Sri-vatsa is the unique curl of hair on the Lord's chest. It is the emblem of the goddess of fortune. It is described as golden curl or white curl at different places.
dvapare bhagavan syamah
pita-vasa nijayudhah
sri-vatsadibhir ankais ca
laksanair upalaksitah
Now, the incarnation of God in the Dvapara-yuga is the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is pita-vasa nijayudhah. He has got His own wheel, His instrument, and He has many signs on His chest, sri-vatsa-adibhih. Krishna was accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by signs also. There are many signs on the sole, underneath the sole. There are many signs on His chest. And other characteristic of Krishna, incarnation of Krishna's presence, they are described in the sastras, in the scriptures. So learned men, sages, they understood that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. SB 11.5.27
Srivatsa is a curl of white hair on the chest of the Lord which is a special sign of His being the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In Vaikunthaloka or in Goloka Vrndavana, the inhabitants are exactly of the same form as the Personality of Godhead, but by this Srivatsa mark on the chest of the Lord He is distinguished from all others. SB 3.19.15
The Lord is further described as having the mark of Srivatsa, or the sitting place of the goddess of fortune, and His bodily hue is deep bluish. The Lord is a person, He wears a garland of flowers, and He is eternally manifest with four hands, which hold [beginning from the lower left hand] a conchshell, wheel, club and lotus flower. SB 4.8.47
In Vaikunthaloka the Supreme Personality of Godhead has four hands and decorations like the Srivatsa mark on His chest and the gem known as Kaustubha. These are special indications of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord's personal attendants and other devotees in Vaikuntha have the same features, except for the Srivatsa mark and the Kaustubha gem. SB 6.9.29-30
The Srivatsa mark is described by the Vaisnava-tosani as being a curl of fine yellow hair on the upper portion of the right side of Lord Visnu's chest. This mark is not for ordinary devotees. It is a special mark of Visnu or Krishna. SB 10.13.47-48
"On Krishna's chest are the ornaments of Srivatsa and the mark indicating the residence of the goddess of fortune. His chest, which is as broad as a plunderer's, attracts thousands upon thousands of damsels of Vraja, conquering their minds and breasts by force. Thus they all become maidservants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. C.c. Antya lila 15.74
One should worship, in order, the Lord's Sudarsana disc, His Pancajanya conchshell, His club, sword, bow, arrows and plow, His musala weapon, His Kaustubha gem, His flower garland and the Srivatsa curl of hair on His chest. SB 11.27.27
Why Srivatsa mark on the Chest of Visnu?
Laksmi, the goddess of fortune, has complete knowledge of Krishna’s opulences, but she could not achieve the association of Krishna by dint of such knowledge. The devotees in Vrndavana, however, actually enjoy the association of Krishna. C.c. Antya 7.29
“‘When Lord Sri Krishna was dancing with the gopis in the rasa-lila, the gopis were embraced around the neck by the Lord’s arms. This transcendental favor was never bestowed upon the goddess of fortune or the other consorts in the spiritual world. Nor was such a thing ever imagined by the most beautiful girls in the heavenly planets, girls whose bodily luster and aroma resemble the beauty and fragrance of lotus flowers. And what to speak of worldly women, who may be very, very beautiful according to material estimation?’ C.c. Antya 7.30 and SB 10.47.60
Srila Rupa Gosvami, in his Laghu-bhagavatamrta, has quoted from the Padma Purana, where it is stated that Laksmi-devi, the goddess of fortune, after seeing the attractive features of Lord Krishna, was attracted to Him, and to get the favor of Lord Krishna she engaged herself in meditation.
When asked by Krishna why she engaged in meditation with austerity, Laksmi-devi answered, “I want to be one of Your associates like the gopis in Vrndavana.” Hearing this, Lord Sri Krishna replied that it was quite impossible. Laksmi-devi then said that she wanted to remain just like a golden line on the chest of the Lord. The Lord granted the request, and since then Laksmi has always been situated on the chest of Lord Krishna as a golden line.
The austerity and meditation of Laksmi-devi are also mentioned in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.16.36), where the Naga-patnis, the wives of the serpent Kaliya, in the course of their prayers to Krishna, said that the goddess of fortune, Laksmi, also wanted His association as a gopi and desired the dust of His lotus feet. C.c. Adi 5.223
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