Shloka 35

Uddhava’s Counsel: The Jarāsandha Resolution and Kṛṣṇa’s Arrival at Indraprastha

Devanagari script

ऊचु: स्‍त्रिय: पथि निरीक्ष्य मुकुन्दपत्नी- स्तारा यथोडुपसहा: किमकार्यमूभि: । यच्चक्षुषां पुरुषमौलिरुदारहास- लीलावलोककलयोत्सवमातनोति ॥ ३५ ॥

Transliteration

ūcuḥ striyaḥ pathi nirīkṣya mukunda-patnīs tārā yathoḍupa-sahāḥ kim akāry amūbhiḥ yac cakṣuṣāṁ puruṣa-maulir udāra-hāsa līlāvaloka-kalayotsavam ātanoti

Translation

Seeing Mukunda’s wives upon the road like stars accompanying the moon, the women exclaimed, “What have these ladies done, that the crest-jewel of men grants their eyes a festival of joy through His generous smiles and His playful sidelong glances?”

Synonyms

• ūcuḥ: they said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• striyaḥ: the women
• striyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• pathi: on the road
• pathi: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pathin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• nirīkṣya: having looked at
• nirīkṣya: Pūrvakāla (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nir-√īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) अव्यय; ‘निरीक्ष्य’ = having looked at

• mukunda-patnīḥ: Mukunda’s wives
• mukunda-patnīḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukunda (प्रातिपदिक) + patnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन; ‘मुकुन्दस्य पत्न्यः’

• tārāḥ: stars
• tārāḥ: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tārā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• yathā: as/like
• yathā: Upamā (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• uḍupa-sahāḥ: accompanied by the moon
• uḍupa-sahāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uḍupa (प्रातिपदिक) + saha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘uḍupena (चन्द्रेण) सह’ = accompanied by the moon

• kim: what?
• kim: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• akāryam: improper (thing to do)
• akāryam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘अकार्य’ = improper/needless act

• amūbhiḥ: by those (women)
• amūbhiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; ‘अमू’ = those (fem.)

• yat: which/that
• yat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun) introducing clause

• cakṣuṣām: of the eyes
• cakṣuṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakṣus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• puruṣa-mauliḥ: the crown of men
• puruṣa-mauliḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + mauli (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘पुरुषाणां मौलिः’ = crest-jewel among men

• udāra-hāsa: noble smile
• udāra-hāsa: Guṇa (गुण/विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udāra (प्रातिपदिक) + hāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘उदारः हासः’ (noble smile) as compound member

• līlāvaloka-kalayotsavam: a festival of playful glances
• līlāvaloka-kalayotsavam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: līlā (प्रातिपदिक) + avaloka (प्रातिपदिक) + kalā (प्रातिपदिक) + utsava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; ‘लीलया अवलोकस्य कलायाः उत्सवम्’ = a festival of the arts of playful glances

• ātanoti: spreads/produces
• ātanoti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√tan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Characters & Entities

• Mukunda (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Kṛṣṇa’s queens (Mukunda-patnīḥ)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Kṛṣṇa’s queens (Mukunda-patnīḥ)?

This verse praises Kṛṣṇa’s queens as radiant and extraordinary—likened to stars beside the moon—highlighting their spiritual fortune and prominence due to their intimate connection with Mukunda.

Why do the women compare Kṛṣṇa’s queens to stars with the moon?

They see the queens’ beauty and splendor as naturally enhanced by Kṛṣṇa’s presence—just as stars appear especially glorious when accompanying the moon—emphasizing the queens’ association with the Supreme.

Practical application of ‘a festival for the eyes’ in modern devotional life?

The verse encourages cultivating reverent, attentive darśana—seeing Kṛṣṇa (and His devotees) with devotion—so that spiritual beauty, humility, and remembrance replace mundane, distracted seeing.