dadarsa tam sphatika-tunga-gopura-

 dvaram brhad-dhema-kapata-toranam

tamrara-kostham parikha-durasadam

 udyana-ramyopavanopasobhitam

 

sauvarna-srngataka-harmya-niskutaih

 sreni-sabhabhir bhavanair upaskrtam

vaidurya-vajramala-nila-vidrumair

 mukta-haridbhir valabhisu vedisu

 

justesu jalamukha-randhra-kuttimesv

 avista-paravata-barhi-naditam

samsikta-rathyapana-marga-catvaram

 prakirna-malyankura-laja-tandulam

 

apurna-kumbhair dadhi-candanoksitaih

 prasuna-dipavalibhih sa-pallavaih

sa-vrnda-rambha-kramukaih sa-ketubhih

 sv-alankrta-dvara-grham sa-pattikaih

 

Translation: 

 

The Lord saw Mathura, with its tall gates and household entrances made of crystal, its immense archways and main doors of gold, its granaries and other storehouses of copper and brass, and its impregnable moats. Beautifying the city were pleasant gardens and parks. The main intersections were fashioned of gold, and there were mansions with private pleasure gardens, along with guildhalls and many other buildings. Mathura resounded with the calls of peacocks and pet turtledoves, who sat in the small openings of the lattice windows and on the gem-studded floors, and also on the columned balconies and on the ornate rafters in front of the houses. These balconies and rafters were adorned with vaidurya stones, diamonds, crystal quartz, sapphires, coral, pearls and emeralds. All the royal avenues and commercial streets were sprinkled with water, as were the side roads and courtyards, and flower garlands, newly grown sprouts, parched grains and rice had been scattered about everywhere. Gracing the houses’ doorways were elaborately decorated pots filled with water, which were bedecked with mango leaves, smeared with yogurt and sandalwood paste, and encircled by flower petals and ribbons. Near the pots were flags, rows of lamps, bunches of flowers and the trunks of banana and betel-nut trees.

 

Purport: 

 

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura gives this description of the elaborately decorated pots: “On either side of each doorway, above the scattered rice, is a pot. Encircling each pot are flower petals, on its neck are ribbons and in its mouth are leaves of mango and other trees. Above each pot, on a gold plate, are rows of lamps. A trunk of a banana tree stands on either side of each pot, and a betel-nut tree trunk stands in front and also behind. Flags lean against the pots.”