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CHAPTER SIXTY

Lord Kṛṣṇa Teases Queen Rukmiṇī.

This chapter describes how Lord Kṛṣṇa provoked anger in Queen Rukmiṇī with joking words and then consoled her, thus demonstrating the opulence of a lovers’ quarrel.

One day Lord Kṛṣṇa sat at ease in Queen Rukmiṇī’s bedroom while she and her maidservants attended to Him in various ways. Rukmiṇī always responded to Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s moods, whatever they might be. On this occasion the Lord looked at Rukmiṇī, whose beauty was faultless, and began to tease her: “Previously many wealthy kings, worthy of you in their appearance and character, wanted to marry you. In fact, your father and brother intended to give you in marriage to Śiśupāla. Why, then, did you accept such an unsuitable husband as Me, who once renounced My kingdom and fled to the sea in fear of Jarāsandha? Besides, I transgress worldly morality, and because I own nothing I am dear to other paupers. Certainly the well-to-do would not worship one such as Me.

“When a man and a woman share the same social class, influence, physical beauty and so on, marriage or friendship can flourish between them. But out of shortsightedness you have accepted a husband who lacks every good quality and is glorified by beggars. Better you had married some prominent warrior; then you might have been happy in this life and the next. Your brother Rukmī and kings like Śiśupāla all hate Me, and it was only to cut down their pride that I kidnapped you. But as for such things as body, home, wife and children, I’m indifferent to them, being the self-satisfied Personality of Godhead, transcendental to all material affairs.”

Śrī Kṛṣṇa stopped speaking, having destroyed Queen Rukmiṇī’s confidence that she was her husband’s favorite. She began to cry, and soon she became stunned in extreme fear, pain and sadness and fell unconscious. Lord Kṛṣṇa saw that she had misunderstood His joking, and thus He felt compassion for her. He picked her up from the floor and, caressing her face, consoled her: “I know you are totally attached to Me. It was only out of eagerness to see your lotus face adorned with a frown that I teased you. To joke with one’s beloved is the highest enjoyment for householders.” These words dispelled Rukmiṇī’s fear of rejection. Seeing that Kṛṣṇa had spoken only in jest, she said, “What You said about the two of us being mismatched is actually true. After all, no one is equal to You, the omnipotent master of the three principal deities — Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva.” Rukmiṇī went on to show how everything Kṛṣṇa had said denigrating Himself was actually glorification.

Lord Kṛṣṇa then spoke to Rukmiṇī with deep affection: “I did not intend to agitate your mind with My joking words; rather, I wanted to demonstrate the strength of your chastity. Anyone who prays to Me for sense gratification and happiness in family life is simply deluded by My illusory energy, Māyā. Such a person will take a low birth. Ordinary women with corrupt desires cannot possibly worship Me faithfully, as you have done. At the time of your marriage you showed no interest in any of the royal suitors; rather, you sent a brāhmaṇa messenger for Me. Thus you are certainly the most beloved of all My consorts.”

In this way the Lord of the universe, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, took pleasure in joking with the goddess of fortune in her form as Rukmiṇī, and in a similar fashion He fulfilled all the duties of a householder in each palace of His other queens.

Devanagari

श्रीबादरायणिरुवाच
कर्हिचित् सुखमासीनं स्वतल्पस्थं जगद्गुरुम् ।
पतिं पर्यचरद् भैष्मी व्यजनेन सखीजनै: ॥ १ ॥

Text

śrī-bādarāyaṇir uvāca
karhicit sukham āsīnaṁ
sva-talpa-sthaṁ jagad-gurum
patiṁ paryacarad bhaiṣmī
vyajanena sakhī-janaiḥ

Synonyms

śrī-bādarāyaṇiḥ — Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Bādarāyaṇa Vedavyāsa; uvāca — said; karhicit — on one occasion; sukham — comfortably; āsīnam — sitting; sva — on her; talpa — bed; stham — situated; jagat — of the universe; gurum — the spiritual master; patim — her husband; paryacarat — served; bhaiṣmī — Rukmiṇī; vyajanena — by fanning; sakhī-janaiḥ — together with her female companions.

Translation

Śrī Bādarāyaṇi said: Once, in the company of her maidservants, Queen Rukmiṇī was personally serving her husband, the spiritual master of the universe, by fanning Him as He relaxed on her bed.

Purport

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī poetically notes that in this chapter Rukmiṇīdevī is like fragrant camphor crushed on the grinding stone of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s speech. In other words, the lovely, chaste qualities of Rukmiṇī will become manifest as a result of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s apparently insensitive words, just as camphor’s fragrance becomes manifest when granules of camphor are crushed by a grinding stone. The ācārya further points out that Rukmiṇī is personally serving the Lord because He is jagad-gurum, the spiritual master of the universe, and patim, her husband.

Devanagari

यस्त्वेतल्ल‍ीलया विश्वं सृजत्यत्त्यवतीश्वर: ।
स हि जात: स्वसेतूनां गोपीथाय यदुष्वज: ॥ २ ॥

Text

yas tv etal līlayā viśvaṁ
sṛjaty atty avatīśvaraḥ
sa hi jātaḥ sva-setūnāṁ
gopīthāya yaduṣv ajaḥ

Synonyms

yaḥ — who; tu — and; etat — this; līlayā — as His play; viśvam — universe; sṛjati — sends forth; atti — devours; avati — protects; īśvaraḥ — the supreme controller; saḥ — He; hi — indeed; jātaḥ — born; sva — His own; setūnām — of the laws; gopīthāya — for the protection; yaduṣu — among the Yadus; ajaḥ — the unborn Lord.

Translation

The unborn Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller, who creates, maintains and then devours this universe simply as His play, took birth among the Yadus to preserve His own laws.

Purport

As stated in the Sixth Canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.3.19) dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam: “Religion is the law established by God.” The word setu means a “boundary” or “limit,” as in the case of a dike. Earth is raised up on both sides of a river or canal so that the water will not deviate from its proper path. Similarly, God establishes laws so that people who follow them can peacefully progress along the path back home, back to Godhead. These laws, which are meant to guide human behavior, are thus called setu.

A further note on the word setu: Earth that is raised up to separate agricultural fields, or to form a causeway or bridge, is also called setu. Thus in the Ninth Canto the Bhāgavatam uses the word setu to indicate the bridge Lord Rāmacandra built to Śrī Laṅkā. Since the laws of God act as a bridge to take us from material life to liberated, spiritual life, this additional sense of the word setu certainly enriches its use here.

Devanagari

तस्मिनन्तर्गृहे भ्राजन्मुक्तादामविलम्बिना ।
विराजिते वितानेन दीपैर्मणिमयैरपि ॥ ३ ॥
मल्लिकादामभि: पुष्पैर्द्विरेफकुलनादिते ।
जालरन्ध्रप्रविष्टैश्च गोभिश्चन्द्रमसोऽमलै: ॥ ४ ॥
पारिजातवनामोदवायुनोद्यानशालिना ।
धूपैरगुरुजै राजन् जालरन्ध्रविनिर्गतै: ॥ ५ ॥
पय:फेननिभे शुभ्रे पर्यङ्के कशिपूत्तमे ।
उपतस्थे सुखासीनं जगतामीश्वरं पतिम् ॥ ६ ॥

Text

tasmin antar-gṛhe bhrājan-
muktā-dāma-vilambinā
virājite vitānena
dīpair maṇi-mayair api
mallikā-dāmabhiḥ puṣpair
dvirepha-kula-nādite
jāla-randhra-praviṣṭaiś ca
gobhiś candramaso ’malaiḥ
pārijāta-vanāmoda-
vāyunodyāna-śālinā
dhūpair aguru-jai rājan
jāla-randhra-vinirgataiḥ
payaḥ-phena-nibhe śubhre
paryaṅke kaśipūttame
upatasthe sukhāsīnaṁ
jagatām īśvaraṁ patim

Synonyms

tasmin — in that; antaḥ-gṛhe — private part of the palace; bhrājat — brilliant; muktā — of pearls; dāma — with strings; vilambinā — hanging; virājite — resplendent; vitānena — with a canopy; dīpaiḥ — with lamps; maṇi — of jewels; mayaiḥ — made; api — also; mallikā — of jasmines; dāmabhiḥ — with garlands; puṣpaiḥ — with flowers; dvirepha — of bees; kula — with a swarm; nādite — resounding; jāla — of the lattice windows; randhra — through the small holes; praviṣṭaiḥ — which entered; ca — and; gobhiḥ — with the rays; candramasaḥ — of the moon; amalaiḥ — spotless; pārijāta — of pārijāta trees; vana — of the grove; āmoda — (carrying) the fragrance; vāyunā — by the wind; udyāna — of a garden; śālinā — bringing the presence; dhūpaiḥ — with incense; aguru — from aguru perfume; jaiḥ — produced; rājan — O King (Parīkṣit); jāla-randhra — through the holes of the lattice windows; vinirgataiḥ — exiting; payaḥ — of milk; phena — the foam; nibhe — resembling; śubhre — shining; paryaṅke — on the bed; kaśipu — on a pillow; uttame — excellent; upatasthe — she served; sukha — comfortably; āsīnam — seated; jagatām — of all the worlds; īśvaram — the supreme controller; patim — her husband.

Translation

Queen Rukmiṇī’s quarters were extremely beautiful, boasting a canopy hung with brilliant strings of pearls, as well as effulgent jewels serving as lamps. Garlands of jasmine and other flowers hung here and there, attracting swarms of humming bees, and the spotless rays of the moon shone through the holes of the lattice windows. As aguru incense drifted out of the window holes, my dear King, the breeze wafting the scent of the pārijāta grove carried the mood of a garden into the room. There the Queen served her husband, the Supreme Lord of all the worlds, as He reclined upon an opulent pillow on her bed, which was as soft and white as the foam of milk.

Purport

According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, Rukmiṇī’s palace was quite famous then, as now, and these descriptions give a glimpse into its opulence. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī adds that the word amalaiḥ in this verse may also be read aruṇaiḥ, which would indicate that when this pastime took place the moon had just risen, bathing the entire palace in beautiful ruddy moonshine.

Devanagari

वालव्यजनमादाय रत्नदण्डं सखीकरात् ।
तेन वीजयती देवी उपासां चक्र ईश्वरम् ॥ ७ ॥

Text

vāla-vyajanam ādāya
ratna-daṇḍaṁ sakhī-karāt
tena vījayatī devī
upāsāṁ cakra īśvaram

Synonyms

vāla — of (yak’s) hair; vyajanam — a fan; ādāya — taking; ratna — jeweled; daṇḍam — the handle of which; sakhī — of her maidservant; karāt — from the hand; tena — with it; vījayatī — fanning; devī — the goddess; upāsām cakre — she worshiped; īśvaram — her master.

Translation

From her maidservant’s hand Goddess Rukmiṇī took a yak-hair fan with a jeweled handle, and then she began to worship her master by fanning Him.

Devanagari

सोपाच्युतं क्व‍णयती मणिनूपुराभ्यां
रेजेऽङ्गुलीयवलयव्यजनाग्रहस्ता ।
वस्‍त्रान्तगूढकुचकुङ्कुमशोणहार-
भासा नितम्बधृतया च परार्ध्यकाञ्च्या ॥ ८ ॥

Text

sopācyutaṁ kvaṇayatī maṇi-nūpurābhyāṁ
reje ’ṅgulīya-valaya-vyajanāgra-hastā
vastrānta-gūḍha-kuca-kuṅkuma-śoṇa-hāra-
bhāsā nitamba-dhṛtayā ca parārdhya-kāñcyā

Synonyms

— she; upa — next to; acyutam — Lord Kṛṣṇa; kvaṇayatī — making sound; maṇi — jeweled; nūpurābhyām — from her ankle bells; reje — appeared beautiful; aṅgulīya — with rings; valaya — bangles; vyajana — and the fan; agra-hastā — in her hand; vastra — of her garment; anta — by the end; gūḍha — concealed; kuca — from her breasts; kuṅkuma — by the vermilion powder; śoṇa — reddened; hāra — of her necklace; bhāsā — with the glow; nitamba — on her hips; dhṛtayā — worn; ca — and; parārdhya — priceless; kāñcyā — with a belt.

