Arunchran Das

IV Canto part 2

The glories of the Lotus feet of the Lord

Introduction:
On the Bank of Godavari river in His meeting with Raya Ramananda, Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu asked.
Dhyeya madhye jivera kartavya kon dhyāna?
Rādhā-krsna-padambhuja-dhyāna pradhāna(CC Madhya 8.253)

Sri chaitanya Mahaprabhu inquired, “Out of many types of meditations, which is

required for all living entities?”

Srila Ramananda Raya replied, “The chief duty of every living entity is to
meditate upon the lotus feet of Radha and Krsna”

Narottam das Thakura in Prem Bhakti Candrika, Guru vandana writes, the lotus
feet of the spiritual master are the only way by which we can attain pure
devotional service. I bow to his lotus feet with great awe and reverence. By his
grace one can cross the ocean of material suffering and obtain the mercy of
Krsna.

In the purport of SB 4.24.52 Prabhpada comments that when a devotee wants to

see the transcendental form of the Lord, he begins his meditation on the Lord's
body by first looking at the feet of the Lord. Srimad-Bhagavatam is considered
to be the transcendental sound form of the Lord, and the twelve cantos are
divided in accordance with the transcendental form of the Lord. The First and
Second Cantos of Srimad-Bhagavatam are called the two lotus feet of the Lord.
It is therefore suggested by Lord Siva that one should first try to see the lotus
feet of the Lord. This also means that if one is serious about reading Srimad-
Bhagavatam, he must begin by seriously studying the First and Second Cantos.
Everyone serious about understanding the transcendental science and seeing the
transcendental form of the Lord must first of all attempt to see the lotus feet of
the Lord by studying the First and Second Cantos of Srimad-Bhagavatam.

It is said metaphorically, that the spiritual master plants his lotus feet in the
heart of disciple. Sincere spiritual students are encouraged to enshrine God’s
lotus feet or enshrine the lotus feet of the spiritual master within their heart. The
softness of the feet of the holy beings is considered so unparalleled that it can
be compared only to the delicacy of lotus petals. Just as the lotus is soft,
sublime, sacred and sweet, so are the lotus feet of the true spiritual preceptor.

Lotus feet manifest in the mind through regular spiritual practice, when man's
consciousness is concentrated through devotional exercises and disciplines.
Some of these include repetition of holy names.
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Offerings can be made to the lotus feet. Some of these are flowers, rice, and
water. Prayers, invocations and obeisances are also offered to the lotus feet.

Every living entity within this material world is always afflicted by some kind of
miseries, pertaining either to the body, the mind or natural disturbances.
Distresses due to cold in winter and severe heat in summer always inflict
miseries on the living entities in this material world, but one who has completely
taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord in Krsna consciousness is in the
transcendental stage; he is not disturbed by any miseries, either due to the
body, the mind, or natural disturbances of summer and winter. He is
transcendental to all these miseries.(SB 3.22.37p)

According to Vedic scripture, the soles of the lotus feet of holy beings are
decorated with several sacred symbols. These signs include the conch shell, the
thunderbolt, the half-moon and — of course — the lotus. If any body takes
shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord he is protected from all corners. He attains
fearlessness and wisdom and reaches to the Lord.In this essay I will discuss
various such issues like glories of the lotus feet of the Lord, the beauty of the
loyus feet, the marks on the lotus feet and at the end take a look at some of the
great personalities who have taken shelter and were benefitted.

The Vedas (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.23) enjoin that for one who has unflinching
faith in the lotus feet of the Lord, as well as in the spiritual master, the real
import of Vedic knowledge can be revealed.

Glories of the Lotus feet of the Lord:

Veda, sastra and puranas are filled with lots of glories of the Lord, especially His
lotus feet which are reservoir of all kinds of pleasure, mercy and knowledge for
the seekers. In this context, Srila sanatana Gosvami explains that the Lord
manifests a specific spiritual quality for the benefit of each living entity. Since
there are innumerable living entities within the confines of the material creation,
the Lord manifests infinite qualities. Thus every conditioned soul can appreciate
the supreme Lord in a particular way.

