Lord Krsna married 16,108 wives (Conv and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"16,108 queens" |"16,108 wives" |"16,108" |"married 16,108"

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Kṛṣṇa exhibited the qualities of God fully. Rāma exhibited qualities of God partially. Take for example, Rāma was manifesting Himself as an ideal king. He remained stuck to only one wife because He was setting example, moral principle, to the world. Kṛṣṇa married 16,108.

Morning Walk at Stow Lake -- March 27, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Just like Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Lord Rāma is also the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But one is original. Kṛṣṇa is original, and Rāma is an expansion. Why? Because Kṛṣṇa exhibited the qualities of God fully. Rāma exhibited qualities of God partially. Take for example, Rāma was manifesting Himself as an ideal king. He was not manifesting Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore as ideal king He was limiting Himself with the moral principles of this world. And Kṛṣṇa, being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He exhibited that He's above any principle of the material world. He's free to act any way He likes. Otherwise what is the meaning... Means full-fledged manifestation of God. Lord Rāma, He married only one, Sītā. And when Sītā was kidnapped by Rāvaṇa, He never married again. Or when Sītā was sent to the forest for public opinion, He never married again. He remained a sticked to, stuck to only one wife because He was setting example, moral principle, to the world. Kṛṣṇa married 16,108. Not religious. Religious, He married only eight wife. But these 16,100 girls were kidnapped by one demon, and they were concentrated in a camp. So they prayed to Kṛṣṇa to save them. Kṛṣṇa is kind to everyone. So Kṛṣṇa came to their rescue, and He killed that demon. He rescued all the girls. But the girls requested Kṛṣṇa that "Because we were kidnapped and we are concentrated under his custody, so if we go back to our father, it will be difficult for him to get us married to a suitable prince. So our request is that You marry us." (Prabhupāda laughs) Kṛṣṇa agreed, "All right." He married wholesale, 16,100. (laughter) And that can be possible. Why 16,100? He can marry 16 million at a time. Otherwise how He's God?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

He had 16,108 queens.

Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: He had 16,108 queens.

Mr. Malhotra: 16,108 queens. But there they show I think only 8 or 7.

Prabhupāda: All are described, that he had 16,000 palaces. And Nārada Muni came to see Him, what He is doing actually. He saw different activities, and Kṛṣṇa expanded Himself to 16,108. Each rāṇī had 10 sons, and they had sons also. In this way the Yadu-vaṁśa was crores.

1973 Correspondence

He had 16,108 wives but for each wife he maintained a palace with servants and everything.

Letter to Locanananda -- December 6, 1973:

From the Vedic point of view a man can have more than one wife provided he can maintain each of them very nicely. The practical example is our Lord Krsna. He had 16,108 wives but for each wife he maintained a palace with servants and everything. We do not encourage more than one wife, but provided the man is highly responsible and conscientious and the woman agrees then we have no objection.