Narada Muni Visits the Palaces of Krishna

In the sixty ninth chapter Krsna shows Narada how he expanded one form into each of the palaces in Dvaraka.

Narada desired to see this (didrksuh).

That he married with one body at one time each of the sixteen thousand queens in separate courtyards of separate houses surrounded by separate walls was indeed astonishing. Saubari and others, by expanding as kaya vyuha enjoyed with many women at once with different bodies, but not with one body alone. For this reason (iti) Narada went to Dvaraka.

3-4-5. Dvaraka is described in three and a half verses. It was resounding with the loud cries of swans and herons in lakes spread (churitesu) with lotuses. The turrets and spires were bright with emeralds. The attendants there wore clothing of gold and jewels.

It was charming with wide roads, lanes, intersections, marketplaces, assembly halls and temples. It was shaded by flagpoles with flags moving in the wind.

In Dvaraka there were decorated palaces. Narada entered one of the queen’s palaces.

The palace is described in four verses.

It had coral pillars supporting roofs of vaidurya and shining floors.

Seeing the aguru incense streaming through the lattices, the peacocks thought the smoke was clouds.

Narada saw Krsna in the palace with his queen, who was constantly (anusavam) fanning him with a camara.

Krsna made Narada sit (avivisat) on his own seat.

The lord of the devotees (sat patih), after bathing Narada’s feet, spoke to him. The main verb “spoke” is in verse sixteen. Someone may protest that it is not proper for the Lord to wash the feet of his servant. But he is called brahmanya deva, indicating his quality of being respectful to the brahmanas. Because Narada was a brahmana, and Krsna was respectful to brahmanas, his action of washing Narada’s feet was proper. But one should not think he did this to purify himself, because (yat) the water from his feet , the Ganga river, is purifying for all (asesa tirtha). It should be understood that Narada though he is a servant, did not reveal the Lord’s superiority in order not to obstruct the desire of the Lord.

Krsna worshipped Narada according to the rules spoken in the scriptures (uditena), since he, as a rsi, is the producer of mantras (puranah rsih). Though as the Supreme Lord Krsna is the oldest (purana), he is also new, as he comes as Narayana, the friend of Nara in order to spread such scriptural rules (nara sakha). He spoke with measured words, of the greatest sweetness. “O master (prabho), you are our master because you are a brahmana. What can I do for you?”

In the material world, if the object of worship worships the worshipper, it will not be beneficial for the worshipper. However, because you are independent, if you worship your devotee, or if you receive his worship, or if you punish him, it is always beneficial.

This is expressed in this verse.

It is not at all amazing for you, the master of all the people, that you are the benefactor (maitri) of all people. Because you are the master of all the people and all people are in the status of dependent jivas, they must factually be your servants.

In the explanation of Om in the Padma Purana it is said, “A refers to Visnu, U refers to Laksmi and M refers is the twenty fifth element, the jiva, the servant of the other two.”

For those brahmanas like me who worship you with devotion, your worshipping us gives displeasure. For others who serve you like Vidura and Uddhava, you give them sorrow by refusing to accept their worship. Others who are like animals, living in the material world, who do not worship you, are given your glance of mercy. And other evil persons like Jarasandha you punish. For all these people you are the benefactor, for you appear in this world by your free will for giving the highest benefit to all the people of the world in the form of prema bhakti and liberation, as well as maintainance and protection.

This I know.

“O great sage, for what purpose have you come? Do you intend to stay here, or go and stay elsewhere?” Anticipating this question, Narada speaks this verse.

With a desire to perceive (vivitsaya) the yogamaya of the Lord, Narada went to another queen’s palace.

At the palace of Satyabhama (tatra), he saw the Lord playing dice.

He spoke to Narada who was standing silently in great astonishment.

In all the houses first Krsna worshipped and praised Narada. This should be understood,though not mentioned in the verses. Narada saw (acasta) Krsna playing with his infant sons. Fourteen and a half verses describe what he saw.

Just as Krsna with one body had many appearances with different awareness and different activities, so also Uddhava and others with one body had many appearances. Narada, who went at the speed of the mind to sixteen thousand palaces in a moment, saw Krsna performing different activities at different time. This means that Krsna revealed within one moment the whole day of sixty ghatikas including all its parts starting with early morning, and along with that all the corresponding activities, and Krsna entered into those times. It is understood that Narada understood that all the times of the whole day with all the different activities were being displayed almost at once. In one house Narada saw Krsna preparing to bathe. This indicates it was early morning or dawn in that palace.

In one palace he was offering oblations in the avahaniya (vitana) fire. There, it was morning before noon. In another palace he was performing the five maha yajnas: reading the Vedas, sacrifice , serving guests, tarpana and offerings to the animals. In that house it was noon. In another house he was feeding others and eating. There it was afternoon.