According to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur, great personalities like

Sankarsana actually have counted the number of atoms on the earth, and even
the molecules in the entire universe, yet even such a personality as Sankarsana,
who has been continuously chanting the glories of the Lord since time
immemorial, has not been approached a final count of those glories. We will
discuss out of the unlimited glories some of the glories of the lotus feet of the
Lord.

deva ucuh
namama te deva padaravindam
prapanna-tapopasamatapatram
yan-mula-keta yatayo 'njasorusamsara-
duhkham bahir utksipanti(SB 3.5.39)
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The demigods said: O Lord, Your lotus feet are like an umbrella for the
surrendered souls, protecting them from all the miseries of material existence.
All the sages under that shelter throw off all material
miseries. We therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto Your lotus feet.

krsna pāda padma gandh yei jana pāya

brahmaloka-ādi sukh tānre nāhi bhāya(CC. antya 6.136)

"One who experiences the fragrance of the lotus feet of Lord Krsna does not
even value the standard of happiness available in Brahmaloka, the topmost
planet. And what to speak of heavenly happiness?”

When four kumaras were born, Brahmaj told them to increase progeny but they
denied on the ground of serving the Lord without falling into the material
entanglement. People may ask how the Kumaras could refuse the orders of
Brahma, who was their father and above all the creator of the universe. The
reply is that one who is vasudeva-parayana, or seriously engaged in the
devotional service of the Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva, need not care for
any other obligation. It is enjoined in the Bhagavatam (11.5.41):
devarsi-bhutapta-nrnam pitrnam
na kinkaro nayam rni ca rajan
sarvatmana yah saranam saranyam
gato mukundam parihrtya kartam

"Anyone who has completely given up all worldly relationships and has taken
absolute shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord, who gives us salvation and who
alone is fit to be taken shelter of, is no longer a debtor or servant of anyone,
including the demigods, forefathers, sages, other living entities, relatives, and
members of human society." Thus there was nothing wrong in the acts of the
Kumaras when they refused their great father's request that they become family
men.

Where Sri Krishna’s lotus-feet are concerned, the devotees are like honeybees,
always eager for the nectar. They are the eternal objects of worship and
meditation for the devotees and a devotee’s only heartfelt desire is to obtain His
lotus-feet. Thinking and meditating on those lotus-feet are the very means of
destroying our inauspicious qualities, and to obtain them. Sri Krishna’s feet are
decorated with various auspicious symbols such as the flag, thunderbolt,
elephant driver’s hook etc. If we meditate on these symbols all obstacles on the
path of our Bhajan will be destroyed.

"Any person who is engaged one hundred percent in the transcendental loving
service of the Lord, at His lotus feet, is very dear to the Personality of Godhead
Hari, and the Lord, being situated in the heart of the devotee, excuses all kinds
of sins committed by chance."(SB 3.12.34)

When one sees the lotus feet of the Lord, all kinds of doubts and fears within the
heart are vanquished. In Bhagavad-gita it is said that in order to make spiritual
progress, one must become fearless. Abhayam sattva-samsuddhih (Bg. 16.1).
Fearfulness is the result of material involvement. It is also said in Srimad-
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Bhagavatam (11.2.37), bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syat: fearfulness is a

creation of the bodily conception of life. As long as one is absorbed in the
thought that he is this material body, he is fearful, and as soon as one is freed
from this material conception, he becomes brahma-bhuta, or self-realized, and
immediately becomes fearless. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma (Bg. 18.54).
Without being fearless, one cannot be joyful. The bhaktas, the devotees, are
fearless and always joyful because they are constantly engaged in the service of
the lotus feet of the Lord.

sancintayed bhagavatas caranaravindam

vajrankusa-dhvaja-saroruha-lanchanadhyam
uttunga-rakta-vilasan-nakha-cakravala
jyotsnabhir ahata-mahad-dhrdayandhakaram(SB 3.28.21)

“The devotee should first concentrate his mind on the Lord's lotus feet, which
are adorned with the marks of a thunderbolt, a goad, a banner and a lotus. The
splendour of their beautiful ruby nails resembles the orbit of the moon and
dispels the thick gloom of one's heart.”

