Bhagavata Purana

त एवं लोकनाथेन परिपृष्टाः सुसत्कृताः। प्रत्यूचुर्हृष्टमनसस्तत्पादेक्षाहतांहसः

Those who had been thus questioned by the Lord of the worlds, and honored, replied with joyful hearts, their sins destroyed by the sight of his feet.

कुतोऽशिवं त्वच्चरणाम्बुजासवं महन्मनस्तो मुखनिःसृतं क्वचित्। पिबन्ति ये कर्णपुटैरलं प्रभो देहंभृतां देहकृदस्मृतिच्छिदम्

How could anything inauspicious arise from the nectar of your lotus feet, O great one, which sometimes flows from your mouth? Those who drink it with the cups of their ears, O Lord, find it sufficient to sever the bondage of embodied existence and the forgetfulness caused by the body.

हित्वात्म धामविधुतात्मकृतत्र्यवस्थाम्। आनन्दसम्प्लवमखण्डमकुण्ठबोधम्। कालोपसृष्टनिगमावन आत्तयोग। मायाकृतिं परमहंसगतिं नताः स्म

Having abandoned the threefold states of self, purified of all actions, we have attained uninterrupted bliss and unimpeded knowledge. Through yoga, established by the scriptures and time, we have bowed to your form, the supreme path of the paramahaṃsa, though fashioned by māyā.

श्रीऋषिरुवाच। इत्युत्तमःश्लोकशिखामणिं जनेष्व्। अभिष्टुवत्स्वन्धककौरवस्त्रियः। समेत्य गोविन्दकथा मिथोऽगृणंस्। त्रिलोकगीताः शृणु वर्णयामि ते

The sage said: Thus, the wives of the Andhaka and Kaurava clans, having gathered, praised the crown-jewel of those with noble fame among people. Meeting together, they sang Govinda's stories to each other, which are celebrated throughout the three worlds. Listen, I shall describe them to you.

श्रीद्रौपद्युवाच। हे वैदर्भ्यच्युतो भद्रे हे जाम्बवति कौशले। हे सत्यभामे कालिन्दि शैब्ये रोहिणि लक्ष्मणे

Śrī Draupadī said: O Vaidarbhī, O Bhadrā, O Jāmbavatī, O Kauśalā, O Satyabhāmā, O Kālindī, O Śaibyā, O Rohiṇī, O Lakṣmaṇā—

हे कृष्णपत्न्य एतन्नो ब्रूत वो भगवान्स्वयम्। उपयेमे यथा लोकमनुकुर्वन्स्वमायया

O wives of Kṛṣṇa, please tell us: how did the Lord Himself marry you, imitating worldly ways by His own divine power?

श्रीरुक्मिण्युवाच। चैद्याय मार्पयितुमुद्यतकार्मुकेषु। राजस्वजेयभटशेखरिताङ्घ्रिरेणुः। निन्ये मृगेन्द्र इव भागमजावियूथात्। तच्छ्रीनिकेतचरणोऽस्तु ममार्चनाय

Śrī Rukmiṇī said: When warriors with drawn bows tried to offer me to the king of Cedi, the dust of whose feet crowned the heads of the king’s soldiers, He carried me away like a lion seizing his share from a herd of goats. May the feet of that Lord, the abode of Śrī, be worshipped by me.

श्रीसत्यभामोवाच। यो मे सनाभिवधतप्तहृदा ततेन। लिप्ताभिशापमपमार्ष्टुमुपाजहार। जित्वर्क्षराजमथ रत्नमदात्स तेन। भीतः पितादिशत मां प्रभवेऽपि दत्ताम्

Śrī Satyabhāmā said: He, who, to wipe away the curse smeared upon me by my co-wife, defeated the king of the earth and brought the jewel, frightened my father and others, and even though I was given to another, He took me for Himself.

