The great sage Narada heard that Lord Krsna had married 16,000 wives after He had killed the demon Narakasura, sometimes called Bhaumasura. Narada became astonished that Lord Krsna had expanded Himself into 16,000 forms and married these wives simultaneously in different palaces. Being inquisitive as to how Krsna was managing His household affairs with so many wives, Narada desired to see these pastimes and so set out to visit Krsna's different homes. When Narada arrived in Dvaraka, he saw that the gardens and parks were full of various flowers of different colors and orchards that were overloaded with a variety of fruits. Beautiful birds were chirping, and peacocks were delightfully crowing. There were tanks and ponds full of blue and red lotus flowers, and some of these sites were filled with varieties of lilies. The lakes were full of nice swans and cranes whose voices resounded everywhere. In the city there were as many as 900,000 great palaces built of first-class marble with gates and doors made of silver. The posts of the houses and palaces were bedecked with jewels such as touchstone, sapphires and emeralds, and the floors gave off a beautiful luster. The highways, lanes, streets, crossings and marketplaces were all beautifully decorated. The whole city was full of residential homes, assembly houses, and temples, all of different architectural beauty. All of this made Dvaraka a glowing city. The big avenues, crossings, lanes, streets, and also the thresholds of every residential house, were very clean. On both sides of every path there were bushes, and at regular intervals there were large trees that shaded the avenues so that the sunshine would not bother the passersby.

In this greatly beautiful city of Dvaraka, Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, had many residential quarters. The great kings and princes of the world used to visit these palaces just to worship Him. The architectural plans were made personally by Visvakarma, the engineer of the demigods, and in the construction of the palaces he exhibited all of his talents and ingenuity. These residential quarters numbered more than 16,000, and a different queen of Lord Krsna resided in each of them. The great sage Narada entered one of these houses and saw that the pillars were made of coral and the ceilings were bedecked with jewels. The walls as well as the arches between the pillars glowed from the decorations of different kinds of sapphires. Throughout the palace there were many canopies made by Visvakarma that were decorated with strings of pearls. The chairs and other furniture were made of ivory, bedecked with gold and diamonds, and jeweled lamps dissipated the darkness within the palace. There was so much incense and flavored gum burning that the scented fumes were coming out of the windows. The peacocks sitting on the steps became illusioned by the fumes, mistaking them for clouds, and began dancing jubilantly. There were many maidservants, all of whom were decorated with gold necklaces, bangles and beautiful saris. There were also many male servants, who were nicely dressed in cloaks and turbans and jeweled earrings. Beautiful as they were, the servants were all engaged in different household duties.

Narada saw that Lord Krsna was sitting with Rukminidevi, the mistress of that particular palace, who was bearing the rod of a camara whisk. Even though there were many thousands of maidservants who were equally beautiful and qualified, and who were of the same age, Rukminidevi personally was engaged in fanning Lord Krsna. Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, worshiped even by Narada, but still, as soon as He saw Narada enter the palace, Krsna got down immediately from Rukmini's bedstead and stood up to honor him. Lord Krsna is the teacher of the whole world, and in order to instruct everyone how to respect a saintly person like Narada Muni, Krsna bowed down, touching His helmet to the ground. Not only did Krsna bow down, but He also touched the feet of Narada and with folded hands requested him to sit on His chair. Lord Krsna is the Supreme Personality worshiped by all devotees. He is the most worshiped spiritual master of everyone. The Ganges water which emanates from His feet sanctifies the three worlds. All qualified brahmanas worship Him, and therefore He is called brahmanya-deva.

Brahmanya means one who fully possesses the brahminical qualifications, which are said to be as follows: truthfulness, self-control, purity, mastery of the senses, simplicity, full knowledge by practical application, and engagement in devotional service. Lord Krsna personally possesses all these qualities, and He is worshiped by persons who themselves possess such qualities. There are thousands and millions of names of Lord Krsna--Visnu-sahasra-nama--and all of them are given to Him because of His transcendental qualities.

Lord Krsna in Dvaraka enjoyed the pastimes of a perfect human being. When, therefore, He washed the feet of the sage Narada and took the water on His head, Narada did not object, knowing well that the Lord did so to teach everyone how to respect saintly persons. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, who is the original Narayana and eternal friend of all living entities, thus worshiped the sage Narada according to Vedic regulative principles. Welcoming him with sweet nectarean words, He addressed Narada as bhagavan, or one who is self-sufficient, possessing all kinds of knowledge, renunciation, strength, fame, beauty, and similar other opulences. He particularly asked Narada, "What can I do in your service?"