The lustre of His toenails, which are brilliantly prominent, resembles the light of
the moon. If a yogi looks upon the marks of the Lord's sole and on the blazing
brilliance of His nails, then he can be freed from the darkness of ignorance in
material existence. This liberation is not achieved by mental speculation, but by
seeing the light emanating from the lustrous toenails of the Lord. In other
words, one has to fix his mind first on the lotus feet of the Lord if he wants to be
freed from the darkness of ignorance in material existence.

yac-chauca-nihsrta-sarit-pravarodakena
tirthena murdhny adhikrtena sivah sivo 'bhut
dhyatur manah-samala-saila-nisrsta-vajram
dhyayec ciram bhagavatas caranaravindam (SB 3.28.22)

“The blessed Lord Siva becomes all the more blessed by bearing on his head the
holy waters of the Ganges, which has its source in the water that washed the
Lord's lotus feet. The Lord's feet act like thunderbolts hurled to shatter the
mountain of sin stored in the mind of the meditating devotee. One should
therefore meditate on the lotus feet of the Lord for a long time.”

Sukadeva Gosvami said: My dear King, Lord Visnu, the enjoyer of all sacrifices,
appeared as Vamanadeva in the sacrificial arena of Bali Maharaja. Then He
extended His left foot to the end of the universe and pierced a hole in its
covering with the nail of His big toe. Through the hole, the pure water of the
Causal Ocean entered this universe as the Ganges River. Having washed the
lotus feet of the Lord, which are covered with reddish powder, the water of the
Ganges acquired a very beautiful pink color. Every living being can immediately
purify his mind of material contamination by touching the transcendental water
of the Ganges, yet its waters remain ever pure. Because the Ganges directly
touches the lotus feet of the Lord before descending within this universe, she is
known as Visnupadi. Later she received other names like Jahnavi and Bhagirathi.
After one thousand millenniums, the water of the Ganges descended on
Dhruvaloka, the topmost planet in this universe. Therefore all learned sages and
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scholars proclaim Dhruvaloka to be Visnupada ["situated on Lord Visnu's lotus

feet"].(SB 5.17.1 p)

Whoever touches the water of the Ganges to his head surely touches the lotus
feet of the Lord directly and can become free from all effects of sinful acts. The
water of the ganges delivers the three world. The heavenly planet with the name
Mandakini, the earth as Jahnavi and the patal loka as Bhogavati.

When one is attracted by the beauty of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and
his mind is always engaged at the Lord's lotus feet, he is no longer interested in
subjects that do not help him in self-realization. In other words, he loses all
attraction for material activities.(SB 5.19.20p)

When the Lord walks His lotus feet marks are impressed on the soft dust. The
land of Hastinapura was thus marke while Lord Krsna was there with the
Pandavas, and the kingdom of Pandavas thus flourished by such auspicious sign.
Kuntidevi pointed out these and prayed in SB 1.8.39
“O Gadadhara [Krsna], our kingdom is now being marked by the impressions of
Your feet, and therefore it appears beautiful. But when You leave, it will no
longer be so. “
The same thing is corroborated by King Uddhisthir who while getting the bad
omens all around said that the earthly disturbances indicate some greater loss to
the good fortune of the world. The world was fortunate to have been marked
with the footprints of the lotus feet of the Lord. The disturbances indicate that it
will nno longer be.(SB 1.14.21)

Queen Rukmini said in SB 10.60.42 that the aroma of the lotus feet of the Lord
is glorified by great saints, awards people liberation and is abode of Goddess
Laksmi. What woman would take helter of any other man after savouring that
aroma.

