tam abhyaṣiñcan vidhi-vad
aktam abhyaktam ṛtvijaḥ
patnībhir aṣṭā-daśabhiḥ
soma-rājam ivoḍubhiḥ
tam -- him; abhyashincan -- they sprinkled with sacred water; vidhivat -- according to scriptural rules; aktam -- his eyes decorated with mascara; abhyaktam -- his body smeared with newly-churned butter; ritvijah -- the priests; patnibhih -- along with his wives; ashta-dasabhih -- eighteen; soma-rajam -- the kingly; iva -- as if; udubhih -- with stars.
After Vasudeva's eyes had been decorated with black cosmetic and his body smeared with fresh butter, the priests initiated him according to scriptural rules by sprinkling him and his eighteen wives with sacred water. Encircled by his wives, he resembled the regal moon encircled by stars.
Devaki was Vasudeva's principal wife, but she had several co-wives, including her six sisters. This fact is recorded in the Ninth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam:
devakas cograsenas ca
catvaro devakatmajah
devavan upadevas ca
sudevo devavardhanah
tesham svasarah saptasan
dhritadevadayo nripa
santidevopadeva ca
srideva devarakshita
sahadeva devaki ca
vasudeva uvaha tah
"Ahuka had two sons, named Devaka and Ugrasena. Devaka had four sons, named Devavan, Upadeva, Sudeva and Devavardhana, and he also had seven daughters, named Santideva, Upadeva, Srideva, Devarakshita, Sahadeva, Devaki and Dhritadeva. Dhritadeva was the eldest. Vasudeva, the father of Krishna, married all these sisters." (Bhag. 9.24.21-23)
Some of Vasudeva's other wives are mentioned a few verses later:
pauravi rohini bhadra
madira rocana ila
devaki-pramukhas casan
patnya anakadundubheh
"Devaki, Pauravi, Rohini, Bhadra, Madira, Rocana, Ila and others were all wives of Anakadundubhi [Vasudeva]. Among them all, Devaki was the chief." (Bhag. 9.24.45)
