Shloka 15
Draupadī Meets Kṛṣṇa’s Queens — Narratives of the Lord’s Marriages and the Queens’ Bhakti
श्रीभद्रोवाच पिता मे मातुलेयाय स्वयमाहूय दत्तवान् । कृष्णे कृष्णाय तच्चित्तामक्षौहिण्या सखीजनै: ॥ १५ ॥ अस्य मे पादसंस्पर्शो भवेज्जन्मनि जन्मनि । कर्मभिर्भ्राम्यमाणाया येन तच्छ्रेय आत्मन: ॥ १६ ॥
śrī-bhadrovāca pitā me mātuleyāya svayam āhūya dattavān kṛṣṇe kṛṣṇāya tac-cittām akṣauhiṇyā sakhī-janaiḥ
Śrī Bhadrā berkata: Wahai Draupadī, ayahku dengan kehendaknya sendiri menjemput anak saudaranya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa—yang kepadanya hatiku telah kupersembahkan—lalu menyerahkan aku kepada-Nya sebagai isteri. Ayahku mempersembahkan aku kepada Tuhan bersama satu pasukan akṣauhiṇī dan rombongan sahabat perempuanku. Kesempurnaan tertinggiku ialah: walau aku mengembara dari kelahiran ke kelahiran kerana karma, semoga dalam setiap kelahiran aku diizinkan menyentuh kaki teratai Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
With the word ātmanaḥ, Queen Bhadrā speaks not only for herself but for all living entities as well. The soul’s perfection ( śreya ātmanaḥ ) is devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, both in this world and beyond, in liberation.
FAQs
Bhadrā is speaking, describing how her father arranged her marriage by personally giving her to Kṛṣṇa, along with an akṣauhiṇī of soldiers and her companions, while her mind was already devoted to Kṛṣṇa.
An akṣauhiṇī is a complete military division (a large, standard formation of chariots, elephants, cavalry, and infantry) mentioned in epic and Purāṇic contexts as a measure of army strength.
It highlights single-pointed devotion—keeping one’s mind fixed on Kṛṣṇa—while accepting life’s arrangements in a dharmic way, seeing relationships and duties as supportive to bhakti.