Shloka 42
The Slaying of Narakāsura (Bhaumāsura), Rescue of the Princesses, and the Pārijāta Episode Begins
अथो मुहूर्त एकस्मिन् नानागारेषु ता: स्त्रिय: । यथोपयेमे भगवान् तावद् रूपधरोऽव्यय: ॥ ४२ ॥
atho muhūrta ekasmin nānāgāreṣu tāḥ striyaḥ yathopayeme bhagavān tāvad-rūpa-dharo ’vyayaḥ
Then the imperishable Bhagavān, assuming a distinct form for each bride, duly married all the princesses at once, each within her own palace.
As Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains, here the word yathā indicates that each marriage was duly performed. This means that the entire company of the Lord’s relatives, including His mother Devakī, appeared in each and every palace and attended each and every wedding. Since all these weddings took place simultaneously, this event was surely a manifestation of the Lord’s inconceivable potency.
FAQs
This verse says Bhagavan is avyaya and can assume as many forms as needed, so He married each woman simultaneously in her own residence.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī narrates this to King Parīkṣit as part of the account of Narakāsura’s defeat and the princesses’ deliverance.
It highlights the Lord’s unlimited potency and His compassionate protection of surrendered souls, encouraging faith that the Supreme can care for each devotee personally.