Verse Text
yathā –
kā paryety ambikeyaṁ harim avakalayan kampate kaḥ śiro ’sau
taṁ kaḥ stauty eṣa dhātā praṇamati viluṭhan kaḥ kṣitau vāsavo ’yam |
kaḥ stabdho hasyate ’ddhā danujabhid-anujaiḥ pūrvajo ’yaṁ mametthaṁ
kālindī jāmbavatyāṁ tridaśa-paricayaṁ jāla-randhrād vyatānīt ||20||
Translation
Jāmbavatī asked Kālindī: Who is that person who is circumambulating the Lord? Kālindī said: It is Durgā. Jāmbavatī said: Who is that person who is shaking on seeing the Lord? Kālindī said: It is Śiva. Jāmbavatī said: Who is that person praising the Lord? Kālindī: It is Brahmā. Jāmbavatī said: Who is that lying on the ground offering respects? Kālindī: That is Indra. Jāmbavatī: Who is that who has become stunned, thereby becoming the object of laughter by the young members? Kālindī: It is Yama, my elder brother. In this way Kālindī introduced the devatās to Jāmbavatī while peering through the lattice work.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
This is an example of the adhikṛtas. Kā paryeti means “who is circumambulating the Lord.” Kaḥ stabdhaḥ means “who is stunned with the sāttvika bhāva called stambha.” Since the actual Yama in charge for the Manvantara period had taken up the body of Vidura, Yama here refers to Aryamā who took the post temporarily.
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
Appointed Servants
In a conversation between Jāmbavatī, one of Kṛṣṇa’s wives, and Kālindī, her friend, Jāmbavatī inquired, “Who is this personality circumambulating our Kṛṣṇa?”
Kālindī replied, “She is Ambikā, the superintendent of all universal affairs.”
Then Jāmbavatī inquired, “Who is this personality who is trembling at the sight of Kṛṣṇa?”
Kālindī replied, “He is Lord Śiva.”
Then Jāmbavatī inquired, “Who is the person offering prayers?”
Kālindī replied, “He is Lord Brahmā.”
Jāmbavatī then asked, “Who is that person who has fallen on the ground and is offering respect to Kṛṣṇa?”
Kālindī replied, “He is Indra, the King of heaven.”
Jāmbavatī next inquired, “Who is this person who has come with the demigods and is laughing with them?”
Kālindī replied, “He is my elder brother, Yamarāja, the superintendent of death.”
This conversation offers a description of all the demigods, including Yamarāja, who are engaged in services appointed by the Lord. They are called adhikṛta-devatā, or demigods appointed to particular types of departmental service.