Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 47

Kurukṣetra Pilgrimage: Sages Praise Kṛṣṇa; Vasudeva Inquires on Karma; Viṣṇu-yajña Performed

Devanagari script

तमभ्यषिञ्चन् विधिवदक्तमभ्यक्तमृत्विज: । पत्नीभिरष्टादशभि: सोमराजमिवोडुभि: ॥ ४७ ॥

Transliteration

tam abhyaṣiñcan vidhi-vad aktam abhyaktam ṛtvijaḥ patnībhir aṣṭā-daśabhiḥ soma-rājam ivoḍubhiḥ

Translation

先以黑色眼妆点饰瓦苏提婆之目，又以新鲜酥油涂抹其身；随后祭司依经典仪轨，以圣水洒灌他与其十八位妻子而行灌顶之礼。被诸妻环绕，他宛如群星拱月的月王般庄严辉耀。

Synonyms

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• abhyaṣiñcan: anointed/sprinkled
• abhyaṣiñcan: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-ṣic (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural — parasmaipada

• vidhi-vat: according to the prescribed rite
• vidhi-vat: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vidhi + vat (अव्यय-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: Adverbial indeclinable (विधिवत्) — ‘according to rule’; avyayībhāva sense

• aktam: smeared/anointed
• aktam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: añj (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular — qualifying tam

• abhyaktam: well-anointed
• abhyaktam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhi-añj (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular — qualifying tam

• ṛtvijaḥ: the priests
• ṛtvijaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛtvij (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• patnībhiḥ: with (their) wives
• patnībhiḥ: Karaṇa/Sahakārī (करण/सहकारी instrument/association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• aṣṭā-daśabhiḥ: by eighteen
• aṣṭā-daśabhiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭā + daśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (Common gender), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural — numeral dvigu ‘eighteen’; agreeing with patnībhiḥ

• soma-rājam: the moon-king (Soma)
• soma-rājam: Upamāna (उपमान/standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: soma + rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular — ‘सोमः राजा’ (Moon-king)

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā-dyotaka (उपमा-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Comparative particle (उपमा-अव्यय)

• uḍubhiḥ: with stars
• uḍubhiḥ: Karaṇa/Sahakārī (करण/associative instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uḍu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

Purport

Devakī was Vasudeva’s principal wife, but she had several co-wives, including her six sisters. This fact is recorded in the Ninth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• ṛtvijaḥ (officiating priests)
• Kṛṣṇa’s eighteen queens

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Krishna being worshiped through Vedic rituals?

This verse shows that Kṛṣṇa was anointed strictly according to Vedic procedure (vidhivat), indicating that devotional worship can harmonize with scriptural rites when performed with reverence.

Why were Krishna’s eighteen queens present during the anointing ceremony?

Śukadeva describes them surrounding Kṛṣṇa, enhancing the royal and divine splendor of the ceremony—like stars around the moon—highlighting their devoted participation and Kṛṣṇa’s supreme position.

How can the teaching of this verse be applied in modern devotional life?

Offer worship with sincerity and order—keeping devotional practices clean, respectful, and scripturally grounded—while remembering that the essence is loving service to the Lord.