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
O banal na ginang, hindi namin ninanais ang paghahari sa lupa, ni ang kapangyarihan ng hari ng langit, ni ang walang-hanggang aliw, ni ang mga siddhi ng yoga, ni ang katayuan ni Brahmā, ni ang imortalidad, ni maging ang kaharian ni Hari. Ang tanging hangad namin ay maipasan sa aming ulo ang maluwalhating alikabok ng mga paa ni Śrī Kṛṣṇa, ang may hawak ng gada—na pinabango ng kuṅkuma mula sa dibdib ng Kanyang mapalad na mahal.
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.