SB 10.75.33 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.75.33

यस्मिन् तदा मधुपतेर्महिषीसहस्रं श्रोणीभरेण शनकै: क्व‍णदङ्‍‍घ्रिशोभम् । मध्ये सुचारु कुचकुङ्कुमशोणहारं श्रीमन्मुखं प्रचलकुण्डलकुन्तलाढ्यम् ॥ ३३ ॥

yasmin tadā madhu-pater mahiṣī-sahasraṁ

[yasmin tadaa madhu-pater mahishee-sahasram]

śroṇī-bhareṇa śanakaiḥ kvaṇad-aṅghri-śobham

[shronee-bharena shanakaih kvanad-anghri-shobham]

madhye su-cāru kuca-kuṅkuma-śoṇa-hāraṁ

[madhye su-chaaru kucha-kunkuma-shona-haaram]

śrīman-mukhaṁ pracala-kuṇḍala-kuntalāḍhyam

[shreeman-mukham prachala-kundala-kuntalaadhyam]

Word-for-word

yasmin — in which tadā — at that time madhu — of Mathurā pateḥ — of the Lord mahiṣī — the queens sahasram — thousands śroṇī — of their hips bhareṇa — with the weight śanakaiḥ — slowly kvaṇat — tinkling aṅghri — of whose feet śobham — the charm madhye — at the middle (the waist) su - cāru — very attractive kuca — from their breasts kuṅkuma — with the kuṅkuma powder śoṇa — reddened hāram — whose pearl necklaces śrī - mat — beautiful mukham — whose faces pracala — moving kuṇḍala — with earrings kuntala — and locks of hair āḍhyam — richly endowed .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

yasmin tadā madhu-pater mahiṣī-sahasraṁ

yasmin

in which

tadā

at that time

madhu

of Mathurā

pateḥ

of the Lord

mahiṣī

the queens

sahasram

thousands

śroṇī-bhareṇa śanakaiḥ kvaṇad-aṅghri-śobham

śroṇī

of their hips

bhareṇa

with the weight

śanakaiḥ

slowly

kvaṇat

tinkling

aṅghri

of whose feet

śobham

the charm

madhye su-cāru kuca-kuṅkuma-śoṇa-hāraṁ

madhye

at the middle (the waist)

su - cāru

very attractive

kuca

from their breasts

kuṅkuma

with the kuṅkuma powder

śoṇa

reddened

hāram

whose pearl necklaces

śrīman-mukhaṁ pracala-kuṇḍala-kuntalāḍhyam

śrī - mat

beautiful

mukham

whose faces

pracala

moving

kuṇḍala

with earrings

kuntala

and locks of hair

āḍhyam

richly endowed .

Important Words

madhu-pateḥ — of the Lord of Mathurā
Compound: madhu (the Madhu region / sweetness) + pati (Lord). Kṛṣṇa as Mathurā-pati. Even in Hastināpura, His Mathurā-identity is named — the chapter never lets Him become merely 'Dvārakā-Kṛṣṇa.'
mahiṣī-sahasram — thousands of queens
Compound: mahiṣī (queen) + sahasra (thousand). Kṛṣṇa's 16,108 queens (per Canto 10.59). Gauḍīyas hold that each is a personal expansion of Lakṣmī, eternally His.
kuca-kuṅkuma — kuṅkuma from their breasts
Compound: kuca (breast) + kuṅkuma (vermilion). A Bhāgavatam intimacy-detail. Gauḍīyas read it without prudishness: mādhurya is not modesty's enemy; it is its deeper grammar. The kuṅkuma signs them as His.
śrī-mat-mukham — beautiful face
Compound: śrī-mat (possessed of beauty/Lakṣmī) + mukha (face). 'Faces bearing Śrī.' Each of His queens carries Lakṣmī-radiance — and Duryodhana, looking at Draupadī, has not understood what 'śrī-mat' actually is.

Lord Madhupati’s thousands of queens were also staying in the palace. Their feet moved slowly, weighed down by their hips, and the bells on their feet tinkled charmingly. Their waists were very slender, the kuṅkuma from their breasts reddened their pearl necklaces, and their swaying earrings and flowing locks of hair enhanced the exquisite beauty of their faces.

Purport

Śrīla Prabhupāda writes: “After looking at such beauties in the palace of King Yudhiṣṭhira, Duryodhana became envious. He became especially envious and lustful upon seeing the beauty of Draupadī because he had cherished a special attraction for her from the very beginning of her marriage with the Pāṇḍavas. In the marriage selection assembly of Draupadī, Duryodhana had also been present, and with other princes he had been very much captivated by the beauty of Draupadī, but he had failed to achieve her.”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Lord Madhupati's thousands of queens were also staying in the palace. Their feet moved slowly, weighed down by their hips, and the bells on their feet tinkled charmingly. Their waists were very slender, the kuṅkuma from their breasts reddened their pearl necklaces, and their swaying earrings and flowing locks of hair enhanced the exquisite beauty of their faces.

Commentary

That place was resplendent with thousands of Krsna’s queens with beautiful faces, earrings and locks of hair.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

It is said reme ramābhir nija-kāma-samplutaḥ: although fully satisfied within himself, he enjoyed with his pleasing wives. (SB 10.59.43) As Kṛṣṇa’s Lakṣmīs they played in that palace, after the rājasūya sacrifice (tadā). They were the wives of Kṛṣṇa, Svayam Bhagavān (madhupateḥ). They were beautiful because of their jingling feet, which moved slowly because of the weight of their hips. Their faces were beautiful because of their moving earrings. One should understand that this description only indicates a portion of their beauty.

Related values & verses

Related values

Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomAbhaya (Fearlessness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)

Personal Guidance

Kṛṣṇa's thousands of queens, slow-footed under their jeweled adornment, walked through the palace. Duryodhana grew more envious. The same beauty draws devotion in some and lust in others.

Reflection Questions

When I encounter spiritual beauty, does it draw me toward Kṛṣṇa or toward grasping?
What discipline trains the response toward devotion?

Analogy

Kṛṣṇa's queens are not Vraja-gopīs, but they walk through the same chapter — and even their tinkling anklets, the kuṅkuma on their pearls, the swaying of their earrings, are described to remind us: this hall holds the Lord and His own. The envious eye cannot understand what it sees.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io