Shloka 17
पारिजातहरणम्, द्वारकाप्रवेशः, षोडशसहस्रविवाहः
Pārijāta, Return to Dvārakā, and the Lord’s Many Forms
एकैकश्येन ताः कन्या मेनिरे मधुसूदनः ममैव पाणिग्रहणं भगवान् कृतवान् इति
ekaikaśyena tāḥ kanyā menire madhusūdanaḥ mamaiva pāṇigrahaṇaṃ bhagavān kṛtavān iti
Each maiden, one by one, thought: “Madhusūdana himself—the Blessed Lord—has taken my hand in marriage; it is I alone whom He has accepted.”
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: The subjective experience of each queen in Krishna’s simultaneous marriages
Teaching: Devotional
Quality: compassionate
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: Krishna grants each wife the experience of exclusive divine acceptance, deepening personal devotion while remaining one Supreme.
Leela: Moksha-dana
Dharma Restored: Harmony in household life through the Lord’s equitable, intimate presence
Concept: Bhagavān relates personally to each jīva as though exclusively, without fragmenting His unity.
Vedantic Theme: Atman
Application: Approach devotion with personal sincerity, trusting the Lord’s nearness rather than comparing one’s path with others.
Vishishtadvaita: Affirms the jīva’s real individuality and personal relationship (śeṣa-śeṣi-bhāva) with the one Lord.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
Bhakti Type: Madhurya
FAQs
This verse highlights Bhagavān’s divine sovereignty and yogic power—his capacity to be fully present to each devotee without division, expressing līlā while remaining the Supreme Reality.
Through narrative description rather than abstract doctrine: Parāśara shows that Krishna’s acts operate beyond ordinary limitation, indicating the Lord’s transcendent nature even within worldly rites like marriage.
“Bhagavān” frames Krishna not as a mere heroic king but as the Supreme Lord (Vishnu) whose līlā governs events—supporting Vaishnava readings where the personal Lord is the highest reality.