Shloka 10
Draupadī Meets Kṛṣṇa’s Queens — Narratives of the Lord’s Marriages and the Queens’ Bhakti
श्रीजाम्बवत्युवाच प्राज्ञाय देहकृदमुं निजनाथदैवं सीतापतिं त्रिनवहान्यमुनाभ्ययुध्यत् । ज्ञात्वा परीक्षित उपाहरदर्हणं मां पादौ प्रगृह्य मणिनाहममुष्य दासी ॥ १० ॥
śrī-jāmbavaty uvāca prājñāya deha-kṛd amuṁ nija-nātha-daivaṁ sītā-patiṁ tri-navahāny amunābhyayudhyat jñātvā parīkṣita upāharad arhaṇaṁ māṁ pādau pragṛhya maṇināham amuṣya dāsī
శ్రీ జాంబవతి చెప్పింది—నా తండ్రి జాంబవంతుడు, తాను యుద్ధం చేస్తున్నవాడు తన స్వామి-దైవమైన శ్రీకృష్ణుడే, సీతాపతి రాముని స్వరూపమే అని గ్రహించలేదు. అందుకే ఇరవై ఏడు రోజులు ఆయనతో పోరాడాడు. చివరకు తెలుసుకొని ప్రభువును గుర్తించినప్పుడు, ఆయన పాదాలను పట్టుకొని భక్త్యాదరంగా నన్నూ శ్యమంతక మణినీ సమర్పించాడు. నేను ఆ ప్రభువుకు దాసీమాత్రమే.
Jāmbavān had been Lord Rāmacandra’s servant many thousands of years before. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī mentions that while hearing Jāmbavatī’s story, the women present recognized her as the girl whom Jāmbavān had once offered to Lord Śrī Rāma to be His wife. Since Lord Rāma had taken a vow to have only one wife, He could not accept her then, but did so when He returned in the Dvāpara-yuga as Kṛṣṇa. The other queens wanted to honor Jāmbavatī for this, but she replied humbly, “I am just the Lord’s maidservant.”
FAQs
She identifies Kṛṣṇa as the same Supreme Lord who previously appeared as Śrī Rāma, the husband of Sītā, emphasizing the Lord’s one identity across His incarnations.
It shows Jāmbavān’s recognition of the Supreme Lord and his surrender; offering the jewel and Jāmbavatī is an act of honor and reconciliation grounded in devotion.
By adopting a service attitude—reducing ego, offering one’s abilities in devotion, and seeing life’s gifts as meant for honoring the Divine rather than self-glorification.