॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
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श्रीशुक उवाच
नरकं निहतं श्रुत्वा तथोद्वाहं च योषिताम् । कृष्णेनैकेन बह्वीनां तद्दिदृक्षुः स्म नारदः ॥
चित्रं बतैतदेकेन वपुषा युगपत्पृथक् । गृहेषु द्व्यष्टसाहस्रं स्त्रिय एक उदावहत् ॥
इत्युत्सुको द्वारवतीं देवर्षिर्द्रष्टुमागमत् । पुष्पितोपवनारामद्विजालिकुलनादिताम् ॥
उत्फुल्लेन्दीवराम्भोजकह्लारकुमुदोत्पलैः । छुरितेषु सरःसूच्चैः कूजितां हंससारसैः ॥
T: Sage Shuka narrated: "Having heard how Sri Krishna had killed Narakasura and married over sixteen thousand princesses, Sage Narada was overwhelmed with curiosity to see how even Sri Krishna could manage to be a husband and householder to so many women and families. So promptly he paid a visit.
What Narada saw was a Dwaraka abounding in palaces, gardens, flowerbeds, decorations with gems and jewels, filled with buzzing bees and songbirds, all sporting in a divine atmosphere. What he then saw of Sri Krishna's life in Dwaraka was even more astounding. Bhagavan had multiplied himself into as many Sri Krishnas physically living with each queen as a normal, dedicated, householder! "
Sage Shuka gives a detailed tour of descriptions of each home, and how Sri Krishna was play-acting the role of the perfect, loving husband and father.
Narada entered one of the sixteen thousand palaces and saw Devi Rukmini personally serving her Lord, Sri Krishna, despite employing countless maids. As soon as Sri Krishna noticed Narada, he got up from his bed, offered obeisances to the sage and seated him on his own seat. Then the Lord bathed Narada’s feet and sprinkled the water on his own head. Such was the exemplary behaviour of Sri Krishna!
After conversing with the Lord for a short while, Narada went to another of his palaces, where the sage saw Sri Krishna playing the Indian game of dice (Ludo) with his queen and Uddhava. Going from there to another palace, he found Sri Krishna fondling his infant children. In another palace he saw him preparing have a bath; in another, performing Yajnas; in another, feeding Brahmins. In one palace, the Lord was performing noontime rituals; in another, quietly chanting the Gayatri mantra; in another, sleeping in his bed; in another, consulting with his ministers; and in yet another, playing water sports with his ladies. Somewhere, the Lord was giving charity to Brahmins, in another place, he was joking and laughing with his consort, in yet another place he was meditating on the Paramatman; somewhere, he was serving his Gurus, in another place, he was arranging for the marriages of his sons and daughters! Somewhere else, he was going out to hunt animals, and elsewhere he was moving about in disguise to find out what the citizens were thinking.
अथोवाच हृषीकेशं नारद: प्रहसन्निव । योगमायोदयं वीक्ष्य मानुषीमीयुषो गतिम् ॥
विदाम योगमायास्ते दुर्दर्शा अपि मायिनाम् । योगेश्वरात्मन् निर्भाता भवत्पादनिषेवया ॥
अनुजानीहि मां देव लोकांस्ते यशसाप्लुतान् । पर्यटामि तवोद्गायन् लीला भुवनपावनी: ॥
T: Seeing all this, Sage Narada spoke to Bhagavan, quite amused: "Now we understand Your mystic Yoga Maya, Oh Sri Krishna! They are inscrutable even for great Yogis. You are the Paramatman, Ishwara, and only by focussing on your feet in devotion have I gained even this slight knowledge! Oh Lord, please give me your leave. I will go about in the three worlds that are overflowing with your fame and glory, and I shall be loudly singing about your Leelas, for that will purify the universe!"
श्रीभगवानुवाच
ब्रह्मन् धर्मस्य वक्ताहं कर्ता तदनुमोदिता । तच्छिक्षयन् लोकमिममास्थित: पुत्र मा खिद: ॥
T: Bhagavan spoke to Narada: " Oh, noble Brahmin Narada! I am the articulator as well as the maker of Dharma, the Law that runs the universe. I am the one to teach Dharma to the world through my own constant practice (Walking the Talk)! Thus you have seen me engaged in instructing the world by my own example. Hence, be neither bemused nor surprised, my child!"
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