His lotus feet are the source of all awards achieved by devotional service free
from material contamination. Such awards are for those who worship Him in
pure devotion. (SB 3.8.26)

Lord Siva prayed, “My dear Lord, those who desire to purify their existence must
always engage in meditation upon Your lotus feet”(SB 4.24.53)

Naga patni said, “Those who have attained the dust of Your lotus feet never
hanker for the kingship of heaven, limitless sovereignty, the position of Brahma
or rulershipover the earth. They are not interested even in the perfections of
yoga or in liberation itself.” (SB 10.16.37)

Your lotus feet destroy the past sins of all embodied souls who surrender to
them. Those feet follow after the cows in the pastures and are the eternal abode
of the goddess of fortune. Since You once put those feet on the hoods of the
great serpent Kaliya, please place them upon our breasts and tear away the lust
in our hearts.(SB 10.31.7)

Your lotus feet, which are worshiped by Lord Brahmä, fulfil the desires of all who
bow down to them. They are the ornament of the earth, they give the highest
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satisfaction, and in times of danger they are the appropriate object of

meditation. O lover, O destroyer of anxiety, please put those lotus feet upon our
breasts.(SB 10.31.13)

O Father, O Lord, O Personality of Godhead, the living entities in the material

world can never have any happiness because they are overwhelmed by the three
kinds of miseries. Therefore they take shelter of the shade of Your lotus feet,
which are full of knowledge, and we also thus take shelter of them.(SB 3.5.40)

The lotus feet of the Lord are by themselves the shelter of all places of
pilgrimage.(SB 3.5.41)

Simply by hearing about your lotus feet with eagerness and devotion and by
meditating upon them within the heart, one at once becomes enlightened with
knowledge, and on the strength of detachment
one becomes pacified. We must therefore take shelter of the sanctuary of Your
lotus feet.(SB 3.5.42)

The beauty of the Lotus feet of the Lord:

padā śarat-padma-palāśa-rociṣā
nakha-dyubhir no ’ntar-aghaṁ vidhunvatā
pradarśaya svīyam apāsta-sādhvasaṁ
padaṁ guro mārga-gurus tamo-juṣām(SB 4.24.52)

"My dear Lord, Your two lotus feet are so beautiful that they appear like two
blossoming petals of the lotus flower which grows during the autumn season.
Indeed, the nails of Your lotus feet emanate such a great effulgence that they
immediately dissipate all the darkness in the heart of a conditioned soul. My
dear Lord, kindly show me that form of Yours which always dissipates all kinds of
darkness in the heart of a devotee. My dear Lord, You are the supreme spiritual
master of everyone; therefore all conditioned souls covered with the darkness of
ignorance can be enlightened by You as the spiritual master."

Gopis of Vrindavan calling the lotus feet of the Lord as the treasure-house of all
beauty. (SB 10.31.7) The feet of the Lord are more beautiful than a lotus.
Nalina-sundaraṁ nātha te padam(SB 10.31.11)

Lord Krsna’s lotus feet are described as pallava, flower buds, because they are
most tender and of pinkish hue. According to Srila Sanatana gosvami, the word
pallava also indicate that Lord Krsna’s lotus feet are just like desire tree, which
can fulfil all the desires of the Lord’s pure devotees. Even exalted devotees like
Sri Narada, who are themselves the great shelter for the conditioned souls in
this universe, personally take shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna.(SB
10.14.58p)

When the Kumaras visited Vaikuntha they got to see the nails of lotus feet of the
Lord, which resembled rubies.(SB 3.15.44)

The tips of the toes of His lotus feet reflect the beauty of the bodies of unlimited
millions of Cupids (CC Madhya 12.215p)
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The splendour of the transcendental rays from His moonlike toenails and
fingernails appeared like the petals of a flower.(SB 3.8.26)