Translation

Her hand adorned with rings, bangles and the cāmara fan, Queen Rukmiṇī looked resplendent standing near Lord Kṛṣṇa. Her jeweled ankle-bells tinkled, and her necklace glittered, reddened by the kuṅkuma from her breasts, which were covered by the end of her sari. On her hips she wore a priceless belt.

Purport

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī points out that as Queen Rukmiṇī fanned her Lord with broad strokes, the jewels and gold on her beautiful limbs resounded with her effort.

Devanagari

तां रूपिणीं श्रियमनन्यगतिं निरीक्ष्य
या लीलया धृततनोरनुरूपरूपा ।
प्रीत: स्मयन्नलककुण्डलनिष्ककण्ठ-
वक्त्रोल्ल‍सत्स्मितसुधां हरिराबभाषे ॥ ९ ॥

Text

tāṁ rūpiṇīṁ śrīyam ananya-gatiṁ nirīkṣya
yā līlayā dhṛta-tanor anurūpa-rūpā
prītaḥ smayann alaka-kuṇḍala-niṣka-kaṇṭha-
vaktrollasat-smita-sudhāṁ harir ābabhāṣe

Synonyms

tām — her; rūpiṇīm — appearing in person; śrīyam — the goddess of fortune; ananya — having no other; gatim — goal; nirīkṣya — seeing; — she who; līlayā — as His pastime; dhṛta — of Him who assumes; tanoḥ — bodies; anurūpa — corresponding; rūpā — whose forms; prītaḥ — pleased; smayan — smiling; alaka — with locks of hair; kuṇḍala — earrings; niṣka — neck ornament; kaṇṭha — on her throat; vaktra — face; ullasat — bright and happy; smita — smile; sudhām — nectar; hariḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa; ābabhāṣe — spoke.

Translation

As He contemplated her, the goddess of fortune herself, who desires only Him, Lord Kṛṣṇa smiled. The Lord assumes various forms to enact His pastimes, and He was pleased that the form the goddess of fortune had assumed was just suitable for her to serve as His consort. Her charming face was adorned with curling hair, earrings, a locket on her neck, and the nectar of her bright, happy smile. The Lord then spoke to her as follows.

Purport

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī has quoted an interesting verse, spoken by Śrī Parāśara in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa:

devatve deva-deheyaṁ
manuṣyatve ca mānuṣī
viṣṇor dehānurūpāṁ vai
karoty eṣātmanas tanum

“When the Lord appears as a demigod, she [the goddess of fortune] takes the form of a demigoddess, and when He appears as a human being, she takes a humanlike form. Thus the body she assumes matches the one Lord Viṣṇu takes.”

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī adds that as Lord Kṛṣṇa is even more beautiful than the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, Lord Kṛṣṇa’s consort Rukmiṇī-devī is even more attractive than the goddess of fortune in the Vaikuṇṭha world.

Devanagari

श्रीभगवानुवाच
राजपुत्रीप्सिता भूपैर्लोकपालविभूतिभि: ।
महानुभावै: श्रीमद्भ‍ी रूपौदार्यबलोर्जितै: ॥ १० ॥

Text

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
rāja-putrīpsitā bhūpair
loka-pāla-vibhūtibhiḥ
mahānubhāvaiḥ śrīmadbhī
rūpaudārya-balorjitaiḥ

Synonyms

śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Lord said; rāja-putri — O princess; īpsitā — (you were) desired; bhū-paiḥ — by kings; loka — of planets; pāla — like the rulers; vibhūtibhiḥ — whose powers; mahā — great; anubhāvaiḥ — whose influence; śrī-madbhiḥ — opulent; rūpa — with beauty; audārya — generosity; bala — and physical strength; ūrjitaiḥ — abundantly endowed.

Translation

The Supreme Lord said: My dear princess, you were sought after by many kings as powerful as the rulers of planets. They were all abundantly endowed with political influence, wealth, beauty, generosity and physical strength.

Devanagari

तान्प्राप्तानर्थिनो हित्वा चैद्यादीन् स्मरदुर्मदान् ।
दत्ता भ्रात्रा स्वपित्रा च कस्मान्नो ववृषेऽसमान् ॥ ११ ॥

Text

tān prāptān arthino hitvā
caidyādīn smara-durmadān
dattā bhrātrā sva-pitrā ca
kasmān no vavṛṣe ’samān

Synonyms

tān — them; prāptān — at hand; arthinaḥ — suitors; hitvā — rejecting; caidya — Śiśupāla; ādīn — and others; smara — by Cupid; darmadān — maddened; dattā — given; bhrātrā — by your brother; sva — your; pitrā — father; ca — and; kasmāt — why; naḥ — Us; vavṛṣe — you chose; asamān — unequal.

Translation

Since your brother and father offered you to them, why did you reject the King of Cedi and all those other suitors, who stood before you, maddened by Cupid? Why, instead, did you choose Us, who are not at all your equal?

Devanagari

राजभ्यो बिभ्यत: सुभ्रु समुद्रं शरणं गतान् ।
बलवद्भ‍ि: कृतद्वेषान् प्रायस्त्यक्तनृपासनान् ॥ १२ ॥

Text

rājabhyo bibhyataḥ su-bhru
samudraṁ śaraṇaṁ gatān
balavadbhiḥ kṛta-dveṣān
prāyas tyakta-nṛpāsanān

Synonyms

rājabhyaḥ — of the kings; bibhyataḥ — afraid; su-bhru — O lovely-browed one; samudram — to the ocean; śaraṇam — for shelter; gatān — gone; bala-vadbhiḥ — toward those who are powerful; kṛta-dveṣān — having showed enmity; prāyaḥ — for the most part; tyakta — having abandoned; nṛpa — of a king; āsanān — the seat.

Translation

Terrified of these kings, O lovely-browed one, We took shelter in the ocean. We have become enemies of powerful men, and We practically abandoned Our royal throne.

Purport

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī comments on this verse as follows: “The Lord’s mentality here can be understood as follows: ‘When I gave Rukmiṇī a single flower from the heavenly pārijāta tree, Satyabhāmā showed such a torrent of fury that I could not pacify her even by bowing down at her feet. Only when I gave her a whole pārijāta tree was she satisfied. Rukmiṇī, however, did not display any anger even when she saw Me give Satyabhāmā the whole tree. So how can I enjoy the nectar of angry words from this wife, who never feels jealousy, who is supremely sober and who always speaks pleasingly?’ Thus considering, the Supreme Lord decided, ‘If I speak like this to her, I will be able to provoke her anger.’ This is how some authorities explain Kṛṣṇa’s speech to Rukmiṇī.”

According to the ācārya, here the words balavadbhiḥ kṛta-dveṣān prāyaḥ indicate that Lord Kṛṣṇa opposed almost all the contemporary kings during His incarnation, befriending only a few, such as the Pāṇḍavas and loyal members of His dynasty. Of course, as stated in the beginning of the Tenth Canto, Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared specifically because the earth was overburdened by innumerable bogus kings and He wanted to remove this burden.

Finally Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī points out that the word tyakta-nṛpāsanān, “giving up the king’s throne,” indicates that after Lord Kṛṣṇa killed Kaṁsa He humbly gave the royal throne to His grandfather Ugrasena, although the Lord Himself was entitled to it.

Devanagari

अस्पष्टवर्त्मनां पुंसामलोकपथमीयुषाम् ।
आस्थिता: पदवीं सुभ्रु प्राय: सीदन्ति योषित: ॥ १३ ॥

Text

aspaṣṭa-vartmanām puṁsām
aloka-patham īyuṣām
āsthitāḥ padavīṁ su-bhru
prāyaḥ sīdanti yoṣitaḥ

Synonyms

aspaṣṭa — uncertain; vartmanām — whose behavior; puṁsām — of men; aloka — not acceptable to ordinary society; patham — way; īyuṣāṁ — who take to; āsthitāḥ — following; padavīm — the path; su-bhru — O you whose eyebrows are beautiful; prāyaḥ — usually; sīdanti — suffer; yoṣitaḥ — women.

Translation

O fine-browed lady, women are usually destined to suffer when they stay with men whose behavior is uncertain and who pursue a path not approved by society.

Devanagari

निष्किञ्चना वयं शश्वन्निष्किञ्चनजनप्रिया: ।
तस्मात् प्रायेण न ह्याढ्या मां भजन्ति सुमध्यमे ॥ १४ ॥

Text

niṣkiñcanā vayaṁ śaśvan
niṣkiñcana-jana-priyāḥ
tasmā tprāyeṇa na hy āḍhyā
māṁ bhajanti su-madhyame

Synonyms

niṣkiñcanāḥ — having no possessions; vayam — We; śaśvat — always; niṣkiñcana-jana — to those who have no possessions; priyāḥ — very dear; tasmāt — therefore; prāyeṇa — usually; na — not; hi — indeed; āḍhyāḥ — the rich; mām — Me; bhajanti — worship; su-madhyame — O fine-waisted one.

Translation

We have no material possessions, and We are dear to those who similarly have nothing. Therefore, O slender one, the wealthy hardly ever worship Me.

Purport

Like the Lord, His devotees are uninterested in material sense gratification, being awakened to the superior pleasure of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Those who are intoxicated by material wealth cannot appreciate the supreme wealth of the kingdom of God.

Devanagari

ययोरात्मसमं वित्तं जन्मैश्वर्याकृतिर्भव: ।
तयोर्विवाहो मैत्री च नोत्तमाधमयो: क्व‍‍चित् ॥ १५ ॥

Text

yayor ātma-samaṁ vittaṁ
janmaiśvaryākṛtir bhavaḥ
tayor vivāho maitrī ca
nottamādhamayoḥ kvacit

Synonyms

yayoḥ — of which two; ātma-samam — equal to oneself; vittam — property; janma — birth; aiśvarya — influence; ākṛtiḥ — and physical appearance; bhavaḥ — posterity; tayoḥ — of them; vivāhaḥ — marriage; maitrī — friendship; ca — and; na — not; uttama — of a superior; adhamayoḥ — and an inferior; kvacit — ever.

Translation

Marriage and friendship are proper between two people who are equal in terms of their wealth, birth, influence, physical appearance and capacity for good progeny, but never between a superior and an inferior.

Purport

Persons of superior and inferior qualities may live together in a relationship of master and servant or teacher and student, but marriage and friendship are proper only between those of equal status. The word bhava, in the context of marriage, indicates that a couple should have a similar capacity to produce good offspring.

Lord Kṛṣṇa here presents Himself as materially unqualified. In fact, the Lord does not have any material qualities: He lives in pure spiritual existence. Thus all the Lord’s opulences are eternal and not of the flimsy mundane sort.

Devanagari

वैदर्भ्येतदविज्ञाय त्वयादीर्घसमीक्षया ।
वृता वयं गुणैर्हीना भिक्षुभि: श्लाघिता मुधा ॥ १६ ॥

Text

vaidarbhy etad avijñāya
tvayādīrgha-samīkṣayā
vṛtā vayaṁ guṇair hīnā
bhikṣubhiḥ ślāghitā mudhā

Synonyms

vaidarbhi — O princess of Vidarbha; etat — this; avijñāya — not knowing; tvayā — by you; adīrgha-samīkṣayā — without long-range vision; vṛtāḥ — chosen; vayam — We; guṇaiḥ — of good qualities; hīnāḥ — devoid; bhikṣubhiḥ — by beggars; ślāghitāḥ — praised; mudhā — out of their bewilderment.

