kuṇḍala — earrings; maṇḍitena — decorated with; śoṇāyitena — acknowledging; adhara — of His lips; bimba — reflection; bhāsā — rays; pratyarhayantam — reciprocating; su-nasena — by His pleasing nose; su-bhrvā — and pleasing eyebrows.

Translation

He also acknowledged the service of the devotees and vanquished their distress by His beautiful smile. The reflection of His face, decorated with earrings, was so pleasing because it dazzled with the rays from His lips and the beauty of His nose and eyebrows.

Purport

Devotional service to the Lord is very much obliging to Him. There are many transcendentalists in different fields of spiritual activities, but devotional service to the Lord is unique. Devotees do not ask anything from the Lord in exchange for their service. Even the most desirable liberation is refused by devotees, although offered by the Lord. Thus the Lord becomes a kind of debtor to the devotees, and He can only try to repay the devotees’ service with His ever-enchanting smile. The devotees are ever satisfied by the smiling face of the Lord, and they become enlivened. And by seeing the devotees so enlivened, the Lord Himself is further satisfied. So there is continuous transcendental competition between the Lord and His devotees by such reciprocation of service and acknowledgement.