॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
***
Sage Shuka wants to describe eloquently Sri Krishna pastimes in Dwaraka. Sri Krishna had a threefold purpose.
1. To elevate the women in love with him to a state of bliss from union with their beloved.
2. To restore Dharma by eliminating evil kings.
3. To bestow grace and liberate his devotees.
In fifty shlokas, Shuka accomplishes this description well. I shall quote only a few verses.
उद्यानोपवनाढ्यायां पुष्पितद्रुमराजिषु । निर्विशद् भृङ्गविहगैर्नादितायां समन्तत: ॥
रेमे षोडशसाहस्रपत्नीनामेकवल्लभ: । तावद्विचित्ररूपोऽसौ तद्गेहेषु महर्द्धिषु ॥
वादयद्भिर्मुदा वीणां सूतमागधवन्दिभि: ॥
T: Dwaraka was a perfect picture of a heavenly city where the Lord himself dwelt. beautiful palaces, lovely avenues, and impressive march of the military on the main streets occasionally, were accompanied by the natural splendour of the city where there were many gardens and parks with rows of flowering trees, where bees and birds would gather, filling all directions with their songs. In this heaven on earth resided the Lord of 16,108 queens, whose singular beloved was Sri Krishna. He performed the beautiful miracle of cohabiting with each of them giving them supreme connubial bliss. The entire city resonated with songs and chants and musical instruments like Veena, and the praises of the Lord by Vandi Magadhas (professional panegyrists).
ऊचुर्मुकुन्दैकधियो गिर उन्मत्तवज्जडम् । चिन्तयन्त्योऽरविन्दाक्षं तानि मे गदत: शृणु ॥
T: The women besotted with Sri Krishna were maddened with love as they spoke poetically to even all inanimate things in nature. A mere sampler is here.
त्वं यक्ष्मणा बलवतासि गृहीत इन्दो क्षीणस्तमो न निजदीधितिभि: क्षिणोषि ।
कच्चिन्मुकुन्दगदितानि यथा वयं त्वं विस्मृत्य भो: स्थगितगीरुपलक्ष्यसे न: ॥
T: "Oh, dear Moon! You seem to be suffering and weakened from severe tubercular congestion. Thus your rays are too faint to dispel darkness! Or is it that you have unfortunately forgotten the love-promises that Mukunda cooed to you, as we have too!?"
मेघ श्रीमंस्त्वमसि दयितो यादवेन्द्रस्य नूनं श्रीवत्साङ्कं वयमिव भवान् ध्यायति प्रेमबद्ध: ।
अत्युत्कण्ठ: शवलहृदयोऽस्मद्विधो बाष्पधारा: स्मृत्वा स्मृत्वा विसृजसि मुहुर्दु:खदस्तत्प्रसङ्ग: ॥
T: "Oh rain Cloud! How much you are loved by the Yadu Lord, bearing the Srivatsa mark! (Vishnu has been earlier compared to the rain cloud and Srivasta is the streak of ligthning across his dark chest!) Must be in your ecstatic meditation, you are shedding tears of love in a torrent!"
क्षौद्रालापय कामदं श्रियमृते सैवैकनिष्ठा स्त्रियाम् ॥
T: " Oh, Swan! You seem to be a messenger from our mean Lord. Tell him to come to us and without that wife of his, Lakshmi!"
जगद्गुरुं भर्तृबुद्ध्या तासां किं वर्ण्यते तप: ॥
T: Sage Shuka concludes by saying, "How can one adequately describe the Tapas of these women who loved Sri Krishna, the Jagadguru, so much in all these physical ways!?"
एवं वेदोदितं धर्ममनुतिष्ठन् सतां गति: । गृहं धर्मार्थकामानां मुहुश्चादर्शयत् पदम् ॥
T: Thus lived Sri Krishna the perfect life of a householder dedicating himself to Dharma, and being himself the Ultimate Destination of all seekers, set an example for how one should lead an ideal life that leads to liberation."
तन्निग्रहाय हरिणा प्रोक्ता देवा यदो: कुले । अवतीर्णा: कुलशतं तेषामेकाधिकं नृप ॥
T: In Bhagavan Maha Vishnu's Avatara as Sri Krishna, he ensured all the gods would be born too as good Yadus to fight the war of Dharma to eradicate the evil rulers.
कृष्णस्यैतन्न चित्रं क्षितिभरहरणं कालचक्रायुधस्य ॥
T: It this life of Sri Krishna not simply wonderful for the way he upheld this existence through his Chakrayuda called Kaala!(Time!)!"
इत्थं परस्य निजवर्त्मरिरक्षयात्तलीलातनोस्तदनुरूपविडम्बनानि ।
कर्माणि कर्मकषणानि यदूत्तमस्य श्रूयादमुष्य पदयोरनुवृत्तिमिच्छन् ॥
मर्त्यस्तयानुसवमेधितया मुकुन्दश्रीमत्कथाश्रवणकीर्तनचिन्तयैति ।
तद्धाम दुस्तरकृतान्तजवापवर्गं ग्रामाद् वनं क्षितिभुजोऽपि ययुर्यदर्था: ॥
T: Sri Krishna takes all these forms and plays out all these pastimes described in the Srimad Bhagavatam simply to instil and foster the supreme quality of Bhakti in us. The one who wants to serve his lotus feet should listen to these stories and relive within himself the Lord's glories, as it will eradicate the bondage of Karma. By regularly chanting and listening and meditating upon these glorious stories, one will develop Shraddha or steadfast devotion. He will achieve the same liberation that those Rajarshis achieved by forsaking their kingdoms and going away to the forest for Tapas.
***
इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे वैयासक्यामष्टादश-
साहस्र्यां पारमहंस्यां संहितायां दशमस्कन्धे उत्तरार्धे
श्रीकृष्णचरितानुवर्णनं नाम नवतितमोऽध्यायः ॥ ९०॥
॥ इति दशमस्कन्धोत्तरार्धः समाप्तः ॥
The end of Dashamaskandha.
