SB 10.84.47
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Please note: The synonyms, translation and purport of this verse were composed by disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda
TEXT 47
- tam abhyaṣiñcan vidhi-vad
- aktam abhyaktam ṛtvijaḥ
- patnībhir aṣṭā-daśabhiḥ
- soma-rājam ivoḍubhiḥ
SYNONYMS
tam—him; abhyaṣiñcan—they sprinkled with sacred water; vidhivat—according to scriptural rules; aktam—his eyes decorated with mascara; abhyaktam—his body smeared with newly-churned butter; ṛtvijaḥ—the priests; patnībhiḥ—along with his wives; aṣṭā-daśabhiḥ—eighteen; soma-rājam—the kingly; iva—as if; uḍubhiḥ—with stars.
Translation and purport composed by disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda
TRANSLATION
After Vasudeva's eyes had been decorated with black cosmetic and his body smeared with fresh butter, the priests initiated him according to scriptural rules by sprinkling him and his eighteen wives with sacred water. Encircled by his wives, he resembled the regal moon encircled by stars.
PURPORT
Devakī was Vasudeva's principal wife, but she had several co-wives, including her six sisters. This fact is recorded in the Ninth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:
- devakaś cograsenaś ca
- catvāro devakātmajāḥ
- devavān upadevaś ca
- sudevo devavardhanaḥ
- teṣāṁ svasāraḥ saptāsan
- dhṛtadevādayo nṛpa
- śāntidevopadevā ca
- śrīdevā devarakṣitā
- sahadevā devakī ca
- vasudeva uvāha tāḥ
"Āhuka had two sons, named Devaka and Ugrasena. Devaka had four sons, named Devavān, Upadeva, Sudeva and Devavardhana, and he also had seven daughters, named Śāntidevā, Upadevā, Śrīdevā, Devarakṣitā, Sahadevā, Devakī and Dhṛtadevā. Dhṛtadevā was the eldest. Vasudeva, the father of Kṛṣṇa, married all these sisters." (SB 9.24.21-23)
Some of Vasudeva's other wives are mentioned a few verses later:
- pauravī rohiṇī bhadrā
- madirā rocanā ilā
- devakī-pramukhāś cāsan
- patnya ānakadundubheḥ
"Devakī, Pauravī, Rohiṇī, Bhadrā, Madirā, Rocanā, Ilā and others were all wives of Ānakadundubhi [Vasudeva]. Among them all, Devakī was the chief." (SB 9.24.45)