Translation

O Vaidarbhī, not being farsighted, you didn’t realize this, and therefore you chose Us as your husband, even though We have no good qualities and are glorified only by deluded beggars.

Devanagari

अथात्मनोऽनुरूपं वै भजस्व क्षत्रियर्षभम् ।
येन त्वमाशिष: सत्या इहामुत्र च लप्स्यसे ॥ १७ ॥

Text

athātmano ’nurūpaṁ vai
bhajasva kṣatriyarṣabham
yena tvam āśiṣaḥ satyā
ihāmutra ca lapsyase

Synonyms

atha — now; ātmanaḥ — for yourself; anurūpam — suitable; vai — indeed; bhajasva — please accept; kṣatriya-ṛṣabham — a first-class man of the royal order; yena — by whom; tvam — you; āśiṣaḥ — hopes; satyāḥ — becoming fulfilled; iha — in this life; amutra — in the next life; ca — also; lapsyase — will obtain.

Translation

Now you should definitely accept a more suitable husband, a first-class man of the royal order who can help you achieve everything you want, both in this life and the next.

Purport

Lord Kṛṣṇa continues to tease His beautiful wife, trying to provoke her loving anger.

Devanagari

चैद्यशाल्वजरासन्धदन्तवक्रादयो नृपा: ।
मम द्विषन्ति वामोरु रुक्‍मी चापि तवाग्रज: ॥ १८ ॥

Text

caidya-śālva-jarāsandha
dantavakrādayo nṛpāḥ
mama dviṣanti vāmoru
rukmī cāpi tavāgrajaḥ

Synonyms

caidya-śālva-jarāsandha-dantavakra-ādayaḥ — Caidya (Śiśupāla), Śālva, Jarāsandha, Dantavakra and others; nṛpāḥ — kings; mama — Me; dviṣanti — hate; vāma-ūru — O beautiful-thighed one; rukmī — Rukmī; ca api — as well; tava — your; agra-jaḥ — older brother.

Translation

Kings like Śiśupāla, Śālva, Jarāsandha and Dantavakra all hate Me, O beautiful-thighed one, and so does your elder brother Rukmī.

Devanagari

तेषां वीर्यमदान्धानां दृप्तानां स्मयनुत्तये ।
आनितासि मया भद्रे तेजोपहरतासताम् ॥ १९ ॥

Text

teṣāṁ vīrya-madāndhānāṁ
dṛptānāṁ smaya-nuttaye
ānitāsi mayā bhadre
tejopaharatāsatām

Synonyms

teṣām — of them; vīrya — with their power; mada — by the intoxication; andhānām — blinded; dṛptānām — proud; smaya — the arrogance; nuttaye — to dispel; ānitā asi — you were taken in marriage; mayā — by Me; bhadre — good woman; tejaḥ — the strength; upaharatā — removing; asatām — of the wicked.

Translation

It was to dispel the arrogance of these kings that I carried you away, My good woman, for they were blinded by the intoxication of power. My purpose was to curb the strength of the wicked.

Devanagari

उदासीना वयं नूनं न स्‍त्र्यपत्यार्थकामुका: ।
आत्मलब्ध्यास्महे पूर्णा गेहयोर्ज्योतिरक्रिया: ॥ २० ॥

Text

udāsīnā vayaṁ nūnaṁ
na stry-apatyārtha-kāmukāḥ
ātma-labdhyāsmahe pūrṇā
gehayor jyotir-akriyāḥ

Synonyms

udāsīnāḥ — indifferent; vayam — We; nūnam — indeed; na — not; strī — for wives; apatya — children; artha — and wealth; kāmukāḥ — hankering; ātma-labdhyā — by being self-satisfied; āsmahe — We remain; pūrṇāḥ — complete; gehayoḥ — to body and home; jyotiḥ — like a fire; akriyāḥ — engaged in no activity.

Translation

We care nothing for wives, children and wealth. Always satisfied within Ourselves, We do not work for body and home, but like a light, We merely witness.

Devanagari

श्रीशुक उवाच
एतावदुक्त्वा भगवानात्मानं वल्ल‍भामिव ।
मन्यमानामविश्लेषात् तद्दर्पघ्न उपारमत् ॥ २१ ॥

Text

śrī-śuka uvāca
etāvad uktvā bhagavān
ātmānaṁ vallabhām iva
manyamānām aviśleṣāt
tad-darpa-ghna upāramat

Synonyms

śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; etāvat — this much; uktvā — saying; bhagavān — the Supreme Lord; ātmānam — herself; vallabhām — His beloved; iva — as; manyamānām — thinking; aviśleṣāt — because of (His) never being separated (from her); tat — that; darpa — of the pride; ghnaḥ — the destroyer; upāramat — desisted.

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Rukmiṇī had thought herself especially beloved by the Lord because He never left her company. By saying these things to her He vanquished her pride, and then He stopped speaking.

Devanagari

इति त्रिलोकेशपतेस्तदात्मन:
प्रियस्य देव्यश्रुतपूर्वमप्रियम् ।
आश्रुत्य भीता हृदि
जातवेपथु-
श्चिन्तां दुरन्तां रुदती जगाम ह ॥ २२ ॥

Text

iti trilokeśa-pates tadātmanaḥ
priyasya devy aśruta-pūrvam apriyam
āśrutya bhītā hṛdi jāta-vepathuś
cintāṁ durantāṁ rudatī jagāma ha

Synonyms

iti — thus; tri-loka — of the three worlds; īśa — of the lords; pateḥ — of the master; tadā — then; ātmanaḥ — of her own; priyasya — beloved; devī — the goddess, Rukmiṇī; aśruta — never heard; pūrvam — previously; apriyam — unpleasantness; āśrutya — hearing; bhītā — frightened; hṛdi — in her heart; jāta — born; vepathuḥ — trembling; cintām — anxiety; durantām — terrible; rudatī — sobbing; jagāma ha — she experienced.

Translation

Goddess Rukmiṇī had never before heard such unpleasantries from her beloved, the Lord of universal rulers, and she became frightened. A tremor arose in her heart, and in terrible anxiety she began to cry.

Devanagari

पदा सुजातेन नखारुणश्रिया
भुवं लिखन्त्यश्रुभिरञ्जनासितै: ।
आसिञ्चती कुङ्कुमरूषितौ स्तनौ
तस्थावधोमुख्यतिदु:खरुद्धवाक् ॥ २३ ॥

Text

padā su-jātena nakhāruṇa-śrīyā
bhuvaṁ likhanty aśrubhir añjanāsitaiḥ
āsiñcatī kuṅkuma-rūṣitau stanau
tasthāv adho-mukhy ati-duḥkha-ruddha-vāk

Synonyms

padā — with her foot; su-jātena — very tender; nakha — of its nails; aruṇa — reddish; śrīyā — having the effulgence; bhuvam — the earth; likhantī — scratching; aśrubhiḥ — with her tears; añjana — because of her eye shadow; asitaiḥ — which were black; āsiñcatī — sprinkling; kuṅkuma — with kuṅkuma powder; rūṣitau — red; stanau — breasts; tasthau — she stood still; adhaḥ — downward; mukhī — her face; ati — extreme; duḥkha — due to the sorrow; ruddha — checked; vāk — her speech.

Translation

With her tender foot, effulgent with the reddish glow of her nails, she scratched the ground, and tears darkened by her eye makeup sprinkled her kuṅkuma-reddened breasts. There she stood, face downward, her voice choked up by extreme sorrow.

Devanagari

तस्या: सुदु:खभयशोकविनष्टबुद्धे-
र्हस्ताच्छ्‍लथद्वलयतो व्यजनं पपात ।
देहश्च विक्लवधिय: सहसैव मुह्यन्
रम्भेव वायुविहतो प्रविकीर्य केशान् ॥ २४ ॥

Text

tasyāḥ su-duḥkha-bhaya-śoka-vinaṣṭa-buddher
hastāc chlathad-valayato vyajanaṁ papāta
dehaś ca viklava-dhiyaḥ sahasaiva muhyan
rambheva vāyu-vihato pravikīrya keśān

Synonyms

taṣyāḥ — her; su-duḥkha — by the great unhappiness; bhaya — fear; śoka — and remorse; vinaṣṭa — spoiled; buddheḥ — whose intelligence; hastāt — from the hand; ślathat — slipping; valayataḥ — whose bangles; vyajanam — the fan; papāta — fell; dehaḥ — her body; ca — also; viklava — disrupted; dhiyaḥ — whose mind; sahasā eva — suddenly; muhyan — fainting; rambhā — a plantain tree; iva — as if; vāyu — by the wind; vihataḥ — blown down; pravikīrya — scattering; keśān — her hair.

Translation

Rukmiṇī’s mind was overwhelmed with unhappiness, fear and grief. Her bangles slipped from her hand, and her fan fell to the ground. In her bewilderment she suddenly fainted, her hair scattering all about as her body fell to the ground like a plantain tree blown over by the wind.

Purport

Shocked by Lord Kṛṣṇa’s words, Rukmiṇī could not understand that the Lord was only teasing, and thus she displayed these ecstatic symptoms of grief, which Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī characterizes as sāttvika ecstasies ranging from “becoming stunned” to “dissolution.”

Devanagari

तद् द‍ृष्ट्वा भगवान् कृष्ण: प्रियाया: प्रेमबन्धनम् ।
हास्यप्रौढिमजानन्त्या: करुण: सोऽन्वकम्पत ॥ २५ ॥

Text

tad dṛṣṭvā bhagavān kṛṣṇaḥ
priyāyāḥ prema-bandhanam
hāsya-prauḍhim ajānantyāḥ
karuṇaḥ so ’nvakampata

Synonyms

tat — this; dṛṣṭvā — seeing; bhagavān — the Supreme Lord; kṛṣṇaḥ — Kṛṣṇa; priyāyāḥ — of His beloved; prema — by pure love of God; bandhanam — the bondage; hāsya — of His joking; prauḍhim — the full import; ajānantyāḥ — who could not comprehend; karuṇaḥ — merciful; saḥ — He; anvakampata — felt compassion.

Translation

Seeing that His beloved was so bound to Him in love that she could not understand the full meaning of His teasing, merciful Lord Kṛṣṇa felt compassion for her.

Devanagari

पर्यङ्कादवरुह्याशु तामुत्थाप्य चतुर्भुज: ।
केशान् समुह्य तद्वक्त्रं प्रामृजत् पद्मपाणिना ॥ २६ ॥

Text

paryaṅkād avaruhyāśu
tām utthāpya catur-bhujaḥ
keśān samuhya tad-vaktraṁ
prāmṛjat padma-pāṇinā

Synonyms

paryaṅkāt — from the bed; avaruhya — stepping down; āśu — quickly; tām — her; utthāpya — picking up; catur-bhujaḥ — displaying four arms; keśān — her hair; samuhya — gathering; tat — her; vaktram — face; prāmṛjat — He wiped; padma-pāṇinā — with His lotus hand.

Translation

The Lord quickly got down from the bed. Manifesting four arms, He picked her up, gathered her hair and caressed her face with His lotus hand.

Purport

The Lord manifested four hands so He could do all of these things simultaneously.

Devanagari

प्रमृज्याश्रुकले नेत्रे स्तनौ चोपहतौ शुचा ।
आश्लिष्य बाहुना राजननन्यविषयां सतीम् ॥ २७ ॥
सान्‍त्‍वयामास सान्‍त्‍वज्ञ: कृपया कृपणां प्रभु: ।
हास्यप्रौढिभ्रमच्चित्तामतदर्हां सतां गति: ॥ २८ ॥

Text

pramṛjyāśru-kale netre
stanau copahatau śucā
āśliṣya bāhunā rājan
ananya-viṣayāṁ satīm
sāntvayām āsa sāntva-jñaḥ
kṛpayā kṛpaṇāṁ prabhuḥ
hāsya-prauḍhi-bhramac-cittām
atad-arhāṁ satāṁ gatiḥ

Synonyms

pramṛjya — wiping; aśru-kale — filled with tears; netre — her eyes; stanau — her breasts; ca — and; upahatau — disarrayed; śucā — by her sorrowful tears; aśliṣya — embracing her; bāhunā — with His arm; rājan — O King (Parīkṣit); ananya — no other; viṣayām — whose object of desire; satīm — chaste; sāntvayām āsa — He consoled; sāntva — of ways of consoling; jñaḥ — the expert knower; kṛpayā — compassionately; kṛpaṇām — pitiable; prabhuḥ — the Supreme Lord; hāsya — of His joking; prauḍhi — by the cleverness; bhramat — becoming bewildered; cittām — whose mind; atat-arhām — not deserving that; satām — of pure devotees; gatiḥ — the goal.

