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śrī-śuka uvāca
sukhaṁ sva-puryāṁ nivasan
dvārakāyāṁ śriyaḥ patiḥ
sarva-sampat-samṛddhāyāṁ
juṣṭāyāṁ vṛṣṇi-puṅgavaiḥ

strībhiś cottama-veṣābhir
nava-yauvana-kāntibhiḥ
kandukādibhir harmyeṣu
krīḍantībhis taḍid-dyubhiḥ

nityaṁ saṅkula-mārgāyāṁ
mada-cyudbhir mataṅ-gajaiḥ
sv-alaṅkṛtair bhaṭair aśvai
rathaiś ca kanakojjvalaiḥ

udyānopavanāḍhyāyāṁ
puṣpita-druma-rājiṣu
nirviśad-bhṛṅga-vihagair
nāditāyāṁ samantataḥ

reme ṣoḍaśa-sāhasra-
patnīnāṁ eka-vallabhaḥ
tāvad vicitra-rūpo ’sau
tad-geheṣu maharddhiṣu

protphullotpala-kahlāra-
kumudāmbhoja-reṇubhiḥ
vāsitāmala-toyeṣu
kūjad-dvija-kuleṣu ca

vijahāra vigāhyāmbho
hradinīṣu mahodayaḥ
kuca-kuṅkuma-liptāṅgaḥ
parirabdhaś ca yoṣitām

śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; sukham — happily; sva — in His own; puryām — city; nivasan — residing; dvārakāyām — in Dvārakā; śriyaḥ — of the goddess of fortune; patiḥ — the master; sarva — all; sampat — in opulent features; samṛddhāyām — which was rich; juṣṭāyām — populated; vṛṣṇi-puṅgavaiḥ — by the most prominent of the Vṛṣṇis; strībhiḥ — by women; ca — and; uttama — excellent; veṣābhiḥ — whose dress; nava — new; yauvana — of youth; kāntibhiḥ — whose beauty; kanduka-ādibhiḥ — with balls and other toys; harmyeṣu — on the rooftops; krīḍantībhiḥ — playing; taḍit — of lightning; dyubhiḥ — whose effulgence; nityam — always; saṅkula — crowded; mārgāyām — whose roads; mada-cyudbhiḥ — exuding mada; matam — intoxicated; gajaiḥ — with elephants; su — well; alaṅkṛtaiḥ — ornamented; bhaṭaiḥ — with foot-soldiers; aśvaiḥ — horses; rathaiḥ — chariots; ca — and; kanaka — with gold; ujjvalaiḥ — brilliant; udyāna — with gardens; upavana — and parks; āḍhyāyām — endowed; puṣpita — flowering; druma — of trees; rājiṣu — which had rows; nirviśat — entering (therein); bhṛṅga — by bees; vihagaiḥ — and birds; nāditāyām — filled with sound; samantataḥ — on all sides; reme — He enjoyed; ṣoḍaśa — sixteen; sāhasra — thousand; patnīnām — of wives; eka — the only; vallabhaḥ — beloved; tāvat — that many; vicitra — variegated; rūpaḥ — having personal forms; asau — He; tat — their; geheṣu — in the residences; mahā-ṛddhiṣu — richly furnished; protphulla — blooming; utpala — of water lilies; kahlāra — white lotuses; kumuda — night-blooming lotuses; ambhoja — and day-blooming lotuses; reṇubhiḥ — by the pollen; vāsita — made aromatic; amala — pure; toyeṣu — in bodies of water; kūjat — cooing; dvija — of birds; kuleṣu — where there were flocks; ca — and; vijahāra — He sported; vigāhya — diving; ambhaḥ — into the water; hradinīṣu — in rivers; mahā-udayaḥ — the all-powerful Lord; kuca — from their breasts; kuṅkuma — by the red cosmetic powder; lipta — smeared; aṅgaḥ — His body; parirabdhaḥ — embraced; ca — and; yoṣitām — by the women.

Śukadeva Gosvamī said: The master of the goddess of fortune resided happily in His capital city, Dvārakā, which was endowed with all opulences and populated by the most eminent Vṛṣṇis and their gorgeously dressed wives. When these beautiful women in the bloom of youth would play on the city’s rooftops with balls and other toys, they shone like flashing lightning. The main streets of the city were always crowded with intoxicated elephants exuding mada, and also with cavalry, richly adorned infantrymen, and soldiers riding chariots brilliantly decorated with gold. Gracing the city were many gardens and parks with rows of flowering trees, where bees and birds would gather, filling all directions with their songs.

Lord Kṛṣṇa was the sole beloved of His sixteen thousand wives. Expanding Himself into that many forms, He enjoyed with each of His queens in her own richly furnished residence. On the grounds of these palaces were clear ponds fragrant with the pollen of blooming utpala, kahlāra, kumuda and ambhoja lotuses and filled with flocks of cooing birds. The almighty Lord would enter those ponds, and also various rivers, and enjoy sporting in the water while His wives embraced Him, leaving the red kuṅkuma from their breasts smeared on His body..

One rule of poetic composition practiced by Vaiṣṇava authors is madhureṇa samāpayet: “A literary work should conclude in a mood of special sweetness.” Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the most tasteful narrator of transcendental topics, has accordingly included in this last chapter of the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam a description of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s water sports in the attractive setting of Dvārakā, followed by the rapturous prayers of the Lord’s queens.

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