Prabhupāda: Yes. So they prayed to Kṛṣṇa that "We are suffering, kidnapped by this rascal. Please save us." So Kṛṣṇa came to rescue them, and the Bhaumāsura was killed and all the girls were made free. But after freedom they were still standing there. So Kṛṣṇa asked them, "Now you can go home to your father." They said that "We are kidnapped. We cannot be married." In India still that rule is there. If one girl, young girl, goes out of home for one day or two days, nobody will marry him. Nobody will marry him. He's considered to be spoiled. This is still the Indian system. So they were kidnapped for so many days or so many years, so they appealed to Kṛṣṇa that "We'll not be accepted either by our father, neither anybody will agree to marry." Then Kṛṣṇa understood that "Their position is very precarious. Although they are released, they cannot go anywhere." Then Kṛṣṇa . . . He's so kind, bhakta-vatsala. He inquired, "What you want?" That . . . They said that "You accept me; otherwise we have no other means to stay." Kṛṣṇa immediately: "Yes, come on." This is Kṛṣṇa.
And not that His sixteen thousand wives was concentrated in one camp. He immediately constructed sixteen thousand palaces. Because He has accepted as wife, he must be maintained as His wife, as His queen, not that "Because they have no other means, they have come to My shelter, I can keep them any way." No. Most respectfully as queen, as Kṛṣṇa's queen. And again He thought that "The sixteen thousand wives . . . So if I remain alone, one figure, then My wives cannot meet Me. Everyone has to wait for sixteen thousand days to see the husband. No." He expanded Himself into sixteen thousand Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa. The rascals, they accuse Kṛṣṇa as woman-hunter. It is not like you. You cannot maintain even one wife, but He maintained sixteen thousand wives, in sixteen thousand palaces, and in sixteen thousand expansion of form. Everyone was pleased. This is Kṛṣṇa. We have to understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to imitate Kṛṣṇa. First of all try to understand Kṛṣṇa.
So then again, tapa. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat (BG 18.5). In the human society this is very essential, that one must perform yajña. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, dāna. Just like a brahmacārī, he must perform yajña. Then gṛhastha, he must give in charity. And who will give charity? Now they cannot maintain even family. And where is the question of charity? The gṛhastha must give in charity. Yajña, dāna and tapaḥ. And those who are vānaprastha and sannyāsī, they should practice tapasya, austerities. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat. Because you have taken sannyāsa, you cannot give up these things, yajña-dāna-tapaḥ. It must continue. You cannot say, "We have given up everything. We have given up these things also." No. Kṛṣṇa therefore said, yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā pavanāni manīṣiṇām (BG 18.5). Even if you think that you have become very great saintly person, still, you cannot give up this yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā.