Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.11.18

vāraṇendraḿ puraskṛtya

brāhmaṇaiḥ sasumańgalaiḥ

śańkha-tūrya-ninādena

brahma-ghoṣeṇa cādṛtāḥ

pratyujjagmū rathair hṛṣṭāḥ

praṇayāgata-sādhvasāḥ

SYNONYMS

vāraṇa-indram — elephants on the auspicious mission; puraskṛtya — putting in the front; brāhmaṇaiḥ — by the brāhmaṇas; sa-sumańgalaiḥ — with all-auspicious signs; śańkha — conchshell; tūrya — bugle; ninādena — by the sound of; brahma-ghoṣeṇa — by chanting the hymns of the Vedas; ca — and; ādṛtāḥ — glorified; prati — towards; ujjagmuḥ — proceeded hurriedly; rathaiḥ — on the chariots; hṛṣṭāḥ — in cheerfulness; praṇayāgata — saturated with affection; sādhvasāḥ — all-respectful.

TRANSLATION

They hastened toward the Lord on chariots with brāhmaṇas bearing flowers. Before them were elephants, emblems of good fortune. Conchshells and bugles were sounded, and Vedic hymns were chanted. Thus they offered their respects, which were saturated with affection.

PURPORT

The Vedic way of receiving a great personality creates an atmosphere of respect, which is saturated with affection and veneration for the person received. The auspicious atmosphere of such a reception depends on the paraphernalia described above, including conchshells, flowers, incense, decorated elephants, and the qualified brāhmaṇas reciting verses from the Vedic literatures. Such a program of reception is full of sincerity, on the part of both the receiver and the received.