Devanagari
श्रीभद्रोवाच
पिता मे मातुलेयाय स्वयमाहूय दत्तवान् ।
कृष्णे कृष्णाय तच्चित्तामक्षौहिण्या सखीजनै: ॥ १५ ॥
अस्य मे पादसंस्पर्शो भवेज्जन्मनि जन्मनि ।
कर्मभिर्भ्राम्यमाणाया येन तच्छ्रेय आत्मन: ॥ १६ ॥
Verse text
śrī-bhadrovāca
pitā me mātuleyāya
svayam āhūya dattavān
kṛṣṇe kṛṣṇāya tac-cittām
akṣauhiṇyā sakhī-janaiḥ
asya me pāda-saṁsparśo
bhavej janmani janmani
karmabhir bhrāmyamāṇāyā
yena tac chreya ātmanaḥ
Synonyms
śrī
—
bhadrā uvāca — Śrī Bhadrā said
;
pitā
—
father
;
me
—
my
;
mātuleyāya
—
to my maternal cousin
;
svayam
—
of his own accord
;
āhūya
—
inviting
;
dattavān
—
gave
;
kṛṣṇe
—
O Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī)
;
kṛṣṇāya
—
to Lord Kṛṣṇa
;
tat
—
absorbed in whom
;
cittām
—
whose heart
;
akṣauhiṇyā
—
with an akṣauhiṇī military guard
;
sakhī
—
janaiḥ — and with my female companions
;
asya
—
His
;
me
—
for me
;
pāda
—
of the feet
;
saṁsparśaḥ
—
the touch
;
bhavet
—
may it be
;
janmani janmani
—
in one life after another
;
karmabhiḥ
—
due to the reactions of material activities
;
bhrāmyamāṇāyāḥ
—
who will be wandering
;
yena
—
by which
;
tat
—
that
;
śreyaḥ
—
ultimate perfection
;
ātmanaḥ
—
of myself .
Translation
Śrī Bhadrā said: My dear Draupadī, of his own free will my father invited his nephew Kṛṣṇa, to whom I had already dedicated my heart, and offered me to Him as His bride. My father presented me to the Lord with an akṣauhiṇi military guard and a retinue of my female companions. My ultimate perfection is this: to always be allowed to touch Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet as I wander from life to life, bound by my karma.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Śrī Bhadrā said: My dear Draupadī, of his own free will my father invited his nephew Kṛṣṇa, to whom I had already dedicated my heart, and offered me to Him as His bride. My father presented me to the Lord with an akṣauhiṇi military guard and a retinue of my female companions. My ultimate perfection is this: to always be allowed to touch Lord Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet as I wander from life to life, bound by my karma.
KB 10.83.15-16
After this, Bhadrā began to speak. She said, “My dear Draupadī, Lord Kṛṣṇa is the son of my maternal uncle. Fortunately, I became attracted to His lotus feet. When my father understood these feelings of mine, he personally arranged for my marriage, inviting Lord Kṛṣṇa to marry me and giving Him in dowry one akṣauhiṇī, or division of armed forces, along with many maidservants and other royal paraphernalia. I do not know whether I shall be able to have the shelter of Lord Kṛṣṇa life after life, but still I pray to the Lord that wherever I may take my birth I may not forget my relationship with His lotus feet.”
Purport
With the word
ātmanaḥ,
Queen Bhadrā speaks not only for herself but for all living entities as well. The soul’s perfection (
śreya ātmanaḥ
) is devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, both in this world and beyond, in liberation.
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī comments that although in civilized society it is normally considered disrespectful to publicly speak the name of one’s
guru
or husband, Lord Kṛṣṇa’s name is unique: the mere utterance of the name Kṛṣṇa is commendable as the highest expression of reverence for God. As the
Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad
(4.19) states,
yasya nāma mahad yaśaḥ:
“The holy name of the Lord is supremely glorious.”
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
O Draupadi (krsne), my father offered me to son of my maternal uncle, Krsna. (mitravinda was the daughter of Jayasena and Rajadhidevi, sister of Vasudeva).
"May I, rotating birth after birth due to karma, attain the touch of his lotus feet, by which I will attain the highest goal (sreyah)." This is an expression of humility, in playing the part of a human being, since she has no karma.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Mitravindā speak here instead of Bhadrā in Śrīdhara Svāmī’s version. Though she was offered by her brothers as stated previously, here she says her father gave her. She was promised by her brothers. With everyone’s consent, my father personally called Kṛṣṇa and gave me to him since I had given my heart to him, since Kṛṣṇa attracts everyone’s heart (kṛṣṇāya). She mentioned the name of her husband directly (though this is normally not done) because on remembering him and their good fortune, she and the other queens become overcome with unmāda. Because of this they speak without reservation. Or they speak his name with pride. In the material world it is a fault to say the husband’s name without any descriptive terms since it shows disrespect by making him appear insignificant. To say the name of the Lord however is not a fault but a good quality, since it indicates the Lord’s greatness. Therefore saying the Lord’s names directly is a show of respect. Śruti says yasya nāma mahad yaśaḥ: the Lord’s name is full of great qualities. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad) May I be able to touch his feet, by massaging them and other services, as I wander about by karmas birth after birth. As part of the human pastimes she shows indifference to all other human goals.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Mitravindā speak here instead of Bhadrā in Śrīdhara Svāmī’s version. Though she was offered by her brothers as stated previously, here she says her father gave her, since the brothers are non-different from the father. Or she was promised by her brothers. With everyone’s consent, my father personally called Kṛṣṇa and gave me to him. The cause of calling Kṛṣṇa and giving to him is stated. I had dedicated by heart to him (tac-cittām), because he was the attractor of all hearts (kṛṣṇāya). She calls out to Draupadī to indicate that her case was special since she was given by her father, by the daughter’s will. May I touch his feet, massaging them, birth after birth as I wander about here and there by karma or as I am born in various bodies. I do not aspire for Vaikuṇṭha because touching his feet is the highest for me.