Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.54.57
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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mada-cyudbhiḥ
—
exuding the secretion of excited elephants
Mada (the temporal-gland secretion of male elephants in must) + cyut (dripping). Mada in this technical sense is auspicious — it indicates the prime of an elephant's power and is collected for unguents. The same word for asurika 'pride'; here, transformed into festival-substance.
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preṣṭha-bhū-bhujām
—
of the beloved kings
Preṣṭha (most beloved) + bhū-bhuj (king, lit. earth-eater). The kings who pursued Kṛṣṇa in vv. 1–17 have been replaced by 'most beloved' kings — those who came to honor the wedding. The geography of the chapter is conversion.
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gajaiḥ
—
by the elephants
Plural instrumental of gaja. Elephant — the standard royal mount and gift. Gauḍīya commentators note: elephants are honored throughout the Bhāgavatam — Gajendra, Airāvata, the elephants who crushed the army of v. 35, the elephants here. Each appearance carries dignity.
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rambhā-pūga
—
plantain and betel-nut (trees)
Rambhā (banana/plantain) + pūga (areca-palm/betel-nut). Both are auspicious Vedic plants; banana stems and areca palms are tied to doorways at every traditional Hindu wedding. The plant-list is also the wedding-ritual list.
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upaśobhitā
—
beautified
Past participle of upa-√śubh, 'to ornament.' The same root as Subhadrā (Kṛṣṇa's sister). Dvārakā is being made śobhita (radiant) — the city itself, like Subhadrā in human form, takes on the Lord's family-radiance.
The streets were sprinkled with the mada from the elephants of the best kings. The doors were ornamented with tall banana tree and betel nut trees.
Upaśobhitā means “made more beautiful.” The streets were soaked with the mada from elephants because the mada dropped here and there from the roaming elephants. The streets became more beautiful with the betel and banana trees raised (parāmṛṣṭa) by men. Or the streets were soaked by the elephants’ mada and the streets were made beautiful with the betel and banana trunks touched by the elephants. Though the elephants were intoxicated they were controllable. Thus the trees were beautiful and tall, with articles shining at their bases.
The city was made beautiful with plantain and betel nut trees placed everywhere, having fruits grabbed by elephants for eating (parāmṛṣṭa). The elephants could eat them. Thus the banana trees were huge and strong, and indicated auspiciousness. The streets were sprinkled with mada from the elephants or with scented water. Or the elephants could sprinkle the streets and eat the fruit.
- What 'intoxicated elephants' in your life could you involve in service rather than fear?
- How do you turn unruly resources into wedding labor?
Even the elephants of visiting kings — beasts of war — are reassigned to wedding-duty: their mada-secretion sprinkles the streets and their trunks set plantain and betel-nut trees by every doorway. The Bhāgavatam's joke: the same elephants that crushed armies (v. 35) now arrange flowers. Bhagavān's events convert violence into ornament.
My note
Source: vedabase.io