Verse 2.4.39

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.4.39:

एतत् परम-वैचित्री-हेतुं वक्ष्यामि तेऽग्रतः ।
कृष्ण-भक्ति-रसास्वादवतां किं स्यान् न सुन्दरम् ॥ ३९ ॥

etat parama-vaicitrī-hetuṃ vakṣyāmi te'grataḥ |
kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasāsvādavatāṃ kiṃ syān na sundaram || 39 ||

etat–this; parama–supremely; vaicitrī–variegatedness; hetum–the cause; vakṣyāmi–I will tell; te–you; agrataḥ–in the future; kṛṣṇa–to Śrī Kṛṣṇa; bhakti–of devotion; rasa–the mellows; āsvādavatām–for those who taste; kim–what; syāt–it can be; na–not; sundaram–beautiful.

Later on, I will tell you the cause of this great variety of forms. What does not become beautiful for one who is tasting the mellows of kṛṣṇa-bhakti?

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

The brāhmaṇa might say, “It seems logical that if one were to receive a form similar to Bhagavān, then it would be a four-armed form like the Lord’s. So, why did you see various forms, such as those of a human being, and especially lower forms, such as those of monkeys, in Vaikuṇṭha?”

In reply to this, Gopa-kumāra speaks this verse beginning with etat. He says, “Later on, Śrī Nārada will give a philosophical explanation revealing the reason for this variety.”

It could further be argued, “Although Vaikuṇṭha may have a vast array of forms, it does not seem appropriate that it would have monkeys and other forms devoid of beauty.”

Therefore, in this verse, Śrī Gopa-kumāra says, “What is not beautiful to one who is relishing the rasa (sweet taste) of kṛṣṇa-bhakti?” In the material world, it is a well known fact that there are special elixirs that can make one very beautiful, give one a celestial form, and so on. The examples of Śrī Hanumān, Śrī Jāmbavān, and others can be understood as evidence in this connection. Of their own volition, they accept such external appearances because they know that these forms will in no way decrease their special love for Śrī Bhagavān. In other words, these forms of monkeys and so forth give pleasure to Śrī Bhagavān and His devotees.