tasyām antaḥ-puraḿ śrīmad
arcitaḿ sarva-dhiṣṇya-paiḥ
hareḥ sva-kauśalaḿ yatra
tvaṣṭrā kārtsnyena darśitam
tatra ṣoḍaśabhiḥ sadma-
sahasraiḥ samalańkṛtam
viveśaikatomaḿ śaureḥ
patnīnāḿ bhavanaḿ mahat
tasyam -- in that (Dvaraka); antah-puram -- the private royal precinct; sri-mat -- opulent; arcitam -- worshiped; sarva -- all; dhishnya -- of the various planetary systems; paih -- by the maintainers; hareh -- of Lord Hari; sva -- his own; kausalam -- expertise; yatra -- where; tvashtra -- by Tvashta (Visvakarma, the architect of heaven); kartsnyena -- completely; darsitam -- shown; tatra -- there; shodasabhih -- with sixteen; sadma -- of residences; sahasraih -- thousands; samalankritam -- beautified; vivesa -- (Narada) entered; ekatamam -- one of them; saureh -- Lord Krishna's; patninam -- of the wives; bhavanam -- palace; mahat -- great.
In the city of Dvaraka was a beautiful private quarter worshiped by the planetary rulers. This district, where the demigod Visvakarma had shown all his divine skill, was the residential area of Lord Hari, and thus it was gorgeously decorated by the sixteen thousand palaces of Lord Krishna's queens. Narada Muni entered one of these immense palaces.
Srila Jiva Gosvami points out that Tvashta, Visvakarma, manifested the expertise of the Supreme Lord, and thus he was able to build such exquisite palaces. Srila Prabhupada writes, "The great kings and princes of the world used to visit these palaces just to worship [Lord Krishna]. 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."
