Bhagavata Purana

रेमे षोडशसाहस्र पत्‍नीनां एकवल्लभः । तावद्विचित्ररूपोऽसौ तद्‌गेहेषु महर्द्धिषु

He enjoyed himself as the sole beloved of sixteen thousand wives, in their magnificent homes, each displaying wondrous forms.

प्रोत्फुल्लोत्पलकह्लार कुमुदाम्भोजरेणुभिः । वासितामलतोयेषु कूजद्‌द्विजकुलेषु च

In pure waters scented by the pollen of fully bloomed lotuses, lilies, and blue water-lilies, and among the chirping flocks of birds.

विजहार विगाह्याम्भो ह्रदिनीषु महोदयः । कुचकुङ्कुमलिप्ताङ्गः परिरब्धश्च योषिताम्

He sported, entering the waters of lakes, his body smeared with the saffron from their breasts, embraced by the women.

उपगीयमानो गन्धर्वैः मृदङ्गपणवानकान् । वादयद्‌भिर्मुदा वीणां सूतमागधवन्दिभिः

He was sung to by Gandharvas, with joyful playing of drums, cymbals, and kettledrums, and the bards, genealogists, and singers played the lute.

सिच्यमानोऽच्युतस्ताभिः हसन्तीभिः स्म रेचकैः । प्रतिषिञ्चन् विचिक्रीडे यक्षीभिर्यक्षराडिव

Acyuta was sprinkled by those women, laughing with playful gestures, and he sported as they sprinkled him, like the lord of the Yakṣas among Yakṣīs.

( वसंततिलका ) ताः क्लिन्नवस्त्रविवृतोरुकुचप्रदेशाः सिञ्चन्त्य उद्धृतबृहत्कवरप्रसूनाः । कान्तं स्म रेचकजिहीर्षययोपगुह्य जातस्मरोत्स्मयलसद् वदना विरेजुः

Their garments soaked and their broad breasts exposed, sprinkling him with large handfuls of flowers, they embraced their beloved with playful intent, their faces radiant with smiles born of awakened longing.

कृष्णस्तु तत्स्तनविषत् जितकुङ्कुमस्रक् क्रीडाभिषङ्गधुतकुन्तलवृन्दबन्धः । सिञ्चन् मुन्मुहुर्युवतिभिः प्रतिषिच्यमानो रेमे करेणुभिरिवेभपतिः परीतः

Kṛṣṇa, with his chest adorned by garlands smeared with saffron, his hair loosened from the play and embraces, being repeatedly sprinkled by the young women, enjoyed himself surrounded like an elephant by female elephants.

( अनुष्टुप् ) नटानां नर्तकीनां च गीतवाद्योपजीविनाम् । क्रीडालङ्कारवासांसि कृष्णोऽदात्तस्य च स्त्रियः

Kṛṣṇa gave ornaments and garments for play to the dancers, dancing women, singers, and musicians, as well as to the women.

कृष्णस्यैवं विहरतो गत्यालापेक्षितस्मितैः । नर्मक्ष्वेलिपरिष्वङ्गैः स्त्रीणां किल हृता धियः

As Kṛṣṇa enjoyed thus, with smiles and glances that responded to their movements, with playful jokes and embraces, the minds of the women were captivated.

ऊचुर्मुकुन्दैकधियो गिर उन्मत्तवज्जडम् । चिन्तयन्त्योऽरविन्दाक्षं तानि मे गदतः श्रृणु

They spoke, their minds fixed solely on Mukunda, their words incoherent like those of the intoxicated or dull-witted, thinking of the lotus-eyed one; hear these as I recount them.

महिष्य ऊचुः - ( मालिनी ) कुररि विलपसि त्वं वीतनिद्रा न शेषे स्वपिति जगति रात्र्यामीश्वरो गुप्तबोधः । वयमिव सखि कच्चिद्‌गाढनिर्विद्धचेता नलिननयनहासोदारलीलेक्षितेन

The queens said: O kurarī, you lament, sleepless, not resting; the Lord of the world sleeps at night, hidden from our awareness. Are you, like us, friend, pierced deeply in heart by the generous glances and smiles of the lotus-eyed one?

( वसंततिलका ) नेत्रे निमीलयसि नक्तमदृष्टबन्धुः त्वं रोरवीषि करुणं बत चक्रवाकि । दास्यं गत वयमिवाच्युतपादजुष्टां किं वा स्रजं स्पृहयसे कबरेण वोढुम्

You close your eyes at night, unseen by your companion, and cry out plaintively, O cakravākī. We, too, have attained servitude at Acyuta's feet; or do you long for a garland to wear in your hair?

( मिश्र ) भो भोः सदा निष्टनसे उदन्वन् अलब्धनिद्रोऽधिगतप्रजागरः । किं वा मुकुन्दापहृतात्मलाञ्छनः प्राप्तां दशां त्वं च गतो दुरत्ययाम्

O, you always groan by the waters, sleepless and awake through the night; is it because Mukunda has taken away the mark of your soul, that you, too, have reached this state, so difficult to endure?

( वसंततिलका ) त्वं यक्ष्मणा बलवतासि गृहीत इन्दो क्षीणस्तमो न निजदीधितिभिः क्षिणोषि । कच्चिन् गकुन्दगदितानि यथा वयं त्वं विस्मृत्य भोः स्थगितगीरुपलक्ष्यसे नः

O Moon, you have been seized by a powerful consumption; your light is waning and you cannot dispel the darkness with your own rays. Like us, who are bewildered and speak in broken words, have you too forgotten, and thus remain silent, unnoticed by us?