Translation

Wiping her tear-filled eyes and her breasts, which were stained by tears of grief, the Supreme Lord, the goal of His devotees, embraced His chaste wife, who desired nothing but Him, O King. Expert in the art of pacification, Śrī Kṛṣṇa tenderly consoled pitiable Rukmiṇī, whose mind was bewildered by His clever joking and who did not deserve to suffer so.

Devanagari

श्रीभगवानुवाच
मा मा वैदर्भ्यसूयेथा जाने त्वां मत्परायणाम् ।
त्वद्वच: श्रोतुकामेन क्ष्वेल्याचरितमङ्गने ॥ २९ ॥

Text

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
mā mā vaidarbhy asūyethā
jāne tvāṁ mat-parāyaṇām
tvad-vacaḥ śrotu-kāmena
kṣvelyācaritam aṅgane

Synonyms

śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Lord said; — do not; — with Me; vaidarbhi — O Vaidarbhī; asūyethāḥ — be displeased; jāne — I know; tvām — you; mat — to Me; parāyaṇām — fully dedicated; tvat — your; vacaḥ — words; śrotu — to hear; kāmena — desiring; kṣvelyā — in jest; ācaritam — acted; aṅgane — My dear lady.

Translation

The Supreme Lord said: O Vaidarbhī, do not be displeased with Me. I know that you are fully devoted to Me. I only spoke in jest, dear lady, because I wanted to hear what you would say.

Purport

According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, Lord Kṛṣṇa spoke the present verse because He thought that lovely Rukmiṇī might be afraid He would again say something to disturb her, or that she might be angry at what He had done.

Devanagari

मुखं च प्रेमसंरम्भस्फुरिताधरमीक्षितुम् ।
कटाक्षेपारुणापाङ्गं सुन्दरभ्रुकुटीतटम् ॥ ३० ॥

Text

mukhaṁ ca prema-saṁrambha-
sphuritādharam īkṣitum
kaṭā-kṣepāruṇāpāṅgaṁ
sundara-bhru-kuṭī-taṭam

Synonyms

mukham — the face; ca — and; prema — of love; saṁrambha — by the agitation; sphurita — trembling; adharam — with lips; īkṣitum — to see; kaṭā — of sidelong glances; kṣepa — by the throwing; aruṇa — reddish; apāṅgam — corners of the eyes; sundara — beautiful; bhru — of the eyebrows; kuṭī — the furrowing; taṭam — on the edges.

Translation

I also wanted to see your face with lips trembling in loving anger, the reddish corners of your eyes throwing sidelong glances and the line of your beautiful eyebrows knit in a frown.

Purport

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains here that normally, by the Lord’s transcendental desire, His pure devotees reciprocate with Him in such a way that they satisfy His spiritual desires. But Rukmiṇī’s love was so strong that her unique mood predominated in this situation, and thus instead of becoming angry she fainted and fell to the ground. Far from displeasing Kṛṣṇa, however, she increased His transcendental ecstasy by exhibiting her all-encompassing love for Him.

Devanagari

अयं हि परमो लाभो गृहेषु गृहमेधिनाम् ।
यन्नर्मैरीयते याम: प्रियया भीरु भामिनि ॥ ३१ ॥

Text

ayaṁ hi paramo lābho
gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām
yan narmair īyate yāmaḥ
priyayā bhīru bhāmini

Synonyms

ayam — this; hi — indeed; paramaḥ — the greatest; lābhaḥ — gain; gṛheṣu — in family life; gṛha-medhinām — for worldly householders; yat — which; narmaiḥ — with joking words; īyate — is spent; yāmaḥ — time; priyayā — with one’s beloved; bhīru — O timid one; bhāmini — O temperamental one.

Translation

The greatest pleasure worldly householders can enjoy at home is to spend time joking with their beloved wives, My dear timid and temperamental one.

Purport

The word bhāmini indicates an angry, passionate, temperamental woman. Since lovely Rukmiṇī did not become angry despite all provocation, the Lord is still speaking facetiously.

Devanagari

श्रीशुक उवाच
सैवं भगवता राजन् वैदर्भी परिसान्‍त्‍विता ।
ज्ञात्वा तत्परिहासोक्तिं प्रियत्यागभयं जहौ ॥ ३२ ॥

Text

śrī-śuka uvāca
saivaṁ bhagavatā rājan
vaidarbhī parisāntvitā
jñātvā tat-parihāsoktiṁ
priya-tyāga-bhayaṁ jahau

Synonyms

śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; — she; evam — thus; bhagavatā — by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rājan — O King; vaidarbhī — Queen Rukmiṇī; parisāntvitā — fully pacified; jñātvā — understanding; tat — His; parihāsa — spoken in jest; uktim — words; priya — by her beloved; tyāga — of rejection; bhayam — her fear; jahau — gave up.

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, Queen Vaidarbhī was fully pacified by the Supreme Personality of Godhead and understood that His words had been spoken in jest. Thus she gave up her fear that her beloved would reject her.

Devanagari

बभाष ऋषभं पुंसां वीक्षन्ती भगवन्मुखम् ।
सव्रीडहासरुचिरस्‍निग्धापाङ्गेन भारत ॥ ३३ ॥

Text

babhāṣa ṛṣabhaṁ puṁsāṁ
vīkṣantī bhagavan-mukham
sa-vrīḍa-hāsa-rucira-
snigdhāpāṅgena bhārata

Synonyms

babhāṣa — she spoke; ṛṣabham — to the most eminent; puṁsām — of males; vīkṣantī — looking upon; bhagavat — of the Supreme Lord; mukham — the face; sa-vrīḍa — shy; hāsa — with a smile; rucira — charming; snigdha — affectionate; apāṅgena — and with glances; bhārata — O descendant of Bharata.

Translation

Smiling bashfully as she cast charming, affectionate glances upon the face of the Lord, the best of males, Rukmiṇī spoke the following, O descendant of Bharata.

Devanagari

श्रीरुक्‍मिण्युवाच
नन्वेवमेतदरविन्दविलोचनाह
यद्वै भवान् भगवतोऽसद‍ृशी विभूम्न: ।
क्व‍ स्वे महिम्न्यभिरतो भगवांस्‍त्र्यधीश:
क्व‍ाहं गुणप्रकृतिरज्ञगृहीतपादा ॥ ३४ ॥

Text

śrī-rukmiṇy uvāca
nanv evam etad aravinda-vilocanāha
yad vai bhavān bhagavato ’sadṛśī vibhūmnaḥ
kva sve mahimny abhirato bhagavāṁs try-adhīśaḥ
kvāhaṁ guṇa-prakṛtir ajña-gṛhīta-pādā

Synonyms

śrī-rukmiṇī uvāca — Śrī Rukmiṇī said; nanu — well; evam — so be it; etat — this; aravinda-vilocana — O lotus-eyed one; āha — said; yat — which; vai — indeed; bhavān — You; bhagavataḥ — to the Supreme Lord; asadṛśī — unequal; vibhūmnaḥ — to the almighty; kva — where, in comparison; sve — in His own; mahimni — glory; abhirataḥ — taking pleasure; bhagavān — the Supreme Lord; tri — of the three (principal deities, namely Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva); adhīśaḥ — the controller; kva — and where; aham — myself; guṇa — of material qualities; prakṛtiḥ — whose character; ajña — by foolish persons; gṛhīta — taken hold of; pādā — whose feet.

Translation

Śrī Rukmiṇī said: Actually, what You have said is true, O lotus-eyed one. I am indeed unsuitable for the almighty Personality of Godhead. What comparison is there between that Supreme Lord, who is master of the three primal deities and who delights in His own glory, and myself, a woman of mundane qualities whose feet are grasped by fools?

Purport

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī lists the faults Lord Kṛṣṇa had described in Himself that He claimed disqualified Him from being Rukmiṇī’s husband. These include incompatibility, fearfulness, taking shelter in the ocean, quarreling with the powerful, abandoning His kingdom, uncertainty as to His identity, acting against ordinary standards of behavior, having no good qualities, being praised falsely by beggars, aloofness, and lack of desire for family life. The Lord claimed that Rukmiṇī had failed to recognize these bad qualities in Him. Now she begins to respond to all the Lord’s statements.

First she responds to Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s statement in text 11 of this chapter: kasmān no vavṛṣe ’samān. “Why did you select Us, who are not equal to you?” Here Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī-devī says that she and Kṛṣṇa are certainly not equal, for no one can be equal to the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī further points out that in her extreme humility Rukmiṇī is identifying herself with the Lord’s external energy, which in fact is her expansion, Rukmiṇī being the goddess of fortune.

Devanagari

सत्यं भयादिव गुणेभ्य उरुक्रमान्त:
शेते समुद्र उपलम्भनमात्र आत्मा ।
नित्यं कदिन्द्रियगणै: कृतविग्रहस्त्वं
त्वत्सेवकैर्नृपपदं विधुतं तमोऽन्धम् ॥ ३५ ॥

Text

satyaṁ bhayād iva guṇebhya urukramāntaḥ
śete samudra upalambhana-mātra ātmā
nityaṁ kad-indriya-gaṇaiḥ kṛta-vigrahas tvaṁ
tvat-sevakair nṛpa-padaṁ vidhutaṁ tamo ’ndham

Synonyms

satyam — true; bhayāt — out of fear; iva — as if; guṇebhyaḥ — of the material modes; urukrama — O You who perform transcendental feats; antaḥ — within; śete — You have lain down; samudre — in the ocean; upalambhana-mātraḥ — pure awareness; ātma — the Supreme Soul; nityam — always; kat — bad; indriya-gaṇaiḥ — against all the material senses; kṛta-vigrahaḥ — battling; tvam — You; tvat — Your; sevakaiḥ — by the servants; nṛpa — of a king; padam — the position; vidhutam — rejected; tamaḥ — darkness; andham — blind.

Translation

Yes, my Lord Urukrama, You lay down within the ocean as if afraid of the material modes, and thus in pure consciousness You appear within the heart as the Supersoul. You are always battling against the foolish material senses, and indeed even Your servants reject the privilege of royal dominion, which leads to the blindness of ignorance.

Purport

In text 12 Lord Kṛṣṇa said, rājabhyo bibhyataḥ su-bhru samudram śaraṇaṁ gatān: “Out of fear of the kings, We took shelter in the ocean.” Here Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī-devī points out that the actual rulers of this world are the guṇas, the material modes of nature, which impel all living beings to act. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī points out that because Lord Kṛṣṇa fears that His devotee will come under the influence of the modes of nature and become entangled in sense gratification, He enters the internal ocean of their hearts, where He remains as the omniscient Supersoul (upalambhana-mātra ātmā). Thus He protects His devotees. The word upalambhana-mātraḥ also indicates that the Lord is the object of meditation for His devotees.

In text 12 Lord Kṛṣṇa also said, balavadbhiḥ kṛta-dveṣān: “We created enmity with the powerful.” Here Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī-devī points out that it is the material senses which are actually powerful in this world. The Supreme Lord has taken up the battle against sense gratification on the part of His devotees, and thus He is constantly trying to help them in their struggle for spiritual purity. When the devotees become free of unwanted material habits, the Lord reveals Himself to them, and then the eternal loving relationship between the Lord and His devotees becomes an irrevocable fact.

