Shloka 41
Draupadī Meets Kṛṣṇa’s Queens — Narratives of the Lord’s Marriages and the Queens’ Bhakti
न वयं साध्वि साम्राज्यं स्वाराज्यं भौज्यमप्युत । वैराज्यं पारमेष्ठ्यं च आनन्त्यं वा हरे: पदम् ॥ ४१ ॥ कामयामह एतस्य श्रीमत्पादरज: श्रिय: । कुचकुङ्कुमगन्धाढ्यं मूर्ध्ना वोढुं गदाभृत: ॥ ४२ ॥
na vayaṁ sādhvi sāmrājyaṁ svārājyaṁ bhaujyam apy uta vairājyaṁ pārameṣṭhyaṁ ca ānantyaṁ vā hareḥ padam
Oh santa dama, no deseamos el dominio de la tierra, ni la soberanía del rey del cielo, ni el disfrute ilimitado, ni los poderes místicos, ni el puesto de Brahmā, ni la inmortalidad, ni siquiera alcanzar el reino de Hari. Sólo anhelamos llevar sobre la cabeza el glorioso polvo de los pies de Śrī Kṛṣṇa, el portador de la maza, perfumado con el kuṅkuma del pecho de Su consorte, la Diosa de la fortuna.
The verb rāj means “to rule,” and from it are derived the words sāmrājyam, meaning “rulership over the entire earth,” and svārājyam, meaning “rulership over heaven.” Bhaujyam comes from the verb bhuj, “to enjoy,” and thus refers to the capacity of enjoying whatever one desires. Virāṭ is explained by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī as representing the phrase vividhaṁ virājate (“one enjoys many kinds of opulence”) and specifically indicating the eight mystic perfections of aṇimā and so on.
FAQs
This verse shows that pure devotees value loving service over all achievements—worldly power, heavenly posts, and even impersonal liberation—because their aim is devotion itself, not reward.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s queens are speaking to Draupadī at Kurukṣetra, explaining the nature of their exclusive devotion.
Prioritize sincere devotion and character over status and gain—use success as service, not as identity, and keep spiritual practice central even when opportunities for power or pleasure arise.