Elsewhere, he was performing sadhya rites, in the twilight. Elsewhere, moving about with his sword and armour, it was early morning again.

Elsewhere Krsna was moving with elephants and horses, indicating noon time. Elsewhere he was sleeping, at the end of the night.

He was consulting with Uddhava and others in the twilight, and playing in the water in the afternoon.

He was giving cows in the morning and hearing the histories and puranas in the afternoon. According to the smrti scriptures, one should pass the sixth and seventh parts of the day (afternoon and evening) in hearing histories and puranas.

He was joking with his wife in the late night. He was practicing dharma ,artha and kama both day and night.

In one house he was meditating at the brahma muhurta

He got his sons and daughters married using many materials.

At the end of yearly festivals he sent the daughters and their husbands from his house back to their own houses. At t the beginning of the festivals he brought them from their houses. Seeing this, people were astonished.

Sometimes, during Caitra and other auspicious months, during caturmasya or other holy days, Krsna would worship the devas. At other times such as celebration of the beginning of the yuga (yugadi = askaya tritiya????), he would be digging wells.

Mounting his horse from Sindhu, he went hunting.

Disguising himself in other clothing he went to the houses of his ministers and his own inner chambers in order to know the minds of the people there. Though Krsna is the knower of everything (yogesam), he acted in this way through the covering of his sarvajnata sakti by his lila sakti immersed in prema.

Narada smiled, seeing how the lord, who is omniscient, desired to know the intentions of his ministers. Considering the Lord’s majesty, he restrained himself and thus made gestures to control the smile (prahasan iva). Seeing the appearance of the yogamaya of the lord absorbed in his pastimes (manusim gatim iyusah), he was astonished.

“y we realize (vidama for vedama) the yogamaya potencies, present in you (atman nirbhata), Lord of yoga, by serving your lotus feet.”

“Are they difficult to realize for such omniscient persons as you?”

“Even to see those powers is impossible for Siva the best among yogis. What then to speak of understanding them? And what to speak of executing such pastimes.”

“Seeing your astonishing pastimes, I cannot maintain my steadiness. Therefore permit me to leave and speak this to dear friends in various places.”

“I, your devoted servant, have great sorrow in your presence, because you have washed with your lotus hands my unfortunate feet, hardened by traveling.”

In response to this, Krsna speaks this verse. “Therefore I am present to teach people (lokam) this dharma. I am a householder ksatriya and you are a brahmana . If I do not worship you when you come to my house, then how can dharma preached by me through proper conduct be established? “ yad yad acarati sresthas tad tad evetaro janah.” Thus, just to teach dharma, I have washed your feet toda. Before I began my pastimes of preaching dharma, when I killed Kesi, you approached me with many praises. At that time I just listened and did not worship you at all. Please remember that and consider.”

“That may be, but in washing my feet, I have committed offense in letting you drink the water that touched my feet.”

“Oh son” he addresses Narada with affection to pacify him, “You should understand that just as there is no offense for the son in touching his father’s body with his foot, there is no offense for you if I touch your feet or drink your foot wash.”

This verse summarizes the meaning of what was stated. With one body Krsna (tam ekam) was present in each of the sixteen thousand palaces as was previously stated (verse 2). Because Narada had a desire to see this, and Krsna had a desire to show this, Narada was able to see. The residents of Dvaraka however saw Krsna only in the palace where they were residing even if they sometimes went to other houses interrupting their routine.

Narada was worshipped with devotion by Krsna, whose mind was filled with faith (sraddhita atmana) in artha, kama and dharma.

44.Why should the Lord have faith in artha and kama? This verse answers. Why does Krsna follow the path of men? For welfare of all people (akhila bhavaya) . Humans easily remember human actions. By remembering of such pastimes of the Lord, he makes them free from the material world. Why should he stop their material existence? Because Krsna is endowed with krpa sakti, mercy (grhita saktih). But this is not the only purpose for permanently engaging in human actions. He does it for his own beloved women with human form, expanded from himself, who are more attractive than even Laksmi and others, in that human like form which is the source of all the Vaikuntha Visnu forms. And he does it for eternal pleasure. He enjoys (reme) eternally with them.

The purpose of Krsna’s human pastimes is not only to liberate mankind from the material world. The pastimes give prema bhakti. This is explained in this verse. He is the cause of destruction, creation and maintenance of the universe. His activities are not available except in this human like form (karmani ananya visayani). Or his activities are the object of meditation for his pure devotees. That person who hears about Krsna develops bhakti, prema bhakti to the lord, who is attained by the path of worship which also yields liberation (apavarga marge bhagavati). But liberation from the material world occurs even at the beginning of worship.