Narada replied, "My dear Lord, this kind of behavior by Your Lordship is not at all astonishing because You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead and master of all species of living entities. You are the supreme friend of all living entities, but at the same time You are the supreme chastiser of the miscreants and the envious. I know that Your Lordship has descended on this earth for the proper maintenance of the whole universe. Your appearance, therefore, is not forced by any other agency. By Your sweet will only, You agree to appear and disappear. It is my great fortune that I have been able to see Your lotus feet today. Anyone who becomes attached to Your lotus feet is elevated to the supreme position of neutrality and is uncontaminated by the material modes of nature. My Lord, You are unlimited; there is no limit to Your opulences. Great demigods like Lord Brahma and Lord Siva are always busy placing You within their hearts and meditating upon You. The conditioned souls who have now been put into the blind well of material existence can get out of this eternal captivity only by accepting Your lotus feet. Thus, You are the only shelter of all conditioned souls. My dear Lord, You have very kindly asked what You can do for me. In answer to this I simply request that I may not forget Your lotus feet at any time. I do not care where I may be, but I pray that I may be allowed to constantly remember Your lotus feet."

The benediction which the sage Narada asked from the Lord is the ideal prayer of all pure devotees. A pure devotee never asks for any kind of material or spiritual benediction from the Lord, but his only prayer is that he may not forget the lotus feet of the Lord in any condition of life. A pure devotee does not care whether he is put in heaven or hell; he is satisfied anywhere, provided he can constantly remember the lotus feet of the Lord. Lord Caitanya also taught this same process of prayer in His Siksastaka, in which He clearly stated that all He wanted was devotional service, birth after birth. A pure devotee does not even want to stop the repetition of birth and death. To a pure devotee, it does not matter whether he has to take birth again in the various species of life. His only ambition is that he may not forget the lotus feet of the Lord in any condition of life.

After departing from the palace of Rukmini, Naradaji wanted to see the activities of Lord Krsna's internal potency, yogamaya; thus he entered the palace of another queen. There he saw Lord Krsna engaged in playing chess, along with His dear wife and Uddhava. The Lord immediately got up from His seat and invited Narada Muni to sit on His personal seat. The Lord again worshiped him with as much paraphernalia for reception as He had in the palace of Rukmini. After worshiping him properly, Lord Krsna acted as if He did not know what had happened in the palace of Rukmini. He therefore told Narada, "My dear sage, when Your Holiness comes here, you are full in yourself. Although We are householders and are always in need, you don't require anyone's help because you are self-satisfied. Under the circumstances, what reception can We offer you, and what can We possibly give you? Yet, since Your Holiness is a brahmana, it is Our duty to offer you something as far as possible. Therefore, I beg your pleasure to order Me. What can I do for you?"

Naradaji knew everything about the pastimes of the Lord, so without any further discussion, he simply left the palace silently, in great astonishment over the Lord's activities. He then entered another palace. This time Naradaji saw that Lord Krsna was engaged as an affectionate father petting His small children. From there he entered another palace and saw Lord Krsna preparing to take His bath. In this way, Saint Narada entered each and every one of the sixteen thousand residential palaces of the queens of Lord Krsna, and in each of them he found Krsna engaged in different ways.

In one place he found Krsna engaged in offering oblations to the sacrificial fire and performing the ritualistic ceremonies of the Vedas as enjoined for householders. In another palace, Krsna was found performing the panca-yajna sacrifice, which is compulsory for a householder. This yajna is also known as panca-suna. Knowingly or unknowingly, everyone, specifically the householder, is committing five kinds of sinful activities. When we receive water from a water pitcher, we kill many germs that are in it. Similarly, when we use a grinding machine or take foodstuff, we kill many germs. When sweeping a floor or igniting a fire we kill many germs, and when we walk on the street we kill many ants and other insects. Consciously or unconsciously, in all our different activities, we are killing. Therefore, it is incumbent upon every householder to perform the panca-suna sacrifice to rid himself of the reactions to such sinful activities.

In one palace Lord Krsna was found engaged in feeding brahmanas after performing ritualistic yajnas. In another palace, Narada found Krsna engaged in silently chanting the Gayatri mantra, and in a third he found Him practicing fighting with a sword and shield. In some palaces Lord Krsna was found riding on horses or elephants or chariots and wandering hither and thither. Elsewhere He was found lying down on His bedstead taking rest, and somewhere else He was found sitting in His chair, being praised by the prayers of His different devotees. In some of the palaces He was found consulting with ministers like Uddhava and others on important matters of business. In one palace He was found surrounded by many young society girls, enjoying in a swimming pool. In another palace He was found engaged in giving well-decorated cows in charity to the brahmanas, and in another palace He was found hearing the narrations of the Puranas or histories, such as the Mahabharata, which are supplementary literatures for disseminating Vedic knowledge to common people by narrating important instances in the history of the universe. Somewhere Lord Krsna was found enjoying the company of a particular wife by exchanging joking words with her. Somewhere else He was found engaged along with His wife in religious ritualistic functions. Since it is necessary for householders to increase their financial assets for various expenditures, Krsna was found somewhere engaged in matters of economic development. Somewhere else He was found enjoying family life according to the regulative principles of the sastras.

