Kṛṣṇa used to put a vaijayantī garland around His neck. This vaijayantī garland is made of at least five differently colored flowers. The length of such a garland was always touching Kṛṣṇa's knees or feet. Besides this garland of flowers, there were other kinds of flower garlands too—sometimes decorating His head, sometimes hanging around His neck and chest. Artistic painting with sandalwood pulp and colored sandalwood were also to be found on the body of Kṛṣṇa.
One gopī addressed her friend and began to praise the bodily features of Kṛṣṇa. She praised His blackish complexion, the reddish color of chewing pan enhancing His beauty hundreds of times, the curling hair on His head, the kuṅkum* red spots on His body and the tilaka on His forehead.
- kuṅkum is a sweetly-flavored reddish powder which is thrown on the bodies of worshipable persons
His helmet, His earrings, His necklace, His four garments, the bangles on His head, the rings on His fingers, His ankle bells and His flute—these are the different features of Kṛṣṇa's ornaments. Kṛṣṇa, the enemy of Agha, always looked beautiful with His incomparable helmet, His earrings made of diamonds, His necklace of pearls, His bangles, embroidered garments and the beautiful rings on His fingers.
Kṛṣṇa is sometimes called vanamālī. Vana means forest and mālī means gardener, so vanamālī refers to one who extensively uses flowers and garlands on different parts of His body. Kṛṣṇa was dressed like this not only in Vṛndāvana but also on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Seeing such colorful dress and the garlands of different flowers, some great sages prayed, "Lord Kṛṣṇa was going to the battlefield of Kurukṣetra not to fight, but to grace all of the devotees with His presence."