In the same verse Kṛṣṇa stated, tyakta-nṛpāsanān: “We renounced the royal throne.” But here Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī-devī points out that the position of political supremacy in this world usually implicates so-called powerful leaders in darkness and blindness. As the saying goes, “Power corrupts.” Thus even the Lord’s loving servants tend to shy away from political intrigue and power politics. The Lord Himself, being completely satisfied in His own spiritual bliss, would hardly be interested in occupying mundane political positions. Thus Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī-devī correctly interprets the Lord’s actions as evidence of His supreme transcendental nature.

Devanagari

त्वत्पादपद्ममकरन्दजुषां मुनीनां
वर्त्मास्फुटं नृपशुभिर्ननु दुर्विभाव्यम् ।
यस्मादलौकिकमिवेहितमीश्वरस्य
भूमंस्तवेहितमथो अनु ये भवन्तम् ॥ ३६ ॥

Text

tvat-pāda-padma-makaranda-juṣāṁ munīnāṁ
vartmāsphuṭaṁ nr-paśubhir nanu durvibhāvyam
yasmād alaukikam ivehitam īśvarasya
bhūmaṁs tavehitam atho anu ye bhavantam

Synonyms

tvat — Your; pāda — of the feet; padma — lotuslike; makaranda — the honey; juṣām — who relish; munīnām — for sages; vartma — (Your) path; asphuṭam — not apparent; nṛ — in human form; paśubhiḥ — by animals; nanu — certainly, then; durvibhāvyam — impossible to comprehend; yasmāt — because; alaukikam — supramundane; iva — as if; īhitam — the activities; īśvarasya — of the Supreme Lord; bhūman — O all-powerful one; tava — Your; īhitam — activities; atha u — therefore; anu — following; ye — who; bhavantam — You.

Translation

Your movements, inscrutable even for sages who relish the honey of Your lotus feet, are certainly incomprehensible for human beings who behave like animals. And just as Your activities are transcendental, O all-powerful Lord, so too are those of Your followers.

Purport

Here Queen Rukmiṇī replies to Lord Kṛṣṇa’s statement in text 13:

aspaṣṭa-vartmanāṁ puṁsām
aloka-patham īyuṣām
āsthitāḥ padavīṁ su-bhru
prāyaḥ sīdanti yoṣitaḥ

“O fine-browed lady, women are usually destined to suffer when they stay with men whose behavior is uncertain and who pursue a path not approved by society.”

In the present verse Rukmiṇī is taking the term aloka-patham to mean “unworldly path.” Those who are entangled in worldly behavior are trying to enjoy this world more or less like animals. Even if such people are “culturally advanced,” they should simply be considered sophisticated or polished animals. Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī-devī points out that because the Lord’s activities are always transcendental, they are aspaṣṭa, or “unclear,” to ordinary people, and even the sages trying to know the Lord cannot perfectly understand these activities.

Devanagari

निष्किञ्चनो ननु भवान् न यतोऽस्ति किञ्चिद्
यस्मै बलिं बलिभुजोऽपि हरन्त्यजाद्या: ।
न त्वा विदन्त्यसुतृपोऽन्तकमाढ्यतान्धा:
प्रेष्ठो भवान् बलिभुजामपि तेऽपि तुभ्यम् ॥ ३७ ॥

Text

niṣkiñcano nanu bhavān na yato ’sti kiñcid
yasmai baliṁ bali-bhujo ’pi haranty ajādyāḥ
na tvā vidanty asu-tṛpo ’ntakam āḍhyatāndhāḥ
preṣṭho bhavān bali-bhujām api te ’pi tubhyam

Synonyms

niṣkiñcanaḥ — without possessions; nanu — indeed; bhavān — You; na — not; yataḥ — beyond whom; asti — there is; kiñcit — anything; yasmai — to whom; balim — tribute; bali — of tribute; bhujaḥ — the enjoyers; api — even; haranti — carry; aja-ādyāḥ — headed by Brahmā; na — not; tvā — You; vidanti — know; asu-tṛpaḥ — persons satisfied in the body; antakam — as death; āḍhyatā — by their status of wealth; andhāḥ — blinded; preṣṭhaḥ — the most dear; bhavān — You; bali-bhujām — for the great enjoyers of tribute; api — even; te — they; api — also; tubhyam — (are dear) to You.

Translation

You possess nothing because there is nothing beyond You. Even the great enjoyers of tribute — Brahmā and other demigods — pay tribute to You. Those who are blinded by their wealth and absorbed in gratifying their senses do not recognize You in the form of death. But to the gods, the enjoyers of tribute, You are the most dear, as they are to You.

Purport

Here Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī-devī replies to Lord Kṛṣṇa’s statement in text 14:

niṣkiñcanā vayaṁ śaśvan
niṣkiñcana-jana-priyāḥ
tasmāt prāyeṇa na hy āḍhyā
māṁ bhajanti su-madhyame

“We have no material possessions, and We are dear to those who similarly have nothing. Therefore, O slender one, the wealthy hardly ever worship Me.”

Queen Rukmiṇī begins her statement by saying niṣkiñcano nanu, “You are indeed niṣkiñcana.” The word kiñcana means “something,” and the prefix nir — or, as it appears here, niṣ — indicates negation. Thus in the ordinary sense niṣkiñcana means “one who does not have something,” or, in other words, “one who has nothing.”

But in the present verse Queen Rukmiṇī states that Lord Kṛṣṇa “possesses nothing” not because He is a pauper but because He Himself is everything. In other words, since Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth, all that exists is within Him. There is no second thing, something outside the Lord’s existence, for Him to possess. For example, a man may possess a house or a car or a child or money, but these things do not become the man: they exist outside of him. We say he possesses them merely in the sense that he has control over them. But the Lord does not merely control His creation: His creation actually exists within Him. Thus there is nothing outside of Him that He can possess in the way that we possess external objects.

The ācāryas explain niṣkiñcana in the following way: To state that a person possesses something implies that he does not possess everything.

In other words, if we say that a man owns some property, we imply that he does not own all property but rather some specific property. A standard American dictionary defines the word some as “a certain indefinite or unspecified number, quantity, etc., as distinguished from the rest.” The Sanskrit word kiñcana conveys this sense of a partial amount of the total. Thus Lord Kṛṣṇa is called niṣkiñcana to refute the idea that He possesses merely a certain amount of beauty, fame, wealth, intelligence and other opulences. Rather, He possesses infinite beauty, infinite intelligence, infinite wealth and so on. This is so because He is the Absolute Truth.

Śrīla Prabhupāda begins his introduction to the First Canto, Volume One, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with the following statement, which is quite relevant to our present discussion: “The conception of God and the conception of the Absolute Truth are not on the same level. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam hits on the target of the Absolute Truth. The conception of God indicates the controller, whereas the conception of the Absolute Truth indicates the summum bonum, or the ultimate source of all energies.” Here Śrīla Prabhupāda touches upon a fundamental philosophical point. God is commonly defined as “the supreme being,” and the dictionary defines supreme as (1) highest in rank, power, authority, etc; (2) highest in quality, achievement, performance, etc; (3) highest in degree; and (4) final, ultimate. None of these definitions adequately indicates absolute existence.

For example, we may say that a particular American is supremely wealthy in the sense that he is wealthier than any other American, or we may speak of the Supreme Court as the highest court in the land, although it certainly does not have absolute authority in all political and social matters, since it shares authority in these fields with the legislature and the president. In other words, the word supreme indicates the best in a hierarchy, and thus the supreme being may merely be understood as the best or greatest of all beings but not as the very source of all other beings and, indeed, of everything that exists. Thus Śrīla Prabhupāda specifically points out that the concept of the Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa, is higher than the concept of a supreme being, and this point is essential to a clear understanding of Vaiṣṇava philosophy.

Lord Kṛṣṇa is not merely a supreme being: He is the absolute being, and that is exactly the point His wife is making. Thus the word niṣkiñcana indicates not that Kṛṣṇa possesses no opulence but rather all opulence. In that sense she accepts His definition of Himself as niṣkiñcana.

In text 14 Lord Kṛṣṇa also stated, niṣkiñcana-jana-priyāḥ: “I am dear to those who have nothing.” Here, however, Queen Rukmiṇī points out that the demigods, the wealthiest souls in the universe, regularly make offerings to the Supreme Lord. We may assume that the demigods, being the Lord’s appointed representatives, know that everything belongs to Him in the sense that everything is part of Him, as explained above. Therefore the statement niṣkiñcana-jana-priyāḥ is correct in the sense that since nothing exists except the Lord and His potencies, no matter how wealthy the Lord’s worshipers appear to be they are in fact offering Him nothing but His own energy as a loving act. The same idea is exemplified when one worships the Ganges River by offering Ganges water, or when a child gets money from his father on the father’s birthday and buys him a gift. The father is paying for his own present, but what he is really interested in is his child’s love. Similarly, the Supreme Lord manifests the cosmos, and then the conditioned souls collect various items of the Lord’s creation. Pious souls offer some of the best items from their collection back to the Lord as a sacrifice and thus purify themselves. Since the whole cosmos and everything in it is simply the Lord’s energy, we may say that those who worship the Lord possess nothing.

In more conventional terms, people who are proud of their great wealth do not bow down to God. Queen Rukmiṇī also mentions these fools. Satisfied with their temporary bodies, they do not understand the divine power of death, which stalks them. The demigods, however, who are by far the wealthiest living beings, regularly offer sacrifice to the Supreme Lord, and thus the Lord is most dear to them, as stated here.

Devanagari

त्वं वै समस्तपुरुषार्थमय: फलात्मा
यद्वाञ्छया सुमतयो विसृजन्ति कृत्‍स्‍नम् ।
तेषां विभो समुचितो भवत: समाज:
पुंस: स्‍त्रियाश्च रतयो: सुखदु:खिनोर्न ॥ ३८ ॥

Text

tvaṁ vai samasta-puruṣārtha-mayaḥ phalātmā
yad-vāñchayā su-matayo visṛjanti kṛtsnam
teṣāṁ vibho samucito bhavataḥ samājaḥ
puṁsaḥ striyāś ca ratayoḥ sukha-duḥkhinor na

Synonyms

tvam — You; vai — indeed; samasta — all; puruṣa — of human life; artha — of the goals; mayaḥ — comprising; phala — of the ultimate goal; ātmā — the very Self; yat — for whom; vāñchayā — out of desire; su-matayaḥ — intelligent persons; visṛjanti — discard; kṛtsnam — everything; teṣām — for them; vibho — O omnipotent one; samucitaḥ — appropriate; bhavataḥ — Your; samājaḥ — association; puṁsaḥ — of a man; striyāḥ — and a women; ca — and; ratayoḥ — who are attracted to each other in mutual lust; sukha-duḥkhinoḥ — who experience material happiness and distress; na — not.

Translation

You are the embodiment of all human goals and are Yourself the final aim of life. Desiring to attain You, O all-powerful Lord, intelligent persons abandon everything else. It is they who are worthy of Your association, not men and women absorbed in the pleasure and grief resulting from their mutual lust.

Purport

Here Queen Rukmiṇī refutes Lord Kṛṣṇa’s statement in text 15:

yayor ātma-samaṁ vittaṁ
janmaiśvaryākṛtir bhavaḥ
tayor vivāho maitrī ca
nottamādhamayoḥ kvacit

“Marriage and friendship are proper between two people who are equal in terms of their wealth, birth, influence, physical appearance and capacity for good progeny, but never between a superior and an inferior.” In fact, only those who have given up all such material conceptions of sense gratification and have taken exclusively to the Lord’s loving service can understand who their real friend and companion is — Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself.

