His broad chest and invisible collar-bones are characteristics of great persons noted in the Sāmudrika [22]. That His chest is also fleshy will be described later. That He is a great archer indicates that He possesses a body suitable for it. Hence, this point is well within the topic of discussion. His collar-bones are invisible, covered by flesh. Sinful reactions are the enemies [of the souls] that He is victorious over. This is noted in the Śruti [23]. This indicates that His body is not caused by sinful reactions, that is, karmic reactions. It is simply revealed to us by His mercy, as described by the Smṛti [24]. Therefore, this description is also not out of place here. His face is well formed, that is, it is uniformly round and shaped like an umbrella. This is also a sign of a great personality as described in the Sāmudrika [25]. His beautiful forehead is another sign of a great person [26]. His beautiful gait is like that of an elephant and so on, as noted in the Jagad-vallabhā [27].

NOTE. There is abundant scriptural evidence that the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is absolutely spiritual, not formed due to karmic reactions. In his commentary to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.5.30, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura cites many important verses from various Vedic scriptures that clearly establish the absolute, eternal nature of the Personality of Godhead’s forms.

The Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad (1.38) states:

govindaṁ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaṁ vṛndāvana-sura-bhūraha-
talāsīnaṁ satataṁ sa-marud-gaṇo ’haṁ paramayā stutyā toṣayāmi

“With transcendental prayers, I and the Maruts are always trying to satisfy Lord Govinda, whose personal form is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss, and who is sitting amidst the celestial desire trees of Vṛndāvana.”

Similarly, in his Vedānta-bhāṣya Śrīla Madhvācārya cites the following passage from the Śruti:

vāsudevaḥ saṅkarṣaṇaḥ pradyumno ’niruddho ’haṁ matsyaḥ kūrmo varāho narasiṁho vāmano rāmo rāmo rāmaḥ kṛṣṇo buddhaḥ kalkir ahaṁ śatadhāhaṁ sahasradhāham amito ’ham ananto ’haṁ naivaite jāyante naivaite mriyante naiṣām ajñāna-bandho na muktiḥ sarva eva hy ete pūrṇā ajarā amṛtāḥ paramāḥ paramānandāḥ.

“I am Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. I am Matsya, Kūrma, Varāha, Narasiṁha, Vāmana, the three Rāmas [Rāmacandra, Paraśurāma and Balarāma], Kṛṣṇa, Buddha and Kalki. Immeasurable and unlimited, I appear in hundreds and thousands of forms, none of which ever takes birth or dies. These forms of Mine are not bound by ignorance, nor do they have to strive for liberation. They are all complete, free from old age, immortal, supreme and supremely blissful.”

The Dhyāna-bindu Upaniṣad states:

nirdoṣa-pūrṇa-guṇa-vigraha ātma-tantro
niścetanātmaka-śarīra-guṇaiś ca hīnah
ānanda-mātra-mukha-pāda-saroruhādiḥ

“[The Lord’s] personal form possesses complete and faultless transcendental qualities. Indeed, the form of the completely independent Lord is free from all lifeless bodily characteristics. His lotus face and lotus feet consist simply of pure ecstasy.”

The Vāsudeva Upaniṣad states,

sad-rūpam advayaṁ brahma madhyādy-anta-vivarjitam
sva-prabhaṁ sac-cid-ānandaṁ bhaktyā jānati cāvyayam

“[The Lord’s] transcendental form is the Absolute Truth, devoid of duality or of middle, beginning or end. It is self-effulgent, eternal and full of knowledge and bliss. Only through devotional service can one understand that form to be infallible.”

The Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa states,

nanda-vraja-janānandī sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

“The body of the Lord, who gives ecstasy to the residents of King Nanda’s pastures, is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss.”

The Mahā-varāha Purāṇa states:

sarve nityāḥ śāsvatāś ca dehās tasya parātmanaḥ
hānopadāna-rahitā naiva prakṛti-jāḥ kvacit

“The bodies of that Supreme Soul are all eternal and primeval. Since they are not born of material nature, they are not subject to destruction or creation.”

The Nṛsiṁha Purāṇa states:

yuge yuge viṣṇur anādi-mūrtim āsthāya śiṣṭaṁ paripāti duṣṭa-hā

“In each age, Lord Viṣṇu assumes His various eternal forms in order to protect those who are civilized [the devotees] and to destroy those who are evil [the demons].”

The Bṛhad-vaiṣṇava-smṛti states:

yo vetti bhautikaṁ dehaṁ kṛṣṇasya paramātmanaḥ
sa sarvasmād bahiṣkāryaḥ śrauta-smārta-vidhānataḥ
mukhaṁ tasyāvalokyāpi sa-celaṁ snānam ācaret

“If a person thinks the body of the Supreme Soul, Lord Kṛṣṇa, is made of matter, he should be excluded from all ceremonies, both of the śruti and the smṛti. One who even glances upon such a person’s face must immediately take a bath with all his clothes on.”

The Mahābhārata states:

na bhūta-saṅgha-samsthāno deho ’sya paramātmanaḥ

“The body of the Supreme Soul is not composed of a combination of material elements.”

Also from the Mahābhārata:

amṛtāṁśo ’mṛta-vapuḥ

“His personal expansions and personal bodies are all immortal.”

The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam itself contains many passages attesting to the absolute nature of the Lord’s forms. Here are a few:

śābdaṁ-brahma dadhad vapuḥ

“Appearing in His transcendental form as the Vedas and as the personal feature of the Absolute Truth...” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.21.8)

yat tad vapur bhāti vibhūṣaṇāyudhair
avyakta-cid-vyaktam adhārayad vibhuḥ

“That transcendental body which is appearing with its ornaments and weapons has been assumed by the almighty Lord as the spiritual manifestation of Himself, who is materially unmanifested.” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.18.12)

babandha prākṛtaṁ yathā

“She bound Him up just like an ordinary child.” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.9.14)

satya-jñānānantānanda-mātraika-rasa-mūrtyaḥ

“The viṣṇu-mūrtis all had eternal, unlimited forms full of knowledge and bliss and existing beyond the influence of time.” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.13.54)

svecchāmayasya na tu bhūtamayasya

“His body is composed of His own desire, rather than of material elements.” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.14.2)

tvayy eva nitya-sukha-bodha-tanau

“In You, whose body is full of eternal happiness and conscious-ness...” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.14.22)¹