Text 27
mukhena lokārti-hara-smitena
parisphurat-kuṇḍala-maṇḍitena
śoṇāyitenādhara-bimba-bhāsā
pratyarhayantaṁ sunasena subhrvā
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.
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.
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.