Devanagari
तां वै प्रवयसो बालां विधिज्ञा विप्रयोषित: ।
भवानीं वन्दयांचक्रुर्भवपत्नीं भवान्विताम् ॥ ४५ ॥
Verse text
tāṁ vai pravayaso bālāṁ
vidhi-jṣā vipra-yoṣitaḥ
bhavānīṁ vandayāṁ cakrur
bhava-patnīṁ bhavānvitām
Synonyms
tām
—
her
;
vai
—
indeed
;
pravayasaḥ
—
elderly
;
bālām
—
the young girl
;
vidhi
—
of ritual injunctions
;
jṣāḥ
—
expert knowers
;
vipra
—
of brāhmaṇas
;
yoṣitaḥ
—
the wives
;
bhavānīm
—
to Goddess Bhavānī
;
vandayām cakruḥ
—
they led in offering respects
;
bhava
—
patnīm — the wife of Bhava (Lord Siva)
;
bhava
—
anvitām — accompanied by Lord Bhava .
Translation
The older wives of brāhmaṇas, expert in the knowledge of rituals, led young Rukmiṇī in offering respects to Bhavānī, who appeared with her consort, Lord Bhava.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The older wives of brāhmaṇas, expert in the knowledge of rituals, led young Rukmiṇī in offering respects to Bhavānī, who appeared with her consort, Lord Bhava.
KB 10.53.45
Some of these ladies were very old and knew perfectly well how to chant prayers to Goddess Durgā and Lord Śiva; so, followed by Rukmiṇī and others, they led these prayers before the deity.
Purport
According to the
ācāryas,
here the term
bhavānvitām
indicates that in the Ambikā temple visited by Rukmiṇī, the presiding deity was the goddess, whose husband appeared in an accompanying role. Thus the ritual was properly performed by women.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī comments that the term
vidhi-jṣāḥ
may be understood to mean that since the learned wives of
brāhmaṇas
knew of Rukmiṇī’s desire to marry Kṛṣṇa, the verb
vandayāṁ cakruḥ
thus indicates that they prompted her to pray for what she really wanted. In this way, like the goddess Bhavānī, Rukmiṇī could be united with her eternal male companion.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The aged wives of the priests, knowing the rule of scripture and also the mind of Rukmini, had her worship Durga along with Siva. "O Durga, just you are the wife of Siva, and joined with him, make Rukmini the wife of Krsna, joined with him." Having seen Krsna, they prayed in the same way as the citizens had previously, "May our pious acts be given to her."
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
The words bhavānīm and bhava-patnīm indicate that Durgā was Śiva’s assistant in fulfilling desires (bhava= worldly desires) and in fulfilling dharma (bhava= excellence). In fulfilling desires, she arranges for women to marry men. In relation to fulfilling dharma she helps in sacrifices. The words show her intimate relationship with the great devotee Śiva. Rukmiṇī was made to offer respects to chaste Durgā, associated with Śiva. The elderly women also taught her the mantra in the next verse. They had realized the mantra.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Bhāvānī refers to Pārvatī. They had Ṛukmiṇi offer respects to bhava-patnim (wife of Śiva) with devotion (bhavānvitam). By offering respects to her, offering respects to Śiva was also accomplished. Or she worshipped her in order to gain similar chastity and good fortune.