Devanagari
अद्यापि च पुरं ह्येतत् सूचयद् रामविक्रमम् ।
समुन्नतं दक्षिणतो गङ्गायामनुदृश्यते ॥ ५४ ॥
Verse text
adyāpi ca puraṁ hy etat
sūcayad rāma-vikramam
samunnataṁ dakṣiṇato
gaṅgāyām anudṛśyate
Synonyms
adya
—
today
;
api
—
even
;
ca
—
and
;
puram
—
city
;
hi
—
indeed
;
etat
—
this
;
sūcayat
—
showing the signs of
;
rāma
—
of Lord Balarāma
;
vikramam
—
the prowess
;
samunnatam
—
prominently elevated
;
dakṣiṇataḥ
—
on the southern side
;
gaṅgāyām
—
by the Ganges
;
anudṛśyate
—
is seen .
Translation
Even today the city of Hastināpura is visibly elevated on its southern side along the Ganges, thus showing the signs of Lord Balarāma’s prowess.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Even today the city of Hastināpura is visibly elevated on its southern side along the Ganges, thus showing the signs of Lord Balarāma's prowess.
KB 10.68.54
It is confirmed by Śukadeva Gosvāmī that in those days the river flowing through the city of Hastināpura, present-day New Delhi, was known as the Ganges, although today it is called the Yamunā. From authorities like Jīva Gosvāmī it is confirmed that the Ganges and Yamunā are the same river flowing in different courses. The part of the Ganges which flows through Hastināpura to the area of Vṛndāvana is called the Yamunā because it is sanctified by the transcendental pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The part of Hastināpura which slopes toward the Yamunā becomes inundated during the rainy season and reminds everyone of Lord Balarāma’s threatening to cast the city into the Ganges.
Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Sixty-eighth Chapter of Kṛṣṇa, “The Marriage of Sāmba.”
Purport
Śrīla Prabhupāda writes as follows: “For the most part it was the practice of the
kṣatriya
kings to inaugurate some kind of fighting between the parties of the bride and bridegroom before the marriage. When Sāmba forcibly took away Lakṣmaṇa, the elderly members of the Kuru dynasty were pleased to see that he was actually the suitable match for her. In order to see his personal strength, however, they fought with him, and without any respect for the regulations of fighting, they all arrested him. When the Yadu dynasty decided to release Sāmba from the confinement of the Kurus, Lord Balarāma came personally to settle the matter, and, as a powerful
kṣatriya,
He ordered them to free Sāmba immediately. The Kauravas became superficially insulted by this order, so they challenged Lord Balarāma’s power. They simply wanted to see Him exhibit His inconceivable strength. Thus with great pleasure they handed over their daughter to Sāmba, and the whole matter was settled. Duryodhana, being affectionate toward his daughter Lakṣmaṇā, had her married to Sāmba in great pomp.… Balarāma was very satisfied after His great reception from the side of the Kurus, and accompanied by the newly married couple, He started toward His capital city of Dvārakā.
“Lord Balarāma triumphantly reached Dvārakā, where He met with many citizens who were all His devotees and friends. When they all assembled, Lord Balarāma narrated the whole story of the marriage, and they were astonished to hear how Balarāma had made the city of Hastināpura tremble.”
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Sixty-eighth Chapter, of the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
entitled “The Marriage of Sāmba.”
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
The great strength of Baladeva is described with joy. Even today that city (pointing it out) is seen continually (anudṛśyate) to be raised on its southern side on the river. May the devotees see with astonishment my boldness and rashness. Where Śrīdhara Svāmī is silent (writing a sparse commentary for this chapter), I have been talkative.
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Sixty-eighth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Marriage of Sāmba."
10.69: Nārada Muni Visits Lord Kṛṣṇa's Palaces in Dvārakā
verses: Summary, 1-6, 7-8, 9-12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20-22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45
Chapter Summary
This chapter relates how Nārada Muni was amazed to see the household pastimes of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and how he offered prayers to the Lord.
After killing the demon Naraka, Lord Kṛṣṇa had simultaneously married sixteen thousand maidens, and sage Nārada wanted to observe the Lord's diverse activities in this unique family situation. Thus he went to Dvārakā. Nārada entered one of the sixteen thousand palaces and saw Goddess Rukmiṇī personally rendering menial service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, despite her being in the company of thousands of maidservants. As soon as Lord Kṛṣṇa noticed Nārada, He got up from His bed, offered obeisances to the sage and seated him on His own seat. Then the Lord bathed Nārada's feet and sprinkled the water on His own head. Such was the exemplary behavior of the Lord.
After conversing with the Lord for a short while, Nārada went to another of His palaces, where the sage saw Śrī Kṛṣṇa playing at dice with His queen and Uddhava. Going from there to another palace, he found Lord Kṛṣṇa coddling His infant children. In another palace he saw Him preparing to take a bath; in another, performing fire sacrifices, in another, feeding brāhmaṇas; and in another, eating the remnants left by brāhmaṇas. In one palace the Lord was performing noontime rituals; in another, quietly chanting the Gāyatrī mantra; in another, sleeping on His bed; in another, consulting with His ministers; and in yet another, playing in the water with His female companions. Somewhere the Lord was giving charity to brāhmaṇas, in another place He was joking and laughing with His consort, in yet another place He was meditating on the Supersoul, somewhere He was serving His spiritual masters, in another place He was arranging for the marriages of His sons and daughters, somewhere else He was going out to hunt animals, and elsewhere He was moving about in disguise to find out what the citizens were thinking.
Having seen all this, Nārada addressed Lord Kṛṣṇa: "Only because I have served Your lotus feet can I understand these varieties of Your Yogamāyā potency, which ordinary living beings bewildered by illusion cannot begin to perceive. Thus I am most fortunate, and I simply desire to travel all over the three worlds chanting the glories of Your pastimes, which purify all the worlds."
Śrī Kṛṣṇa asked Nārada not to be confused by his vision of the Lord's transcendental opulences, and He described to him the purposes of His appearances in this world. He then honored the sage properly, according to religious principles, and Nārada departed, continuously meditating on the Supreme Personality of Godhead.