The beauty of the lotus feet of the Lord is compared to the petals of a lotus
flower which grows in the autumn season. By nature's law, in autumn the dirty
or muddy waters of rivers and lakes become very clean. At that time the lotus
flowers growing in the lakes appear very bright and beautiful. The lotus flower
itself is compared to the lotus feet of the Lord, and the petals are compared to
the nails of the feet of the Lord. The nails of the feet of the Lord are very bright,
as Brahma-samhita testifies. Ananda-cinmayasad-ujjvala-vigrahasya: every limb
of the transcendental body of the Lord is made of ananda-cinmaya-sadujjvala.
Thus every limb is eternally bright. As sunshine dissipates the darkness of this
material world, the effulgence emanating from the body of the Lord immediately
dries up the darkness in the heart of the conditioned soul.
(SB 4.24.52)

Your feet resemble the lotus flower with all its fragrance.(SB 4.30.25) In this
vers The Lord’s navel,feet, eyes are compared with the beauty of the Lotus
flower. The Supreme Lord is so special that His beauty cannot be compared with
anything material from Brahma’ creation. But lotus flower is not of Brama’s
creation. Another point is that The feet of the Lord is compared with the lotus
flower but that to does not reflect complete glory of the feet of the Lord for that
is jada.

Different Marks on the Lotus feet of the Lord and its

significance:

padāni vyaktam etāni

nanda-sünor mahātmanah
lakṣyante hi dhvajāmbhoja-
vajrānkuśa-yavādibhih(SB 10.30.25)

[The gopis said:] The marks of a flag, lotus, thunderbolt, elephant goad,
barleycorn and so forth on these footprints clearly distinguish them as belonging
to that great soul, the son of Nanda Maharaja.

Srila Visvanātha Cakravarti Thākura, in his commentary on this verse,

gives the following scriptural information about the symbolic markings on the
lotus feet of Krsna
"In the following verses the Skanda Purāna states the particular places on His
feet where Krsna carries the mark of the flag and also other marks, and the
reasons for these marks:
Daksinasya padāngustha
Müle cakram bibharty ajah
tatra bhakta-janasyāri
sad-varga-cchedanāya sah

'At the base of the large toe on His right foot, the unborn Lord carries the
mark of a disc, which cuts down the six [mental] enemies of His devotees.'
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madhyamānguli-müle ca
dhatte kamalam acyutah
dhyātri-citta-dvirephānām
lobhanāyāti-sobhanām

'At the bottom of the middle toe of that same foot Lord Acyuta has a lotus
flower, which increases the greed for Him in the minds of the beelike devotees
who meditate on His feet.'

kanistha-mülato vajram
bhakta-pāpādri-bhedanam
pārsni-madhye 'nkusam bhakta
cittebha-vasa-kārinam

'At the base of His small toe is a thunderbolt, which smashes the mountains of
His devotees' reactions to past sins, and in the middle of His heel is the mark of
an elephant goad, which brings the elephants of His devotees' minds under
control.'

bhoga-sampan-mayam dhatte
yavam angustha-parvani

'The joint of His right large toe bears the mark of a barleycorn, representing all
kinds of enjoyable opulence’s.'

"Thus the Skanda Purāna describes six marks on Krsna's right foot—the
disc, flag, lotus, thunderbolt, elephant goad and barleycorn. And the
Vaisnava-tosani mentions even more marks—a vertical line beginning at the
middle of His foot and continuing as far as the juncture between His big toe and
second toe; an umbrella below the disc; at the base of the middle of His foot, a
group of four svastikas in the four cardinal directions; at the four points where
each svastika meets the next, four blackberry fruits; and in the middle of the
svastikas, an octagon. This makes eleven marks on Krsna's right foot."

Srila Visvanātha Cakravarti describes the marks on Krsna's left foot as

follows: "At the base of the large toe is a conchshell with its mouth facing the
toe. At the base of the middle toe are two concentric circles, representing the
inner and outer sky. Below this mark is Cupid’s unstrung bow, at the base of the
bow is a triangle, and surrounding the triangle is a group of four water pots. At
the base of the triangle is a half-moon and below the half-moon is a fish.

