Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.71.41-42
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
-
kṛṣṇā
—
Draupadī
Feminine of Kṛṣṇa — 'the dark one.' Draupadī's name itself binds her to Him; Gauḍīyas note that she is one of the great āśrita-narī of the Bhāgavata, her every crisis answered by His timely intervention.
-
rukmiṇīm
—
Rukmiṇī
Lakṣmī-incarnate, Kṛṣṇa's chief queen at Dvārakā. Her story (10.52–54) of writing the letter and being abducted is among the most loved Bhāgavata episodes.
-
satīm
—
the chaste one (of Nāgnajitī)
Satī — chaste, fixed. Each queen is called satī because each is irrevocably Kṛṣṇa-fixed. Gauḍīyas read sati as the dharma-name for one whose vrata cannot be diverted.
-
śvaśrvā
—
by mother-in-law (Kuntī)
Kuntī encourages Draupadī. The household's senior woman directs the worship; vātsalya-line of authority is preserved even as new bonds are made.
Encouraged by Kunti her mother in law (svasva), Draupadi worshiped the queens.
Draupadī was encouraged by Kuntī, who supplied her with assistants and appropriate items for worship (sam—coditā). The word ca indicates that she also worshiped their daughters and the wives of their sons. She worshipped each one, with all methods of worship (sarvaśaḥ). Śaibya refers to Mitrāvinda. The second ca refers to Lakṣmaṇā. Or śaibya can mean auspicious. This word then refers to Lakṣmaṇā who had all auspicious qualities.
Draupadī was encouraged by Kuntī, who supplied her with assistants and appropriate items for worship (sam—coditā). The word ca indicates that she also worshiped their daughters and the wives of their sons. She worshipped each one, with all methods of worship (sarvaśaḥ). Bhadrā was worshipped between Satyabhāmā and Jāmbavatī because she was considered equal. Her brothers gave her with devotion as the fathers of Satyabhāmā and Jāmbavatī gave their daughters. Śaibya refers to Mitrāvinda. The second ca refers to Lakṣmaṇā. Or śaibya can mean auspicious. This word then refers to Lakṣmaṇā who had all auspicious qualities. She was worshipped before Nagnajiti because of her great devotion to the Lord. This is clear from the discussion at Kurukṣetra. As with the eight principal queens, she worshipped other wives along with the wives of their sons and grandsons. She gave other items like food, rooms and beds.
- Whom close to Kṛṣṇa have I been ignoring?
- What concrete gift or attention to a devotee would honor the Lord today?
Draupadī, encouraged by Kuntī, worshiping Rukmiṇī, Satyabhāmā, Jāmbavatī, Kālindī, Mitravindā, Nāgnajitī and the rest with garments and ornaments is like one queen-bee leading the household honey-comb to the new hive — every chamber is offered its own flower, and the new arrivals are folded into the family's sweetness.
SB 10.83 records the long sister-to-sister conversation between Draupadī and Kṛṣṇa's chief queens, where each tells the story of how she came to Him — Rukmiṇī's elopement, Satyabhāmā's gem, Kālindī's tapasyā, Nāgnajitī's seven bulls, and the others. This verse is the moment that conversation begins.
Gauḍīya ācāryas treasure the picture: Draupadī, herself married to five husbands by Kṛṣṇa's design, performing pūjā to Kṛṣṇa's eight chief queens. Bhakti-women honouring bhakti-women, with Kuntī presiding.
My note
Source: vedabase.io