Shloka 6
Nārada Sees Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Yoga-māyā in the Palaces of the Queens
Dvāra-kā-līlā
श्रीशुक उवाच नरकं निहतं श्रुत्वा तथोद्वाहं च योषिताम् । कृष्णेनैकेन बह्वीनां तद् दिदृक्षु: स्म नारद: ॥ १ ॥ चित्रं बतैतदेकेन वपुषा युगपत्पृथक् । गृहेषु द्वयष्टसाहस्रं स्त्रिय एक उदावहत् ॥ २ ॥ इत्युत्सुको द्वारवतीं देवर्षिर्द्रष्टुमागमत् । पुष्पितोपवनारामद्विजालिकुलनादिताम् ॥ ३ ॥ उत्फुल्लेन्दीवराम्भोजकह्लारकुमुदोत्पलै: । छुरितेषु सर:सूच्चै: कूजितां हंससारसै: ॥ ४ ॥ प्रासादलक्षैर्नवभिर्जुष्टां स्फाटिकराजतै: । महामरकतप्रख्यै: स्वर्णरत्नपरिच्छदै: ॥ ५ ॥ विभक्तरथ्यापथचत्वरापणै: शालासभाभी रुचिरां सुरालयै: । संसिक्तमार्गाङ्गनवीथिदेहलीं पतत्पताकध्वजवारितातपाम् ॥ ६ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca narakaṁ nihataṁ śrutvā tathodvāhaṁ ca yoṣitām kṛṣṇenaikena bahvīnāṁ tad-didṛkṣuḥ sma nāradaḥ
ศรีศุกเทวโคสวามีกล่าวว่า ด้วยความคิดเช่นนั้น เดวฤๅษีนารทจึงมาถึงทวารกาเพื่อชม เมืองนั้นงดงามด้วยสวนและอุทยานที่ดอกไม้บานสะพรั่ง และก้องด้วยเสียงนกนานาพันธุ์ สระน้ำประดับด้วยบัวสีน้ำเงิน บัวหลวง กุมุท และอุตปละที่ผลิบาน พร้อมเสียงหงส์และนกสารสขับขาน เมืองทวารกาสุกสว่างด้วยหมู่ปราสาทแก้วผลึกและเงิน มีประกายดุจมรกต ประดับทองและรัตนะ ถนนตรอก ทางแยก ลาน ตลาด ศาลาประชุม และเทวสถานต่าง ๆ ทำให้เมืองยิ่งรื่นรมย์
In Kṛṣṇa, Śrīla Prabhupāda beautifully describes the city of Dvārakā as follows: “Being inquisitive as to how Kṛṣṇa was managing His household affairs with so many wives, Nārada desired to see these pastimes and so set out to visit Kṛṣṇa’s different homes. When Nārada arrived in Dvārakā, he saw that the gardens and parks were full of various flowers of different colors and orchards that were overloaded with a variety of fruits. Beautiful birds were chirping, and peacocks were delightfully crowing. There were tanks and ponds full of blue and red lotus flowers, and some of these sites were filled with varieties of lilies. The lakes were full of nice swans and cranes, whose voices resounded everywhere. In the city there were as many as 900,000 great palaces built of first-class marble, with gates and doors made of silver. The posts of the houses and palaces were bedecked with jewels such as touchstone, sapphires and emeralds, and the floors gave off a beautiful luster. The highways, lanes, streets, crossings and marketplaces were all beautifully decorated. The whole city was full of residential homes, assembly houses and temples, all of different architectural beauty. All of this made Dvārakā a glowing city. The big avenues, crossings, lanes and streets, and also the thresholds of every residential house, were very clean. On both sides of every path there were bushes, and at regular intervals there were large trees that shaded the avenues so that the sunshine would not bother the passersby.”
FAQs
It portrays Dvārakā as a divinely organized, beautiful city—orderly streets and marketplaces, halls and temples, and clean, water-sprinkled pathways shaded by fluttering flags and banners.
Śukadeva narrates that Nārada came to Dvārakā eager to witness Kṛṣṇa’s extraordinary household life; this verse forms part of the scenic depiction of the city Nārada approached.
It inspires keeping one’s surroundings clean, orderly, and spiritually centered—treating home and community as spaces meant for dharma, worship, and remembrance of the Lord.