Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.90.1-7

śrī-śuka uvāca

sukhaḿ sva-puryāḿ nivasan

dvārakāyāḿ śriyaḥ patiḥ

sarva-sampat-samṛddhāyāḿ

juṣṭāyāḿ vṛṣṇi-puńgavaiḥ

strībhiś cottama-veṣābhir

nava-yauvana-kāntibhiḥ

kandukādibhir harmyeṣu

krīḍantībhis taḍid-dyubhiḥ

nityaḿ sańkula-mārgāyāḿ

mada-cyudbhir matań-gajaiḥ

sv-alańkṛtair bhaṭair aśvai

rathaiś ca kanakojjvalaiḥ

udyānopavanāḍhyāyāḿ

puṣpita-druma-rājiṣu

nirviśad-bhṛńga-vihagair

nāditāyāḿ samantataḥ

reme ṣoḍaśa-sāhasra-

patnīnāḿ eka-vallabhaḥ

tāvad vicitra-rūpo 'sau

tad-geheṣu maharddhiṣu

protphullotpala-kahlāra-

kumudāmbhoja-reṇubhiḥ

vāsitāmala-toyeṣu

kūjad-dvija-kuleṣu ca

vijahāra vigāhyāmbho

hradinīṣu mahodayaḥ

kuca-kuńkuma-liptāńgaḥ

parirabdhaś ca yoṣitām

SYNONYMS

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-puńgavaiḥ — 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; sańkula — crowded; mārgāyām — whose roads; mada-cyudbhiḥ — exuding mada; matam — intoxicated; gajaiḥ — with elephants; su — well; alańkṛtaiḥ — 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); bhṛńga — 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; kuńkuma — by the red cosmetic powder; lipta — smeared; ańgaḥ — His body; parirabdhaḥ — embraced; ca — and; yoṣitām — by the women.

TRANSLATION

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 kuńkuma from their breasts smeared on His body.

PURPORT

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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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
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Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari
Dravida dasa Brahmacari