Texts 7-8
tasyām antaḥ-puraṁ śrīmad
arcitaṁ sarva-dhiṣṇya-paiḥ
hareḥ sva-kauśalaṁ yatra
tvaṣṭrā kārtsnyena darśitam
tatra ṣoḍaśabhiḥ sadma-
sahasraiḥ samalaṅkṛtam
viveśaikatomaṁ śaureḥ
patnīnāṁ bhavanaṁ mahat
tasyām — in that (Dvārakā); antaḥ-puram — the private royal precinct; śrī-mat — opulent; arcitam — worshiped; sarva — all; dhiṣṇya — of the various planetary systems; paiḥ — by the maintainers; hareḥ — of Lord Hari; sva — his own; kauśalam — expertise; yatra — where; tvaṣṭrā — by Tvaṣṭā (Viśvakarmā, the architect of heaven); kārtsnyena — completely; darśitam — shown; tatra — there; ṣoḍaśabhiḥ — with sixteen; sadma — of residences; sahasraiḥ — thousands; samalaṅkṛtam — beautified; viveśa — (Nārada) entered; ekatamam — one of them; śaureḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa’s; patnīnām — of the wives; bhavanam — palace; mahat — great.
In the city of Dvārakā was a beautiful private quarter worshiped by the planetary rulers. This district, where the demigod Viśvakarmā had shown all his divine skill, was the residential area of Lord Hari, and thus it was gorgeously decorated by the sixteen thousand palaces of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s queens. Nārada Muni entered one of these immense palaces.
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī points out that Tvaṣṭā, Viśvakarmā, manifested the expertise of the Supreme Lord, and thus he was able to build such exquisite palaces. Śrīla Prabhupāda writes: “The great kings and princes of the world used to visit these palaces just to worship [Lord Kṛṣṇa]. The architectural plans were made personally by Viśvakarmā, the engineer of the demigods, and in the construction of the palaces he exhibited all of his talents and ingenuity.”