"All together, then, there are nineteen distinguishing marks on the soles of Lord
Krsna's lotus feet."
Meaning of symbols as described by Mahanidhi Swami in the book “Art of
chanting”
Conchshell: This is a symbol of victory proclaiming that the surrendered souls
are saved from all distress and awarded with fearlessness.
Flag: The flag announces security and protection from fear for devotees.
Fish: The fickle mind resembles a fish; so one must diligently practice meditation
on the lotus feet of the Lord to fix the lotus feet in one’s heart.
Bow: Those who take shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord will perpetually be
freed from all varieties of difficulties.
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Triangle: Devotees who take shelter of Krsna’s feet get saved from the snares of
the three modes and the three-fold miseries represented by the three sides of
the triangle.
Half-moon: Just as moon showers nectar with its cooling rays. Similarly, lotus
feet of the Lord shower nectar on his devotees who meditate on them.
Up curving line: The devotees who cling to the lotus feet of the Lord, as if
holding onto a lifeline, will be transported to the spiritual world.
Water Pots: Just as full pot is an auspicious symbol, similarly, the devotees who
meditate on Krsna’s feet will always experience auspiciousness.
Concentric circles: It signifies that Krsna is within everything and within te circle
of our heart.
Umbrella: Those who take shelter of the lotus feet are protected from the
incessant rainfall of material miseries.
Cow’s Hoof print: Those who take shelter, the vast ocean of material existence
become as small and insignificant as the water held in the hoof print of a cow.
Swastika: It is symbols of all auspiciousness.
Octagon: It shows that noting within the eight directions is unattainable for
Krsna’s devotee.
Blackberry fruit: Krsna’s lotus feet are the only worship able objects for the
residents of Jambudvipa.

The personalities who benefitted from taking shelter of the

Lotus feet of the Lord:

Tulsi Devi:The tulasi leaf is very useful even from the medicinal or antiseptic
point of view. It is considered sacred and is offered to the lotus feet of the Lord.
The tulasi leaf has numerous good qualities, but if it were not offered to the
lotus feet of the Lord, tulasi could not be of much value or importance.(SB
3.15.49P)

Laksmi Devi:Even though she has secured a place at the chest of the Lord
Narayana but she takes pleasure in serving the Lotus feet of the Lord and has
attained perfection.(SB 3.16.21)

Gajendra, the king of Elephant: The Personality of Godhead delivered the

king of the elephants, who was attacked by an alligator and who meditated upon
the lotus feet of the Lord. At that time the female elephants who accompanied
him were crying, and the Lord saved them from the impending danger.(SB
3.19.35)

Four Kumaras: When the breeze carrying the aroma of tu lasi leaves from the
toes of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead entered the nostrils of those
sages, they experienced a change both in body and in mind, even though they
were attached to the impersonal Brahman understanding.(SB 3.15.43) It
appears from this verse that the four Kumaras were impersonalists or
protagonists of the philosophy of monism, becoming one with the Lord. Because
of the fragrance of His lotus feet, carried by the air and mixed with the aroma of
tulasi, their minds changed; instead of becoming one with the Supreme Lord,
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they thought it wise to be devotees. Becoming a servitor of the lotus feet of the
Lord is better than becoming one with the Lord.

Lord Brahma: Markandeya Risi pointed out that the Lord Brahma obtained his
exalted position by the glimpse of the lotus feet of the Lord.(SB 12.9.5)

Lord Siva: By his constitutional position, Lord Siva is always great and
auspicious, but since he has accepted on his head the Ganges water, which
emanated from the lotus feet of the Lord, he has become even more auspicious
and important. The stress is on the lotus feet of the Lord. A relationship with the
lotus feet of the Lord can even enhance the importance of Lord Siva, what to
speak of other, ordinary living entities.