श्रीजाम्बवत्युवाच। प्राज्ञाय देहकृदमुं निजनाथदैवं। सीतापतिं त्रिनवहान्यमुनाभ्ययुध्यत्। ज्ञात्वा परीक्षित उपाहरदर्हणं मां। पादौ प्रगृह्य मणिनाहममुष्य दासी

Śrī Jāmbavatī said: Recognizing Him as the maker of bodies and my destined Lord, the husband of Sītā fought with my father for twenty-one days. Knowing Him to be tested, my father offered me to Him, and grasping His feet with the jewel, I became His servant.

श्रीकालिन्द्युवाच। तपश्चरन्तीमाज्ञाय स्वपादस्पर्शनाशया। सख्योपेत्याग्रहीत्पाणिं योऽहं तद्गृहमार्जनी

Śrī Kālindī said: Knowing I was performing austerities with the desire to touch His feet, He approached me as a friend, took my hand, and I became the sweeper of His house.

श्रीमित्रविन्दोवाच। यो मां स्वयंवर उपेत्य विजित्य भूपान्। निन्ये श्वयूथगं इवात्मबलिं द्विपारिः। भ्रातॄंश्च मेऽपकुरुतः स्वपुरं श्रियौकस्। तस्यास्तु मेऽनुभवमङ्घ्र्यवनेजनत्वम्

Śrī Mitravindā said: He came to my svayaṃvara, defeated the kings, and carried me away like an elephant seizing his own mate from a herd. He drove away my brothers and brought me to His own city, the abode of fortune. May I have the privilege of serving His feet.

श्रीसत्योवाच। सप्तोक्षणोऽतिबलवीर्यसुतीक्ष्णशृङ्गान्। पित्रा कृतान्क्षितिपवीर्यपरीक्षणाय। तान्वीरदुर्मदहनस्तरसा निगृह्य। क्रीडन्बबन्ध ह यथा शिशवोऽजतोकान्

Śrī Satyā said: My father, to test the strength and valor of the kings, had seven fierce, sharp-horned bulls. He, the destroyer of the pride of heroes, subdued them with ease and bound them as a child binds young calves.

य इत्थं वीर्यशुल्कां मां। दासीभिश्चतुरङ्गिणीम्। पथि निर्जित्य राजन्यान्। निन्ये तद्दास्यमस्तु मे

He, who thus won me, given as the price of valor, along with my maidservants and army, by defeating the kings on the road—may I become His servant.

श्रीभद्रोवाच। पिता मे मातुलेयाय स्वयमाहूय दत्तवान्। कृष्णे कृष्णाय तच्चित्तामक्षौहिण्या सखीजनैः

Śrī Bhadrā said: My father, inviting my maternal uncle, gave me to Kṛṣṇa, the dark one, whose mind was set on Him, along with an army and companions.

अस्य मे पादसंस्पर्शो भवेज्जन्मनि जन्मनि। कर्मभिर्भ्राम्यमाणाया येन तच्छ्रेय आत्मनः

May I have the touch of His feet in every birth, for by that, one who is wandering in the cycle of karma attains the highest good for the soul.

श्रीलक्ष्मणोवाच। ममापि राज्ञ्यच्युतजन्मकर्म श्रुत्वा मुहुर्नारदगीतमास ह। चित्तं मुकुन्दे किल पद्महस्तया वृतः सुसम्मृश्य विहाय लोकपान्

Śrī Lakṣmaṇā said: Hearing again and again from Nārada the stories of the king’s birth and deeds, my mind was firmly drawn to Mukunda, the lotus-handed one, abandoning even the guardians of the world.

ज्ञात्वा मम मतं साध्वि पिता दुहितृवत्सलः। बृहत्सेन इति ख्यातस्तत्रोपायमचीकरत्

Knowing my mind, my father, the affectionate Bṛhatsena, devised a means for my marriage.

यथा स्वयंवरे राज्ञि मत्स्यः पार्थेप्सया कृतः। अयं तु बहिराच्छन्नो दृश्यते स जले परम्

As in the svayaṃvara of the princess, a fish was set up for the sake of the Pāṇḍava’s desire, so here, one was concealed outside but could be seen in the water below.

