Shloka 13

Nārada Sees Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Yoga-māyā in the Palaces of the Queens

Dvāra-kā-līlā

Devanagari script

तस्मिन् समानगुणरूपवय:सुवेष- दासीसहस्रयुतयानुसवं गृहिण्या । विप्रो ददर्श चमरव्यजनेन रुक्‍म- दण्डेन सात्वतपतिं परिवीजयन्त्या ॥ १३ ॥

Transliteration

tasmin samāna-guṇa-rūpa-vayaḥ-su-veṣa- dāsī-sahasra-yutayānusavaṁ gṛhiṇyā vipro dadarśa cāmara-vyajanena rukma- daṇḍena sātvata-patiṁ parivījayantyā

Translation

ആ കൊട്ടാരത്തിൽ ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ സാത്വതപതി ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണനെ ഭാര്യയോടുകൂടെ കണ്ടു; ആയിരം ദാസിമാർ സമഗുണ-രൂപ-യൗവന-വേഷത്തോടെ ചുറ്റുമുണ്ടായിരുന്നിട്ടും, അവൾ സ്വർണ്ണദണ്ഡമുള്ള ചാമരവ്യജനത്തോടെ സ്വയം പ്രഭുവിനെ വീശി സേവിച്ചു।

Synonyms

• tasmin: in that (place)
• tasmin: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• samāna-guṇa-rūpa-vayaḥ-su-veṣa-dāsī-sahasra-yutayā: by (her) attended by a thousand well-dressed maidservants of equal qualities, beauty, and age
• samāna-guṇa-rūpa-vayaḥ-su-veṣa-dāsī-sahasra-yutayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samāna (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + vayaḥ (प्रातिपदिक) + su-veṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + dāsī (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक) + yuta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समासः: ‘attended by a thousand maidservants of equal qualities, beauty, age, and fine dress’

• anusavam: constantly
• anusavam: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anusavam (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb) — ‘continually/at every moment’

• gṛhiṇyā: by the lady of the house (queen)
• gṛhiṇyā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛhiṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘housewife/queen (lady of the house)’

• vipraḥ: the brāhmaṇa
• vipraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• dadarśa: saw
• dadarśa: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• cāmara-vyajanena: with a yak-tail fan
• cāmara-vyajanena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāmara (प्रातिपदिक) + vyajana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (cāmara-vyajana = ‘yak-tail fan’)

• rukma-daṇḍena: with a golden handle
• rukma-daṇḍena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rukma (प्रातिपदिक) + daṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (rukma-daṇḍa = ‘golden handle/rod’)

• sātvata-patim: the lord of the Sātvatas (Kṛṣṇa)
• sātvata-patim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sātvata (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सात्वतानां पतिः)

• parivījayantyā: while fanning
• parivījayantyā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parivījayantī (कृदन्त; √vīj वीज् with pari-)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्यय वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle) — ‘fanning’

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• the brāhmaṇa visitor (vipra)
• Kṛṣṇa's queen (gṛhiṇī)
• maidservants (dāsīs)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about serving Krishna with royal opulence in Dvaraka?

This verse shows Kṛṣṇa being personally served by His queen, who fans Him with a golden-handled cāmara while thousands of attendants assist—illustrating that all opulence in Dvārakā is centered on loving service (sevā) to Bhagavān.

Why does the Bhagavatam describe Krishna being fanned by His queen and many maidservants?

To emphasize Kṛṣṇa’s supreme position as Sātvata-pati and to portray the queens’ devotion: even amid immense splendor, their primary identity is as loving servants of the Lord.

What is the practical application of this shloka in modern devotional life?

Use whatever resources and talents you have—simple or grand—in a spirit of attentive service to Kṛṣṇa, keeping devotion as the center rather than status or display.