tat - of him (Vasudeva); dīkṣāyām - the initiation for the sacrifice; pravṛttāyām - when it was about to begin; vṛṣṇayaḥ - the Vṛṣṇis; puṣkara - of lotuses; srajaḥ - wearing garlands; snātāḥ - bathed; suvāsasaḥ - well dressed; rājan - O King; rājānaḥ - (other) kings; suṣṭhu - elaborately; alaṅkṛtāḥ - ornamented; tat - their; mahiṣyaḥ - queens; ca - and; muditāḥ - joyful; niṣka - jeweled lockets; kaṇṭhyaḥ - on whose necks; su-vāsasaḥ - well dressed; dīkṣā - of initiation; śālām - the pavilion; upājagmuḥ - they approached; āliptāḥ - anointed; vastu - with auspicious items; pāṇayaḥ - in whose hands.

When Mahārāja Vasudeva was about to be initiated for the sacrifice, O King, the Vṛṣṇis came to the initiation pavilion after bathing and putting on fine clothes and garlands of lotuses. The other kings also came, elaborately ornamented, as well as all their joyful queens, who wore jeweled lockets around their necks and were also clad in fine garments. The royal wives were anointed with sandalwood paste and carried auspicious items for the worship.