134
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 5, Ch. 3]
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: After saying this, the Lord disappeared. The wife of King Nābhi, Queen Merudevī, was sitting by the side of her husband, and consequently she could hear everything the Supreme Lord had spoken.
PURPORT
According to the Vedic injunctions, one should perform sacrifices in the company of one's own wife.  Sapatnīko dharmam ācaret : religious rituals should be performed with one's wife; therefore Mahārāja Nābhi conducted his great sacrifice with his wife by his side.
TEXT 20
बर्हिषि तस्मिन्नेव विष्णुदत्त मगवान् परमर्षिभिः प्रसादितो नाभेः प्रियचिकीर्षया तदवरोधायने मेरुदेव्यां धर्मान्दर्शयितुकामो वातरशनानां श्रमणानामृषीणाम्- र्ष्वमन्थिनां शुक्लया तनुवावततार ॥२०॥
barhiṣi tasminn eva viṣṇudatta bhagavān paramarṣibhiḥ prasādito nābheḥ priya-cikīrṣayā tad-avarodhāyane merudevyām dharmān darśayitu-kāmo vāta-raśanānām śramaṇānām ṛṣīṇām ūrdhva- manthinām śuklayā tanuvāvatatāra.
barhiṣi —in the arena of sacrifice;  tasmin —that;  eva —in this way;  viṣṇu-datta —O Mahārāja Parīkṣit;  bhagavān —the Supreme Personality of Godhead;  parama-ṛṣibhiḥ —by the great  ṛṣis ;  prasāditaḥ —being pleased;  nābheḥ priya-cikīrṣayā —to please King Nābhi;  tat-avarodhāyane —in his wife;  merudevyām —Merudevī;  dharmān —the principles of religion;  darśayitu-kāmaḥ —desiring to exhibit how to perform;  vāta-raśanānām —of the  sannyāsīs  (who have almost no cloth);  śramaṇānām —of the  vānaprasthas ;  ṛṣīṇām —of the great sages;  ūrdhva-manthinām —of the  brahmacārīs ;  śuklayā tanuvā —in His original spiritual form, which is above the modes of material nature;  avatatāra —appeared as an incarnation.