Devanagari

त्वं न्यस्तदण्डमुनिभिर्गदितानुभाव
आत्मात्मदश्च जगतामिति मे वृतोऽसि ।
हित्वा भवद्भ्रुव उदीरितकालवेग
ध्वस्ताशिषोऽब्जभवनाकपतीन् कुतोऽन्ये ॥ ३९ ॥

Text

tvaṁ nyasta-daṇḍa-munibhir gaditānubhāva
ātmātma-daś ca jagatām iti me vṛto ’si
hitvā bhavad-bhruva udīrita-kāla-vega-
dhvastāśiṣo ’bja-bhava-nāka-patīn kuto ’nye

Synonyms

tvam — You; nyasta — who have renounced; daṇḍa — the sannyāsī’s staff; munibhiḥ — by sages; gadita — spoken of; anubhāvaḥ — whose prowess; ātmā — the Supreme Soul; ātmā — Your own self; daḥ — who give away; ca — also; jagatām — of all the worlds; iti — thus; me — by me; vṛtaḥ — chosen; asi — You have been; hitvā — rejecting; bhavat — Your; bhruvaḥ — from the eyebrows; udīrita — generated; kāla — of time; vega — by the impulses; dhvasta — destroyed; āśiṣaḥ — whose hopes; abja — lotus-born (Lord Brahmā); bhava — Lord Śiva; nāka — of heaven; patīn — the masters; kutaḥ — what then of; anye — others.

Translation

Knowing that great sages who have renounced the sannyāsī’s daṇḍa proclaim Your glories, that You are the Supreme Soul of all the worlds, and that You are so gracious that You give away even Your own self, I chose You as my husband, rejecting Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and the rulers of heaven, whose aspirations are all frustrated by the force of time, which is born from Your eyebrows. What interest, then, could I have in any other suitors?

Purport

This is Queen Rukmiṇī’s refutation of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s statement in text 16. There the Lord Kṛṣṇa said, bhikṣubhiḥ ślāghitā mudhā: “I am glorified by beggars.” But Queen Rukmiṇī points out that those so-called beggars are actually sages in the paramahaṁsa stage of life — sannyāsīs who have reached the highest level of spiritual advancement and thus given up the sannyāsī rod. Lord Kṛṣṇa also made two specific accusations against His wife in text 16. He said, vaidarbhy etad avijñāya — “My dear Vaidarbhī, you were not aware of the situation” — and tvayādīrgha-samīkṣayā — “because you lack foresight.” In the present verse, Rukmiṇī’s statement iti me vṛto ’si indicates “I chose You as my husband because You possess the above-mentioned qualities. It was not a blind choice at all.” Rukmiṇī further mentions that she passed over lesser personalities like Brahmā, Śiva and the rulers of heaven because she saw that even though, materially speaking, they are great personalities, they are frustrated by the powerful waves of time, which emanate from the eyebrows of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, far from lacking foresight, Rukmiṇī chose Lord Kṛṣṇa after an exhaustive appraisal of the entire cosmic situation. Thus she lovingly rebukes her husband here.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī interprets Rukmiṇī’s mood as follows: “My dear husband, Your accusation that I lack foresight indicates that You did know of my deep insight into the situation. Actually, I chose You because I knew of Your true glories.”

Devanagari

जाड्यं वचस्तव गदाग्रज यस्तु भूपान्
विद्राव्य शार्ङ्गनिनदेन जहर्थ मां त्वम् ।
सिंहो यथा स्वबलिमीश पशून् स्वभागं
तेभ्यो भयाद् यदुदधिं शरणं प्रपन्न: ॥ ४० ॥

Text

jāḍyaṁ vacas tava gadāgraja yas tu bhūpān
vidrāvya śārṅga-ninadena jahartha māṁ tvam
siṁho yathā sva-balim īśa paśūn sva-bhāgaṁ
tebhyo bhayād yad udadhiṁ śaraṇaṁ prapannaḥ

Synonyms

jāḍyam — foolishness; vacaḥ — words; tava — Your; gadāgraja — O Gadāgraja; yaḥ — who; tu — even; bhū-pān — the kings; vidrāvya — driving away; śārṅga — of Śārṅga, Your bow; ninadena — by the resounding; jahartha — took away; mām — me; tvam — You; siṁhaḥ — a lion; yathā — as; sva — Your own; balim — tribute; īśa — O Lord; paśūn — animals; sva-bhāgam — his own share; tebhyaḥ — of them; bhayāt — out of fear; yat — that; udadhim — of the ocean; śaraṇaṁ-prapannaḥ — took shelter.

Translation

My Lord, as a lion drives away lesser animals to claim his proper tribute, You drove off the assembled kings with the resounding twang of Your Śārṅga bow and then claimed me, Your fair share. Thus it is sheer foolishness, my dear Gadāgraja, for You to say You took shelter in the ocean out of fear of those kings.

Purport

In text 12 of this chapter Lord Kṛṣṇa said, rājabhyo bibhyataḥ su-bhru samudraṁ śaranaṁ gatān: “Terrified of those kings, We went to the ocean for shelter.” According to the ācāryas, Lord Kṛṣṇa finally provoked Rukmiṇī’s anger by glorifying other men who might have been her husband, and thus in an agitated mood she here tells Him that she is not ignorant but rather that He has spoken foolishly. She states, “Like a lion You abducted me in the presence of those kings and drove them away with Your Śārṅga bow, so it is simply foolishness to say that out of fear of those same kings You went to the ocean.” According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, as Queen Rukmiṇī spoke these words she frowned and cast angry sidelong glances at the Lord.

Devanagari

यद्वाञ्छया नृपशिखामणयोऽङ्गवैन्य-
जायन्तनाहुषगयादय ऐक्यपत्यम् ।
राज्यं विसृज्य विविशुर्वनमम्बुजाक्ष
सीदन्ति तेऽनुपदवीं त इहास्थिता: किम् ॥ ४१ ॥

Text

yad-vāñchayā nṛpa-śikhāmaṇayo ’nga-vainya-
jāyanta-nāhuṣa-gayādaya aikya-patyam
rājyaṁ visṛjya viviśur vanam ambujākṣa
sīdanti te ’nupadavīṁ ta ihāsthitāḥ kim

Synonyms

yat — for whom; vāñchayā — out of desire; nṛpa — of kings; śikhāmaṇayaḥ — the crown jewels; aṅga-vainya-jāyanta-nāhuṣa-gaya-ādayaḥ — Aṅga (the father of Vena), Vainya (Pṛthu, the son of Vena), Jāyanta (Bharata), Nāhuṣa (Yayāti), Gaya and others; aikya — exclusive; patyam — having sovereignty; rājyam — their kingdoms; visṛjya — abandoning; viviśuḥ — entered; vanam — the forest; ambuja-akṣa — O lotus-eyed one; sīdanti — suffer frustration; te — Your; anupadavīm — on the path; te — they; iha — in this world; āsthitāḥ — fixed; kim — whether.

Translation

Wanting Your association, the best of kings — Aṅga, Vainya, Jāyanta, Nāhuṣa, Gaya and others — abandoned their absolute sovereignty and entered the forest to seek You out. How could those kings suffer frustration in this world, O lotus-eyed one?

Purport

Here Queen Rukmiṇī refutes the ideas put forth by Lord Kṛṣṇa in text 13. In fact Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī-devī repeats Lord Kṛṣṇa’s own words. The Lord said, āsthitāḥ padavīṁ su-bhru prāyaḥ sīdanti yoṣitaḥ: “Women who follow My path generally suffer.” Here Rukmiṇī-devī says, sīdanti te ’nupadavīṁ ta ihāsthitāḥ kim: “Why should those fixed on Your path suffer in this world?” She gives the example of many great kings who renounced their powerful sovereignty to enter the forest, where they performed austerities and worshiped the Lord, intensely desiring His transcendental association. Thus, according to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī-devī here intends to tell Śrī Kṛṣṇa, “You have said that I, a king’s daughter, am unintelligent and frustrated because I married You. But how can You accuse all these great enlightened kings of being unintelligent? They were the wisest of men, yet they gave up everything to follow You and were certainly not frustrated by the result. Indeed, they achieved the perfection of Your association.”

Devanagari

कान्यं श्रयेत तव पादसरोजगन्ध-
माघ्राय सन्मुखरितं जनतापवर्गम् ।
लक्ष्म्यालयं त्वविगणय्य गुणालयस्य
मर्त्या सदोरुभयमर्थविविक्तद‍ृष्टि: ॥ ४२ ॥

Text

kānyaṁ śrayeta tava pāda-saroja-gandham
āghrāya san-mukharitaṁ janatāpavargam
lakṣmy-ālayaṁ tv avigaṇayya guṇālayasya
martyā sadoru-bhayam artha-viviita-dṛṣṭiḥ

Synonyms

ka — what woman; anyam — another man; śrayeta — would take shelter of; tava — Your; pāda — of the feet; saroja — of the lotus; gandham — the aroma; āghrāya — having smelled; sat — by great saints; mukharitam — described; janatā — for all people; apavargam — bestowing liberation; lakṣmī — of the goddess of fortune; ālayam — the place of residence; tu — but; avigaṇayya — not taking seriously; guṇa — of all transcendental qualities; ālayasya — of the abode; martyā — mortal; sadā — always; uru — great; bhayam — one who has fear; artha — her best interest; vivikta — ascertaining; dṛṣṭiḥ — whose insight.

Translation

The aroma of Your lotus feet, which is glorified by great saints, awards people liberation and is the abode of Goddess Lakṣmī. What woman would take shelter of any other man after savoring that aroma? Since You are the abode of transcendental qualities, what mortal woman with the insight to distinguish her own true interest would disregard that fragrance and depend instead on someone who is always subject to terrible fear?

Purport

In text 16 Lord Kṛṣṇa claimed that He was guṇair hīnāḥ, “bereft of all good qualities.” To refute this claim, the devoted Rukmiṇī here states that the Lord is guṇālaya, “the abode of all good qualities.” In a single moment the so-called powerful men of this world can be reduced to utter helplessness and confusion. Indeed, destruction is the inevitable fate of all powerful masculine bodies. The Lord, however, has an eternal, spiritual body that is omnipotent and infinitely beautiful, and thus, as Queen Rukmiṇī argues here, how could any sane, enlightened woman take shelter of anyone but the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa?

Devanagari

तं त्वानुरूपमभजं जगतामधीश-
मात्मानमत्र च परत्र च कामपूरम् ।
स्यान्मे तवाङ्‍‍घ्रिररणं सृतिभिर्भ्रमन्त्या
यो वै भजन्तमुपयात्यनृतापवर्ग: ॥ ४३ ॥

Text

taṁ tvānurūpam abhajaṁ jagatām adhīśam
ātmānam atra ca paratra ca kāma-pūram
syān me tavāṅghrir araṇaṁ sṛtibhir bhramantyā
yo vai bhajantam upayāty anṛtāpavargaḥ

Synonyms

tam — Him; tvā — Yourself; anurūpam — suitable; abhajam — I have chosen; jagatām — of all the worlds; adhīśam — the ultimate master; ātmānam — the Supreme Soul; atra — in this life; ca — and; paratra — in the next life; ca — also; kāma — of desires; pūram — the fulfiller; syāt — may they be; me — for me; tava — Your; aṅghriḥ — feet; araṇam — shelter; sṛtibhiḥ — by the various movements (from one species of life to another); bhramantyāḥ — who has been wandering; yaḥ — which (feet); vai — indeed; bhajantam — their worshiper; upayāti — approach; anṛta — from untruth; apavargaḥ — freedom.

Translation

Because You are suitable for me, I have chosen You, the master and Supreme Soul of all the worlds, who fulfill our desires in this life and the next. May Your feet, which give freedom from illusion by approaching their worshiper, give shelter to me, who have been wandering from one material situation to another.