( अनुष्टुप् ) किं न्वाचरितमस्माभिः मलयानिल तेऽप्रियम् । गोविन्दापाङ्गनिर्भिन्ने हृदीरयसि नः स्मरम्

O wind from the Malaya mountains, have we done something to displease you? For, pierced by the sidelong glances of Govinda, you stir in our hearts the pain of longing.

( मंदाक्रान्ता ) मेघ श्रीमन् त्वमसि दयितो यादवेन्द्रस्य नूनं श्रीवत्साङ्कं वयमिव भवान् ध्यायति प्रेमबद्धः । अत्युत्कण्ठः शबलहृदयोऽस्मद्विधो बाष्पधाराः स्मृत्वा स्मृत्वा विसृजसि मुहुर्दुःखदस्तत्प्रसङ्गः

O splendid cloud, you must surely be dear to the chief of the Yadus; like us, you are bound by love, constantly meditating on him who bears the Śrīvatsa mark. Overwhelmed with longing, your heart agitated like ours, you shed streams of tears again and again, remembering him—such is the pain of his association.

( वियोगिनि ) प्रियरावपदानि भाषसे मृत सञ्जीविकयानया गिरा करवाणि किमद्य ते प्रियं वद मे वल्गितकण्ठ कोकिल

O cuckoo, with your trembling throat, you utter words that revive the dead with their sweetness. Tell me, what can I do for you today, dear one? Speak, for you seem to call out the beloved's name.

( पुष्पिताग्रा ) न चलसि न वदस्युदारबुद्धे क्षितिधर चिन्तयसे महान्तमर्थम् । अपि बत वसुदेवनन्दनाङ्‌घ्रिं वयमिव कामयसे स्तनैर्विधर्तुम्

O mountain, wise one, you do not move or speak; you seem to contemplate some great purpose. Surely, like us, you long to embrace the feet of Vasudeva's son, holding him to your breast.

( वसंततिलका ) शुष्यद्ध्रदाः करशिता बत सिन्धुपत्‍न्यः सम्प्रत्यपास्तकमलश्रिय इष्टभर्तुः । यद्वद् वयं मधुपतेः प्रणयावलोकम् अप्राप्य मुष्टहृदयाः पुरुकर्शिताः स्म

Alas, the wives of the ocean, their lakes dried up and hands parched, have now lost the beauty of their lotuses, deprived of their beloved. Just as we, tormented and hearts seized by longing, suffer without the loving glance of the Lord of the bees.

( शार्दूलविक्रिडित ) हंस स्वागतमास्यतां पिब पयो ब्रूह्यङ्ग शौरेः कथां दूतं त्वां नु विदाम कच्चिदजितः स्वस्त्यास्त उक्तं पुरा । किं वा नश्चलसौहृदः स्मरति तं कस्माद्‌भजामो वयं क्षौद्रालापय कामदं श्रियमृते सैवैकनिष्ठा स्त्रियाम्

O swan, welcome! Sit and drink this water. Tell us, dear one, news of Śauri. Are you his messenger? Is the unconquered one well, as he said before? Or has his affection for us wavered? Why should we serve him if he forgets us? Speak sweetly, for apart from his grace, there is no other refuge for women.

श्रीशुक उवाच - ( अनुष्टुप् ) इतीदृशेन भावेन कृष्णे योगेश्वरेश्वरे । क्रियमाणेन माधव्यो लेभिरे परमां गतिम्

Śuka said: In this way, with such feelings toward Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of yogis, the women of Mādhava attained the highest state.

श्रुतमात्रोऽपि यः स्त्रीणां प्रसह्याकर्षते मनः । उरुगायोरुगीतो वा पश्यन्तीनां कुतः पुनः

He, whose fame is sung in great songs, even when merely heard of, forcibly attracts the minds of women—what then of those who see him directly?

याः सम्पर्यचरन् प्रेम्णा पादसंवाहनादिभिः । जगद्‌गुरुं भर्तृबुद्ध्या तासां किं वर्ण्यते तपः

Those who, out of love, served the Lord of the universe as their husband by massaging his feet and other acts—what penance of theirs can be described?

एवं वेदोदितं धर्मं अनुतिष्ठन् सतां गतिः । गृहं धर्मार्थकामानां मुहुश्चादर्शयत् पदम्

Thus, by practicing the dharma taught in the Vedas, he showed the path of the righteous to householders, and repeatedly demonstrated the ideal of dharma, artha, and kāma in the home.

आस्थितस्य परं धर्मं कृष्णस्य गृहमेधिनाम् । आसन् षोडशसाहस्रं महिष्यश्च शताधिकम्

For Kṛṣṇa, who established the supreme dharma among householders, there were sixteen thousand and more than a hundred queens.

तासां स्त्रीरत्‍नभूतानां अष्टौ याः प्रागुदाहृताः । रुक्मिणीप्रमुखा राजन् तत्पुत्राश्चानुपूर्वशः

Of these, the foremost eight, led by Rukmiṇī, were the chief jewels among women, O King, and their sons are listed in order.

एकैकस्यां दश दश कृष्णोऽजीजनदात्मजान् । यावत्य आत्मनो भार्या अमोघगतिरीश्वरः

From each of his wives, Kṛṣṇa, the unfailing Lord, begot ten sons, as many as he had wives.

तेषां उद्दामवीर्याणां अष्टादश महारथाः । आसन्नुदारयशसः तेषां नामानि मे शृणु

Among these sons, who were of great valor, there were eighteen great chariot-warriors, renowned for their noble deeds. Hear their names from me.

प्रद्युम्नश्चानिरुद्धश्च दीप्तिमान् भानुरेव च । साम्बो मधुर्बृहद्‌भानुः चित्रभानुर्वृकोऽरुणः

Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Dīptimān, Bhānu, Sāmba, Madhu, Bṛhadbhānu, Citrabhānu, Vṛka, and Aruṇa,