Text 8
kṛṣṇasya viṣvak puru-rāji-maṇḍalair
abhyānanāḥ phulla-dṛśo vrajārbhakāḥ
sahopaviṣṭā vipine virejuś
chadā yathāmbhoruha-karṇikāyāḥ
kṛṣṇasya viṣvak — surrounding Kṛṣṇa; puru-rāji-maṇḍalaiḥ — by different encirclements of associates; abhyānanāḥ — everyone looking forward to the center, where Kṛṣṇa was sitting; phulla-dṛśaḥ — their faces looking very bright because of transcendental pleasure; vraja-arbhakāḥ — all the cowherd boys of Vrajabhūmi; saha-upaviṣṭāḥ — sitting with Kṛṣṇa; vipine — in the forest; virejuḥ — so nicely and beautifully made; chadāḥ — petals and leaves; yathā — just as; ambhoruha — of a lotus flower; karṇikāyāḥ — of the whorl.
Like the whorl of a lotus flower surrounded by its petals and leaves, Kṛṣṇa sat in the center, encircled by lines of His friends, who all looked very beautiful. Every one of them was trying to look forward toward Kṛṣṇa, thinking that Kṛṣṇa might look toward him. In this way they all enjoyed their lunch in the forest.
To a pure devotee, Kṛṣṇa is always visible, as stated in the Brahma- saṁhitā (santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti) and as indicated by Kṛṣṇa Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādaṁ tat sarvato ’kṣi-śiro-mukham). If by accumulating pious activities (kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ) one is raised to the platform of pure devotional service, Kṛṣṇa is always visible in the core of one’s heart. One who has attained such perfection is all-beautiful in transcendental bliss. The present Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is an attempt to keep Kṛṣṇa in the center, for if this is done all activities will automatically become beautiful and blissful.