श्रुत्वैतत्सर्वतो भूपा आययुर्मत्पितुः पुरम्। सर्वास्त्रशस्त्रतत्त्वज्ञाः सोपाध्यायाः सहस्रशः

Hearing this, kings from all sides, skilled in the use of all weapons and missiles, came by the thousands with their teachers to my father’s city.

पित्रा सम्पूजिताः सर्वे यथावीर्यं यथावयः। आददुः सशरं चापं वेद्धुं पर्षदि मद्धियः

All were honored by my father according to their strength and age; those who desired me took up bows with arrows to shoot in the assembly.

आदाय व्यसृजन्केचित्सज्यं कर्तुमनीश्वराः। आकोष्ठं ज्यां समुत्कृष्य पेतुरेकेऽमुनाहताः

Some, taking up the bow, tried to string it but were unable; some, drawing the bowstring to their chest, fell, struck by it.

सज्यं कृत्वापरे वीरा मागधाम्बष्ठचेदिपाः। भीमो दुर्योधनः कर्णो नाविदंस्तदवस्थितिम्

Other heroes, like the kings of Magadha, Ambashṭha, and Cedi, as well as Bhīma, Duryodhana, and Karṇa, managed to string the bow but did not understand the true challenge.

मत्स्याभासं जले वीक्ष्य ज्ञात्वा च तदवस्थितिम्। पार्थो यत्तोऽसृजद्बाणं नाच्छिनत्पस्पृशे परम्

Seeing the image of a fish in the water and understanding its position, Arjuna carefully released his arrow; it did not cut, but merely touched the target.

राजन्येषु निवृत्तेषु भग्नमानेषु मानिषु। भगवान्धनुरादाय सज्यं कृत्वाथ लीलया

When the kings had withdrawn, their pride broken, the Lord, taking up the bow, strung it effortlessly.

तस्मिन्सन्धाय विशिखं मत्स्यं वीक्ष्य सकृज्जले। छित्त्वेषुणापातयत्तं सूर्ये चाभिजिति स्थिते २६ अभिजित्। दिवि दुन्दुभयो नेदुर्जयशब्दयुता भुवि। देवाश्च कुसुमासारान्मुमुचुर्हर्षविह्वलाः

Aiming the arrow at that target, seeing the fish just once in the water, he cut it down with his arrow and made it fall, while the sun stood in the Abhijit constellation.

तद्रङ्गमाविशमहं कलनूपुराभ्यां। पद्भ्यां प्रगृह्य कनकोज्वलरत्नमालाम् । नूत्ने निवीय परिधाय च कौशिकाग्र्ये। सव्रीडहासवदना कवरीधृतस्रक्

Then I entered the arena, my anklets tinkling softly, holding a radiant golden garland of gems in my hands, dressed in a new silk garment, with a bashful smile on my face, my hair adorned with a floral wreath.

उन्नीय वक्त्रमुरुकुन्तलकुण्डलत्विड्। गण्डस्थलं शिशिरहासकटाक्षमोक्षैः। राज्ञो निरीक्ष्य परितः शनकैर्मुरारेर्। अंसेऽनुरक्तहृदया निदधे स्वमालाम्

Lifting my face, with large earrings shining and cheeks glowing, casting gentle, smiling glances, I slowly looked around at the kings, and with a heart devoted to Murāri, I placed my garland on his shoulder.

तावन्मृदङ्गपटहाः शङ्खभेर्यानकादयः। निनेदुर्नटनर्तक्यो ननृतुर्गायका जगुः

At that moment, drums, kettledrums, conches, trumpets, and other instruments resounded; dancers danced and singers sang.

एवं वृते भगवति मयेशे नृपयूथपाः। न सेहिरे याज्ञसेनि स्पर्धन्तो हृच्छयातुराः

When the Lord, the master of Māyā, was thus chosen by me, the chiefs of men, burning with desire, could not tolerate the choice of Draupadī and competed with each other.