Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 31

Draupadī Meets Kṛṣṇa’s Queens — Narratives of the Lord’s Marriages and the Queens’ Bhakti

Devanagari script

एवं वृते भगवति मयेशे नृपयूथपा: । न सेहिरे याज्ञसेनि स्पर्धन्तो हृच्छयातुरा: ॥ ३१ ॥

Transliteration

evaṁ vṛte bhagavati mayeśe nṛpa-yūthapāḥ na sehire yājñaseni spardhanto hṛc-chayāturāḥ

Translation

Hỡi Yājñasenī, khi ta chọn Bhagavān, Đấng Tối Thượng, các vua đứng đầu nơi ấy không thể chịu nổi. Bị dục vọng thiêu đốt, họ tranh đua và gây gổ với nhau.

Synonyms

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (प्रकारवाचक अव्यय)

• vṛte: when chosen
• vṛte: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛ (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular, Neuter; used in locative absolute (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध) with bhagavati: 'when (he) was chosen'

• bhagavati: in the Lord (Krishna)
• bhagavati: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; honorific for the Lord

• mayi: by me / in my case
• mayi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; pronoun

• īśe: in the Lord
• īśe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; 'in the Lord/master' (apposition to bhagavati)

• nṛpa-yūthapāḥ: the chiefs of kings
• nṛpa-yūthapāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक) + yūthapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; 'leaders of groups of kings'

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध अव्यय)

• sehīre: could endure/tolerate
• sehīre: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sah (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन), Ātmanepada

• yājñaseni: O Yājñasenī
• yājñaseni: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yājñasenī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; address to Draupadī

• spardhantaḥ: competing/rivaling
• spardhantaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: spardh (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; agrees with nṛpa-yūthapāḥ

• hṛc-chaya-āturāḥ: distressed by desire in the heart
• hṛc-chaya-āturāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛt/hṛd (प्रातिपदिक) + śaya (प्रातिपदिक) + ātura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; 'distressed by heart-desire'

Purport

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī comments that the contamination of lust led the kings to quarrel foolishly with the Lord even after seeing His supreme power.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavān (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Yājñasenī (Draupadī)
• nṛpa-yūthapāḥ (the rival kings)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about lust and rivalry in the heart?

This verse shows that hṛcchaya (desire/lust) makes the heart distressed and pushes people into envy and intolerance, even among powerful kings.

Why were the kings unable to tolerate Kṛṣṇa being chosen?

Because they were competing for Yājñasenī (Draupadī), and their rivalry—driven by desire—made them resentful when the Lord was selected.

Practical application of this teaching in modern life?

When desire turns into comparison and competition, it steals peace; cultivating devotion, self-control, and respect for others helps neutralize that agitation.