Purport

An alternate reading for the word sṛtibhiḥ is śrutibhiḥ, in which case the idea Rukmiṇī expresses is this: “I have been bewildered by hearing from various religious scriptures about numerous rituals and ceremonies with their promises of fruitive results.” Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī gives this explanation, while Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī and Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī give an additional idea Rukmiṇī might express with the word śrutibhiḥ: “My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I was bewildered by hearing about Your various incarnations. I heard that when You descended as Rāma You abandoned Your wife, Sītā, and that in this life You abandoned the gopīs. Thus I was bewildered.”

It is understood that Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī-devī is the eternally liberated consort of Lord Kṛṣṇa, but in these verses she humbly plays the part of a mortal woman taking shelter of the Supreme Lord.

Devanagari

तस्या: स्युरच्युत नृपा भवतोपदिष्टा:
स्‍त्रीणां गृहेषु खरगोश्वविडालभृत्या: ।
यत्कर्णमूलमरिकर्षण नोपयायाद्
युष्मत्कथा मृडविरिञ्चसभासु गीता ॥ ४४ ॥

Text

tasyāḥ syur acyuta nṛpā bhavatopadiṣṭāḥ
strīṇāṁ gṛheṣu khara-go-śva-viḍāla-bhṛtyāḥ

yat-karṇa-mūlam ari-karṣaṇa nopayāyād
yuṣmat-kathā mṛḍa-viriñca-sabhāsu gītā

Synonyms

tasyāḥ — of her; syuḥ — let them become (the husbands); acyuta — O infallible Kṛṣṇa; nṛpāḥ — kings; bhavatā — by You; upadiṣṭāḥ — mentioned; strīṇām — of women; gṛheṣu — in the homes; khara — as asses; go — oxen; śva — dogs; viḍāla — cats; bhṛtyāḥ — and slaves; yat — whose; karṇa — of the ear; mūlam — the core; ari — Your enemies; karṣaṇa — O You who vex; na — never; upayāyāt — come near; yuṣmat — concerning You; kathā — discussions; mṛḍa — of Lord Śiva; viriñca — and Lord Brahmā; sabhāsu — in the scholarly assemblies; gītā — sung.

Translation

O infallible Kṛṣṇa, let each of the kings You named become the husband of a woman whose ears have never heard Your glories, which are sung in the assemblies of Śiva and Brahmā. After all, in the households of such women these kings live like asses, oxen, dogs, cats and slaves.

Purport

According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, these fiery words of Queen Rukmiṇī’s are a response to Lord Kṛṣṇa’s opening statement, found in text 10 of the chapter. The Supreme Lord had said, “My dear princess, You were sought after by many kings as powerful as the rulers of planets. They were all abundantly endowed with political influence, wealth, beauty, generosity and physical strength.” According to Śrīdhara Svāmī, Queen Rukmiṇī here speaks with anger, pointing her index finger at the Lord. She compares the so-called great princes to asses because they carry many material burdens, to oxen because they are always distressed while performing their occupational duties, to dogs because their wives disrespect them, to cats because they are selfish and cruel, and to slaves because they are servile in family affairs. Such kings may appear desirable to a foolish woman who has not heard or understood the glories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī adds that such kings are like asses because their wives sometimes kick them, like dogs because they behave inimically toward outsiders in order to protect their homes, and like cats because they eat the remnants left by their wives.

Devanagari

त्वक्श्मश्रुरोमनखकेशपिनद्धमन्त-
र्मांसास्थिरक्तकृमिविट्कफपित्तवातम् ।
जीवच्छवं भजति कान्तमतिर्विमूढा
या ते पदाब्जमकरन्दमजिघ्रती स्‍त्री ॥ ४५ ॥

Text

tvak-śmaśru-roma-nakha-keśa-pinaddham antar
māṁsāsthi-rakta-kṛmi-viṭ-kapha-pitta-vātam
jīvac-chavaṁ bhajati kānta-matir vimūḍhā
yā te padābja-makarandam ajighratī strī

Synonyms

tvak — with skin; śmaśru — whiskers; roma — bodily hair; nakha — nails; keśa — and hair on the head; pinaddham — covered; antaḥ — inside; māṁsa — flesh; asthi — bones; rakta — blood; kṛmi — worms; viṭ — stool; kapha — mucus; pitta — bile; vātam — and air; jīvat — living; śavam — a corpse; bhajati — worships; kānta — as husband or lover; matiḥ — whose idea; vimūḍhā — totally bewildered; — who; te — Your; pada-abja — of the lotus feet; makarandam — the honey; ajighratī — not smelling; strī — woman.

Translation

A woman who fails to relish the fragrance of the honey of Your lotus feet becomes totally befooled, and thus she accepts as her husband or lover a living corpse covered with skin, whiskers, nails, head-hair and body-hair and filled with flesh, bones, blood, parasites, feces, mucus, bile and air.

Purport

Here Lord Kṛṣṇa’s chaste wife makes a quite unequivocal statement about material sense gratification based on the physical body. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī comments as follows on this verse: On the authority of the statement sa vai patiḥ syād akuto-bhayaḥ svayam — “He indeed should become one’s husband who can remove all fear” — Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the real husband for all women at all times. Thus a woman who worships someone else as her husband simply worships a dead body.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī comments further: Rukmiṇī thus considered that although the sweetness of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet is well known, and although He possesses an eternal body full of knowledge and bliss, foolish women reject Him. An ordinary husband’s body is covered on the outside by skin and hair; otherwise, being filled with blood, feces, flesh, bile and so on, it would be overwhelmed with flies and other vermin attracted by its bad smell and other offensive qualities.

Those who have no practical experience of the beauty and purity of Kṛṣṇa or of Kṛṣṇa consciousness may be confused by such uncompromising denunciations of material, bodily gratification. But those who are enlightened in Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be enlivened and enthused by such absolutely truthful statements.

Devanagari

अस्त्वम्बुजाक्ष मम ते चरणानुराग
आत्मन् रतस्य मयि चानतिरिक्तद‍ृष्टे: ।
यर्ह्यस्य वृद्धय उपात्तरजोऽतिमात्रो
मामीक्षसे तदु ह न: परमानुकम्पा ॥ ४६ ॥

Text

astv ambujākṣa mama te caraṇānurāga
ātman ratasya mayi cānatirikta-dṛṣṭeḥ
yarhy asya vṛddhaya upātta-rajo-’ti-mātro
mām īkṣase tad u ha naḥ paramānukampā

Synonyms

astu — may there be; ambuja-akṣa — O lotus-eyed one; mama — my; te — Your; caraṇa — for the feet; anurāgaḥ — steady attraction; ātman — in Yourself; ratasya — who take Your pleasure; mayi — toward me; ca — and; anatirikta — not much; dṛṣṭeḥ — whose glance; yarhi — when; asya — of this universe; vṛddhaye — for the increase; upātta — assuming; rajaḥ — of the mode of passion; ati-mātraḥ — an abundance; mām — at me; īkṣase — You look; tat — that; u ha — indeed; naḥ — for us; parama — the greatest; anukampā — show of mercy.

Translation

O lotus-eyed one, though You are satisfied within Yourself and thus rarely turn Your attention toward me, please bless me with steady love for Your feet. It is when You assume a predominance of passion in order to manifest the universe that You glance upon me, showing me what is indeed Your greatest mercy.

Purport

In text 20 of this chapter Lord Kṛṣṇa stated, “Always satisfied within Ourselves, We care nothing for wives, children and wealth.” Here Rukmiṇī-devī humbly replies, “Yes, You take pleasure within Yourself and therefore rarely look at me.”

In this regard Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī points out that Lord Kṛṣṇa had already declared His love for Rukmiṇī (Bhāg. 10.53.2): tathāham api tac-citto nidrāṁ ca na labhe niśi. “I am also thinking about her — so much so that I cannot sleep at night.” Lord Kṛṣṇa is satisfied within Himself, and if we remember that Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī-devī is His internal potency, we can understand that His loving affairs with her are expressions of His pure spiritual happiness.

Here, however, Queen Rukmiṇī humbly identifies herself with the Lord’s external energy, which is her expansion. Therefore she says, “Though You do not often look at me, when You are ready to manifest the material universe and thus begin to work through the material quality of passion, which is Your potency, You glance at me. In this way You show me Your greatest mercy.” Thus Ācārya Viśvanātha explains that Goddess Rukmiṇī’s statement can be understood in two ways. And of course the Vaiṣṇavas, after thoroughly understanding the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa from the bona fide ācāryas, simply relish these loving affairs between the Lord and His exalted devotees.

Devanagari

नैवालीकमहं मन्ये वचस्ते मधुसूदन ।
अम्बाया एव हि प्राय: कन्याया: स्याद् रति: क्व‍‍चित् ॥ ४७ ॥

Text

naivālīkam ahaṁ manye
vacas te madhusūdana
ambāyā eva hi prāyaḥ
kanyāyāḥ syād ratiḥ kvacit

Synonyms

na — not; eva — indeed; alīkam — false; aham — I; manye — think; vacaḥ — words; te — Your; madhu-sūdana — O killer of Madhu; ambāyāḥ — of Ambā; eva hi — certainly; prāyaḥ — generally; kanyāyāḥ — the maiden; syāt — arose; ratiḥ — attraction (to Śālva); kvacit — once.

Translation

Actually, I don’t consider Your words false, Madhūsudana. Quite often an unmarried girl is attracted to a man, as in the case of Ambā.

Purport

Having refuted everything Lord Kṛṣṇa said, Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī, in a gracious frame of mind, now praises the truthfulness of His statements. In other words, she accepts that Lord Kṛṣṇa used her as an example to elucidate ordinary female psychology. The King of Kāśī had three daughters — Ambā, Ambālikā and Ambikā — and Ambā was attracted to Śālva. This story is narrated in the Mahābhārata.

Devanagari

व्यूढायाश्चापि पुंश्चल्या मनोऽभ्येति नवं नवम् ।
बुधोऽसतीं न बिभृयात् तां बिभ्रदुभयच्युत: ॥ ४८ ॥

Text

vyūḍhāyāś cāpi puṁścalyā
mano ’bhyeti navaṁ navam
budho ’satīṁ na bibhṛyāt
tāṁ bibhrad ubhaya-cyutaḥ

Synonyms

vyūḍhāyāḥ — of a woman who is married; ca — and; api — even; puṁścalyāḥ — promiscuous; manaḥ — the mind; abhyeti — is attracted; navam navam — to newer and newer (lovers); budhaḥ — one who is intelligent; asatīm — an unchaste woman; na bibhryāt — should not maintain; tām — her; bibhrat — maintaining; ubhaya — from both (good fortune in this world and in the next); cyutaḥ — fallen.

Translation

The mind of a promiscuous woman always hankers for new lovers, even if she is married. An intelligent man should not keep such an unchaste wife, for if he does he will lose his good fortune both in this life and the next.

Devanagari

श्रीभगवानुवाच
साध्व्येतच्छ्रोतुकामैस्त्वं राजपुत्री प्रलम्भिता ।
मयोदितं यदन्वात्थ सर्वं तत् सत्यमेव हि ॥ ४९ ॥

Text

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
sādhvy etac-chrotu-kāmais tvaṁ
rāja-putrī pralambhitā
mayoditaṁ yad anvāttha
sarvaṁ tat satyam eva hi

Synonyms

śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Lord said; sādhvi — O saintly lady; etat — this; śrotu — to hear; kāmaiḥ — (by Us) who wanted; tvam — you; rāja-putri — O princess; pralambhitā — fooled; mayā — by Me; uditam — spoken; yat — what; anvāttha — you replied to; sarvam — all; fat — that; satyam — correct; eva hi — indeed.

Translation

The Supreme Lord said: O saintly lady, O princess, We deceived you only because We wanted to hear you speak like this. Indeed, everything you said in reply to My words is most certainly true.

