Chapter summary
कन्यावरणम् Kanyā Varaṇam
The Choosing of the Bride
**Śrī Sadguru said:**
Then, Lord Mukunda, whose eyes were as lovely and large as lotuses, desiring to marry Padmāvatī, remembered the great sage, Śrī Śukadeva, the son of Vyāsa. At that very moment, the great sage appeared there, his throat resonant with the nectar of Śrī Kṛṣṇa's stories, one for whom all distinctions of the transient world were dispelled, and whose experience was absorbed solely in the nature of the Self. With eyes filled with tears of love, Kṛṣṇa brought him forward, worshipped him with folded hands in reverence, and said, "Today, please choose a bride for me from the lineage of Śrī Toṇḍamān." (v.1-3)
Saying, "So be it," Śuka, instantly understanding Viṣṇu's heart, went gracefully to the assembly of Ākāśarāja, having been sent by that best of saints. Ākāśarāja, seeing Śukadeva, bowed down and worshipped him with a humble disposition. After offering a respectful welcome, he asked the reason for his arrival. (v.4-5)
**The King said:**
"Oh, I am truly fulfilled, O preceptor of the world, by your arrival here, which is so very rare. Surely my family deities rejoice, and all my ancestors are satisfied, O divine one. If infinite merit has been acquired in a past life, then at the time of reaping its fruit, it is only by the dawning of good fortune that men obtain the company of the good, which is indeed the cause of all auspiciousness." (v.6-7)
"My chosen deity and family deity is the merciful Lord Śrī Veṅkaṭeśa. I believe it is by His grace alone that you have come into my sight here. What service can be rendered by me today to you, the best of those who know Brahman? Command me freely, O best of yogis. Veṅkaṭeśa is pleased by the service of the good." (v.8-9)
**Śrī Śuka said:**
"O king, you are born in the lineage of Śrī Toṇḍamān, so this speech of yours is fitting. Indeed, only through the worship of good people does auspiciousness certainly arise for men. Oh, you are truly fulfilled, O lord of the earth, for Padmā herself has become your daughter. She, who was not born from a womb, manifested herself with a divine form from a thousand-petaled lotus. You consider her your own daughter, a human girl, due to your parental affection. You are truly blessed, equal to Janaka. You are the father of the mother of the world, O King." (v.10-12)
"The sole Lord of the universe, Śrī Veṅkaṭeśa, Himself chooses Śrī, who is none other than Lakṣmī. He chooses her, the lotus-eyed one, who, though residing on His chest, has also taken incarnation here in your home. Who has the power to take your daughter, O king—not even a cruel planet, indeed! Know that she is a vessel of grace for Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of the universe." (v.13-14)
"Arrange the wedding of Padmāvatī and Veṅkaṭanātha quickly. Attain the good fortune of being the father-in-law to the Lord of Śrī, who is served by Brahmā, Indra, and the gods. Sent by that excellent one, O King, I have come into your presence to choose the lotus-eyed maiden for that Kṛṣṇa, the bull among the gods." (v.15-16)
**The King said:**
"I shall give, I shall give my daughter Padmāvatī by your command. So be it! I shall give her to Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of the three worlds, Śrī Veṅkaṭeśa, the best of the gods." (v.17)
**Śrī Śuka said:**
"So be it, O King. I, having gone to Viṣṇu and informed him of your decision, will quickly bring him to this palace of yours. Prepare everything. O King, the bride was born under the Mṛgaśīrṣa star, and the groom's star is Śravaṇa. Therefore, the month of Vaiśākha, with the Uttaraphalgunī star, is indeed conducive to an auspicious and happy wedding. Lord Murāri, along with all the gods in human form and all the devotees, will come to your city very soon. Prepare everything, O king." (v.18-20)
**Śrī Sadguru said:**
Thus ends the forty-second chapter, entitled "The Choosing of the Bride," in the First Part of the Divyadeśavaibhavam, composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