In one palace He was found sitting in meditation as if He were concentrating His mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is beyond these material universes. Meditation, as recommended in authorized scripture, is meant for concentrating one's mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu. Lord Krsna is Himself the original Visnu, but because He played the part of a human being, He taught us definitely by His personal behavior what is meant by meditation. Somewhere Lord Krsna was found satisfying elderly superiors by supplying them things which they needed. Somewhere else Naradaji found that Lord Krsna was engaged in discussing topics of fighting, and somewhere else in making peace with enemies. Somewhere Lord Krsna was found discussing the ultimate auspicious activity for the entire human society with His elder brother Lord Balarama. Narada saw Lord Krsna engaged in getting His sons and daughters married with suitable brides and bridegrooms in due course of time, and the marriage ceremonies were being performed with great pomp. In one palace He was found bidding farewell to His daughters, and in another He was found receiving a daughter-in-law. People throughout the whole city were astonished to see such pomp and ceremonies.

Somewhere the Lord was seen engaged in performing different types of sacrifices to satisfy the demigods, who are only His qualitative expansions. Somewhere He was seen engaged in public welfare activities, establishing deep wells for water supply, rest houses and gardens for unknown guests, and great monasteries and temples for saintly persons. These are some of the duties enjoined in the Vedas for householders for fulfillment of their material desires. Somewhere Krsna was found as a ksatriya king engaged in hunting animals in the forest and riding on very beautiful sindhi horses. According to Vedic regulations, the ksatriyas were allowed to kill prescribed animals on certain occasions, either to maintain peace in the forests or to offer the animals in the sacrificial fire. Ksatriyas are allowed to practice this killing art because they have to kill their enemies mercilessly to maintain peace in society. In one situation the great sage Narada saw Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and master of mystic powers, acting as a spy by changing His usual dress in order to understand the motives of different citizens in the city and within the palaces.

Saint Narada saw all these activities of the Lord, who is the Supersoul of all living entities but who played the role of an ordinary human being in order to manifest the activities of His internal potency. He was smiling within himself and he began to address the Lord as follows: "My dear Lord of all mystic powers, object of the meditation of great mystics, the extent of Your mystic power is certainly inconceivable, even to mystics like Lord Brahma and Lord Siva. But by Your mercy, because of my being always engaged in the transcendental loving service of Your lotus feet, Your Lordship has very kindly revealed to me the actions of Your internal potency. My dear Lord, You are worshipable by all, and demigods and predominating deities of all fourteen planetary systems are completely aware of Your transcendental fame. Now please give me Your blessings so that I may be able to travel all over the universes singing the glories of Your transcendental activities."

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krsna, replied to Narada as follows: "My dear Narada, O sage among the demigods, you know that I am the supreme instructor and perfect follower of all religious principles, as well as the supreme enforcer of such principles. I am therefore personally executing such religious principles in order to teach the whole world how to act. My dear son, it is My desire that you not be bewildered by such demonstrations of My internal energy."

The Supreme Personality of Godhead was engaged in His so-called household affairs in order to teach people how one can sanctify one's household life although he may be attached to the imprisonment of material existence. Actually, one is obliged to continue the term of material existence because of household life. But the Lord, being very kind upon householders, demonstrated the path of sanctifying ordinary household life. Because Krsna is the center of all activities, a Krsna conscious householder's life is transcendental to Vedic injunctions and is automatically sanctified.

Thus Narada saw one single Krsna living in sixteen thousand palaces by His plenary expansions. Due to His inconceivable energy, He was visible in each and every individual queen's palace. Lord Krsna has unlimited power, and Narada's astonishment was boundless upon observing again and again the demonstration of Lord Krsna's internal energy. Lord Krsna behaved by His personal example as if He were very much attached to the four principles of civilized life, namely religiousness, economic development, sense gratification and salvation. These four principles of material existence are necessary for the spiritual advancement of human society, and although Lord Krsna had no need to do so, He exhibited His household activities so that people might follow in His footsteps for their own interest. Lord Krsna satisfied the sage Narada in every way. Narada was very much pleased by seeing the Lord's activities in Dvaraka, and thus he departed.

In narrating the activities of Lord Krsna in Dvaraka, Sukadeva Gosvami explained to King Pariksit how Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, descends on this material universe by the agency of His internal potency and personally exhibits the principles which, if followed, can lead one to achieve the ultimate goal of life. All the queens in Dvaraka, more than sixteen thousand in number, engaged their feminine attractive features in the transcendental service of the Lord by smiling and serving, and the Lord was pleased to behave with them exactly as a perfect husband enjoying household life. One should know definitely that such pastimes cannot be performed by anyone but Lord Sri Krsna. Lord Sri Krsna is the original cause of the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the whole cosmic manifestation. Anyone who attentively hears the narrations of the Lord's pastimes in Dvaraka or supports a preacher of the Krsna consciousness movement will certainly find it very easy to traverse the path of liberation and taste the nectar of the lotus feet of Lord Krsna. And thus he will be engaged in His devotional service.

Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Second Volume, Fourteenth Chapter, of Krsna, "The Great Sage Narada Visits the Different Homes of Lord Krsna."