Serpent Kaliya: Naga patni said, “O Lord, we do not know how the serpent
Kaliya has attained this great opportunity of being touched by the dust of your
lotus feet. For this end, the goddess of fortune performed austerities for
centuries, giving up all other desires and taking austere vows.”(SB 10.16.36)

Ahalya, wife of Gautam Muni: came out of a stone by the touch of the lotus
feet of His incarnation as Lord Sri Rama.

Bali Maharaja: He has attained perfection in Atma nivedanam i.e. surrendering

everything unto the lotus feet of the Lord including himself.

Conclusion:
Bhagavata uru-vikramanghri-sakha-
Nakha-mani-candrika nirasta-tape
Hrdi katham upasidatam punah sa
Prabhavati candra ivodite ‘rka-tapah(SB 11.2.54)

“How can the fire of material suffering continue to burn the hearts of those who
worship the supreme Lord? The Lord’s lotus feet have performed innumerable
heroic deeds, and the beautiful nails on His toes resemble valuable jewels. The
effulgence emanating from those nails resembles cooling moonshine, for it
instantly relieves the suffering within the heart of the pure devotee, just as the
appearance of the moon’s cooling light relieves the burning heat of the sun.”

In the purport of this verse Srila Prabhupada comments that according to

vaisnava commentators it is to be understood from this verse that material lust,
exemplified by uncontrolled sexual desire, is exactly like a blazing fire. The
flames of this fire burn to ashes the peace and happiness of the conditioned
soul, who perpetually wanders in 8,400,000 species of life, vainly struggling to
extinguish this intolerable fire. The pure devotees of the Lord place the Lord’s
cooling jewels like lotus feet within their hearts and thus all of pain and suffering
of material existence are extinguished.

samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ
mahat-padaṁ punya-yaśo murāreù
bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ
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padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām(SB 10.14.58)

“For one who has accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the
shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Mukunda, or the giver of
mukti, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf’s
footprint. param padam, or the place where there are no material miseries, or
Vaikuntha, is his goal, not the place where there is danger in every step of life.”

The soles of the Lord's lotus feet are marked with sankha-cakra-gada-padma--
conchshell, disc, club and lotus-- and also by a flag and a thunderbolt. When
Krsna walks on this earth, these marks are visible wherever He goes.
Virndavana-dhama is a transcendental place because of Krsna's walking on this
land frequently. The inhabitants of Vrndavana were fortunate to see these marks
here and there. When Akrura went to Vrindavana to take Krsna and Balarama
away to the festival arranged by Kamsa, upon seeing the marks of the Lord's
lotus feet on the ground of Vrindavana, he fell down and began to groan. The
demigods were jubilant not only because the appearance of the Supreme Lord
would do away with the burdensome demons, but also because they would be
able to see upon the ground the transcendental marks from the soles of the
Lord's lotus feet. The gopis always thought of the Lord's lotus feet when He was
walking in the pasturing grounds, and, simply by thinking of the Lord's lotus
feet, the gopis were fully absorbed in transcendence. Like the gopis, one who is
always absorbed in thought of the Lord is beyond the material platform and will
not remain in this material world. It is our duty, therefore, always to hear, chant
and think about the Lord's lotus feet, as actually done by Vaisnavas who have
decided to live in Vrindavana always and think of the Lord's lotus feet twenty-
four hours a day.(SB 10.2.38p)

Those who worship the lotus feet of the Lord, they acquire glories of the
supreme Lord out of His mercy that they become able to deliver the fallen souls
and can give prema dana i.e. loving devotional service to the Lord. In the
Bhagavatam it is said, mahat-pada-rajo-'bhisekam, which means, to be blessed
by the holy dust of the lotus feet of a great devotee. Then what could be said of
the potency of the Lotus feet of the Lord. Everybody therefore should take
shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord for all their miseries, for all knowledge and
for all pleasure of life.

Why Bala-Mukunda is sucking his own toe?

"Why do the best of the sages reject even heavenly nectar and instead drink the
water from My lotus feet?" Thinking in this way, Bala-Mukunda eagerly sucks
His own lotus foot.
 Arunchran Das
IV Canto part 2