Cc Madhya 17.142

Text

tasyāravinda-nayanasya padāravinda-
kiñjalka-miśra-tulasī-makaranda-vāyuḥ
antargataḥ svavivareṇa cakāra teṣāṁ
saṅkṣobham akṣara-juṣām api citta-tanvoḥ

Synonyms

tasya-of Him; aravinda-nayanasya-of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose eyes are like the petals of a lotus; pada-aravinda-of the lotus feet; kiñjalka-with saffron; miśra-mixed; tulasī-of tulasī leaves; makaranda-with the aroma; vāyuḥ-the air; antargataḥ-entered; sva-vivareṇa-through the nostrils; cakāra-created; teṣām-of them; saṅkṣobham-strong agitation; akṣara-juṣām-of the impersonally self-realized (Kumāras); api-also; citta-tanvoḥ-of the mind and body.

Translation

" 'When the breeze carrying the aroma of tulasī leaves and saffron from the lotus feet of the lotus-eyed Personality of Godhead entered through the nostrils into the hearts of those sages [the Kumāras], they experienced a change in both body and mind, even though they were attached to impersonal Brahman understanding.'

Purport

This is a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.15.43). Vidura and Maitreya discussed the pregnancy of Diti. Diti's pregnancy caused the demigods to be very much afraid, and the demigods went to see Lord Brahmā. Lord Brahmā explained the original incident involving the cursing of Jaya and Vijaya by the Catuḥ-sana Kumāras. Sometimes the Catuḥ-sana Kumāras went to Vaikuṇṭha to visit Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and once they were stopped from entering the palace at the seventh gate by two doorkeepers named Jaya and Vijaya. Due to their jealousy, Jaya and Vijaya would not allow the Kumāras entry, and consequently the Kumāras became angry and cursed Jaya and Vijaya, condemning them to take birth in a family of asuras in the material world. The omniscient Personality of Godhead could immediately understand the incident, and He came with His eternal consort the goddess of fortune. The Catuḥ-sana Kumāras immediately offered their obeisances unto the Lord. Simply by seeing the Lord and smelling the aroma of tulasī and saffron from His lotus feet, the Kumāras became devotees and abandoned their long-cherished impersonalism. Thus the four Kumāras were turned into Vaiṣṇavas simply by smelling the aromatic tulasī mixed with saffron. Those who are actually on the platform of Brahman realization and who have not offended the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa can immediately become Vaiṣṇavas simply by smelling the aroma of the Lord's lotus feet. However, those who are offenders or demons are never attracted to the Lord's personal feature, even though they may visit the Lord's temple many times. In Vṛndāvana we have seen many Māyāvādī sannyāsīs who do not even come to the temple of Govindajī, Gopīnātha or Madana-mohana because they think that such temples are māyā. Therefore they are called Māyāvādīs. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore said that the Māyāvādīs are the greatest offenders.