Srimad Bhagavatam. Canto 9: Liberation

Chapter 6: The Downfall of Saubhari Muni. Text 26

भार्याशतेन निर्विण्ण ऋषयोऽस्य कृपालवः ।
इष्टिं स्म वर्तयां चक्रुरैन्द्रीं ते सुसमाहिताः ॥२६॥

bhÄryÄ-Å›atena nirviṇṇa
ṛṣayo 'sya ká¹›pÄlavaḥ
iṣṭiá¹ sma vartayÄá¹ cakrur
aindrÄ«á¹ te susamÄhitÄḥ

 bhÄryÄ-Å›atena - with one hundred wives; nirviṇṇaḥ - very morose; á¹›á¹£ayaḥ - the sages (in the forest); asya - upon him; ká¹›pÄlavaḥ - very merciful; iṣṭim - a ritualistic ceremony; sma - in the past; vartayÄm cakruḥ - began to execute; aindrÄ«m - known as an Indra-yajña; te - all of them; su-samÄhitÄḥ - being very careful and attentive.


Text

Although YuvanÄÅ›va went into the forest with his one hundred wives, all of them were very morose. The sages in the forest, however, being very kind to the King, began very carefully and attentively performing an Indra-yajña so that the King might have a son.

Purport

One may enter the vÄnaprastha order of life with his wife, but the vÄnaprastha order means complete retirement from household life. Although King YuvanÄÅ›va retired from family life, he and his wives were always morose because he had no son.