Devanagari

यान् यान् कामयसे कामान् मय्यकामाय भामिनि ।
सन्ति ह्येकान्तभक्तायास्तव कल्याणि नित्यद ॥ ५० ॥

Text

yān yān kāmayase kāmān
mayy akāmāya bhāmini
santi hy ekānta-bhaktāyās
tava kalyāṇi nityada

Synonyms

yān yān — whatever; kāmayase — you hanker for; kāmān — benedictions; mayi — to Me; akāmāya — for freedom from desire; bhāmini — O fair one; santi — they are; hi — indeed; eka-anta — exclusively; bhaktāyāḥ — who is devoted; tava — for you; kalyāṇi — O auspicious one; nityadā — always.

Translation

Whatever benedictions you hope for in order to become free of material desires are ever yours, O fair and noble lady, for you are My unalloyed devotee.

Devanagari

उपलब्धं पतिप्रेम पातिव्रत्यं च तेऽनघे ।
यद्वाक्यैश्चाल्यमानाया न धीर्मय्यपकर्षिता ॥ ५१ ॥

Text

upalabdhaṁ pati-prema
pāti-vratyaṁ ca te ’naghe
yad vākyaiś cālyamānāyā
na dhīr mayy apakarṣitā

Synonyms

upalabdham — perceived; pati — for one’s husband; prema — pure love; pāti — toward one’s husband; vratyam — adherence to vows of chastity; ca — and; te — your; anaghe — O sinless one; yat — in as much as; vākyaiḥ — with words; cālyamānāyāḥ — being disturbed; na — not; dhīḥ — your mind; mayi — attached to Me; apakarṣitā — dragged away.

Translation

O sinless one, I have now seen firsthand the pure love and chaste attachment you have for your husband. Even though shaken by My words, your mind could not be pulled away from Me.

Purport

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī quotes the following verse describing the pure love between Rukmiṇī and Kṛṣṇa:

sarvathā dhvaṁsa-rahitaṁ
saty api dhvaṁsa-kāraṇe
yad bhāva-bandhanaṁ yūnoḥ
sa premā parikīrtitaḥ

“When the affectionate bond between a young man and a young woman can never be destroyed, even when there is every cause for the destruction of that relationship, the attachment between them is said to be pure love.” This is the nature of the eternal loving affairs between Lord Kṛṣṇa and His pure conjugal associates.

Devanagari

ये मां भजन्ति दाम्पत्ये तपसा व्रतचर्यया ।
कामात्मानोऽपवर्गेशं मोहिता मम मायया ॥ ५२ ॥

Text

ye māṁ bhajanti dāmpatye
tapasā vrata-caryayā
kāmātmāno ’pavargeśaṁ
mohitā mama māyayā

Synonyms

ye — those who; mām — Me; bhajanti — worship; dāmpatye — for status in household life; tapasā — by penances; vrata — of vows; caryayā — and by the execution; kāma-ātmānaḥ — lusty by nature; apavarga — of liberation; īśam — the controller; mohitāḥ — bewildered; mama — My; māyayā — by the illusory, material energy.

Translation

Although I have the power to award spiritual liberation, lusty persons worship Me with penance and vows in order to get My blessings for their mundane family life. Such persons are bewildered by My illusory energy.

Purport

The word dāmpatye indicates the relationship between husband and wife. Lusty and bewildered persons worship the Supreme Lord to enhance this relationship, though they know He can free them from their useless attachment to temporary things.

Devanagari

मां प्राप्य मानिन्यपवर्गसम्पदं
वाञ्छन्ति ये सम्पद एव तत्पतिम् ।
ते मन्दभागा निरयेऽपि ये नृणां
मात्रात्मकत्वात्निरय: सुसङ्गम: ॥ ५३ ॥

Text

māṁ prāpya māniny apavarga-sampadaṁ
vāñchanti ye sampada eva tat-patim
te manda-bhāgā niraye ’pi ye nṛṇāṁ
mātrātmakatvāt nirayaḥ su-saṅgamaḥ

Synonyms

mām — Myself; prāpya — obtaining; mānini — O reservoir of love; apavarga — of liberation; sampadam — the treasure; vāñchanti — they desire; ye — who; sampadaḥ — (material) treasures; eva — only; tat — of such; patim — the master; te — they; manda-bhāgāḥ — less fortunate; niraye — in hell; api — even; ye — which; nṛṇām — for persons; mātrā-ātmakatvāt — because they are absorbed in sense gratification; nirayaḥ — hell; su-saṅgamaḥ — appropriate.

Translation

O supreme reservoir of love, unfortunate are they who even after obtaining Me, the Lord of both liberation and material riches, hanker only for material treasures. These worldly gains can be found even in hell. Since such persons are obsessed with sense gratification, hell is a fitting place for them.

Purport

It stands to reason that since Lord Kṛṣṇa is the source of all pleasure and all opulence, He Himself is the supreme pleasure and the most opulent. Therefore our real self-interest is to always engage in the loving service of Lord Kṛṣṇa. As Prahlāda Mahārāja says (Bhāg. 7.5.31), na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum: “The ignorant do not know that their actual self-interest lies in attaining the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu [Kṛṣṇa].”

According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, one can easily obtain female association and other sense pleasures even in hell. We have practical experience that even such creatures as hogs, dogs and pigeons have ample opportunity to enjoy sex. It is unfortunate that modern human beings, who have a golden opportunity to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, prefer to enjoy like dogs and cats. And this goes on in the name of material progress.

Devanagari

दिष्‍ट्या गृहेश्वर्यसकृन्मयि त्वया
कृतानुवृत्तिर्भवमोचनी खलै: ।
सुदुष्करासौ सुतरां दुराशिषो
ह्यसुंभराया निकृतिं जुष: स्‍त्रिया: ॥ ५४ ॥

Text

diṣṭyā gṛheśvary asakṛn mayi tvayā
kṛtānuvṛttir bhava-mocanī khalaiḥ
su-duṣkarāsau sutarāṁ durāśiṣo
hy asuṁ-bharāyā nikṛtiṁ juṣaḥ striyāḥ

Synonyms

diṣṭyā — fortunately; gṛha — of the house; īśvari — O mistress; asakṛt — constantly; mayi — to Me; tvayā — by you; kṛtā — done; anuvṛttiḥ — faithful service; bhava — from material existence; mocanī — which gives liberation; khalaiḥ — for those who are envious; su-duṣkarā — very difficult to do; asau — it; sutarām — especially; durāśiṣaḥ — whose intentions are wicked; hi — indeed; asum — her life air; bharāyāḥ — who (only) maintains; nikṛtim — deception; juṣaḥ — who indulges in; striyāḥ — for a woman.

Translation

Fortunately, O mistress of the house, you have always rendered Me faithful devotional service, which liberates one from material existence. This service is very difficult for the envious to perform, especially for a woman whose intentions are wicked, who lives only to gratify her bodily demands, and who indulges in duplicity.

Purport

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī poses the following question: Since devotional service easily awards one liberation, isn’t it possible that everyone will be liberated and the world will no longer exist? The great ācārya answers that there is no such danger, since it is very difficult for envious, duplicitous, sensuous persons to faithfully serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and there is no shortage of such people in the world.

Devanagari

न त्वाद‍ृशीं प्रणयिनीं गृहिणीं गृहेषु
पश्यामि मानिनि यया स्वविवाहकाले ।
प्राप्तान् नृपान्न विगणय्य रहोहरो मे
प्रस्थापितो द्विज उपश्रुतसत्कथस्य ॥ ५५ ॥

Text

na tvādṛśīm praṇayinīṁ gṛhiṇīṁ gṛheṣu
paśyāmi mānini yayā sva-vivāha-kāle
prāptān nṛpān na vigaṇayya raho-haro me
prasthāpito dvija upaśruta-sat-kathasya

Synonyms

na — not; tvādṛśīm — like you; praṇayinīm — loving; gṛhiṇīm — wife; gṛheṣu — in My residences; paśyāmi — do I see; mānini — O respectful one; yayā — by whom; sva — of her own; vivāha — marriage; kāle — at the time; prāptān — arrived; nṛpān — kings; na vigaṇayya — disregarding; rahaḥ — of a confidential message; haraḥ — the carrier; me — to Me; prasthāpitaḥ — sent; dvijaḥ — a brāhmaṇa; upaśruta — overheard; sat — true; kathasya — narrations about whom.

Translation

In all My palaces I can find no other wife as loving as you, O most respectful one. When you were to be married, you disregarded all the kings who had assembled to seek your hand, and simply because you had heard authentic accounts concerning Me, you sent a brāhmaṇa to Me with your confidential message.

Devanagari

भ्रातुर्विरूपकरणं युधि निर्जितस्य
प्रोद्वाहपर्वणि च तद्वधमक्षगोष्ठ्याम् ।
दु:खं समुत्थमसहोऽस्मदयोगभीत्या
नैवाब्रवी: किमपि तेन वयं जितास्ते ॥ ५६ ॥

Text

bhrātur virūpa-karaṇaṁ yudhi nirjitasya
prodvāha-parvaṇi ca tad-vadham akṣa-goṣṭhyām
duḥkhaṁ samuttham asaho ’smad-ayoga-bhītyā
naivābravīḥ kim api tena vayaṁ jitās te

Synonyms

bhrātuḥ — of your brother; virūpa-karaṇam — the disfigurement; yudhi — in battle; nirjitasya — who was defeated; prodvāha — of the marriage ceremony (of Rukmiṇī’s grandson, Aniruddha); parvaṇi — on the appointed day; ca — and; tat — his; vadham — killing; akṣa-goṣṭhyām — during a gambling match; duḥkham — sorrow; samuṭtham — fully experienced; asahaḥ — intolerable; asmat — from Us; ayoga — of separation; bhītyā — out of fear; na — not; eva — indeed; abravīḥ — did you speak; kim api — anything; tena — by that; vayam — We; jitāḥ — conquered; te — by you.

Translation

When your brother, who had been defeated in battle and then disfigured, was later killed during a gambling match on Aniruddha’s wedding day, you felt unbearable grief, yet out of fear of losing Me you spoke not a word. By this silence you have conquered Me.

Purport

Here Lord Kṛṣṇa refers to an event that will be described in the next chapter. Thus Kṛṣṇa’s talks with Rukmiṇī must have taken place after the marriage of Aniruddha.

Devanagari

दूतस्त्वयात्मलभने सुविविक्तमन्त्र:
प्रस्थापितो मयि चिरायति शून्यमेतत् ।
मत्वा जिहास इदमङ्गमनन्ययोग्यं
तिष्ठेत तत्त्वयि वयं प्रतिनन्दयाम: ॥ ५७ ॥

Text

dūtas tvayātma-labhane su-vivikta-mantraḥ
prasthāpito mayi cirāyati śūnyam etat
matvā jihāsa idaṁ aṅgam ananya-yogyaṁ
tiṣṭheta tat tvayi vayaṁ pratinandayāmaḥ

Synonyms

dūtaḥ — the messenger; tvayā — by you; ātma — Myself; labhane — for obtaining; su-vivikta — very confidential; mantraḥ — whose advice; prasthāpitaḥ — sent; mayi — when I; cirāyati — delayed; śūnyam — empty; etat — this (world); matvā — thinking; jihāse — you wanted to give up; idam — this; aṅgam — body; ananya — for no one else; yogyam — suited; tiṣṭheta — may stand; tat — that; tvayi — in you; vayam — We; pratinanda-yāmaḥ — respond by rejoicing.

Translation

When you sent the messenger with your most confidential plan and yet I delayed going to you, you began to see the whole world as void and wanted to quit your body, which could never have been given to anyone but Me. May this greatness of yours remain with you always; I can do nothing to reciprocate except joyfully thank you for your devotion.

Purport

Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī-devī had no intention whatsoever of accepting any other husband but Lord Kṛṣṇa, as she stated in her message to the Lord (Bhāg. 10.52.43): yarhy ambujākṣa na labheya bhavat-prasādaṁ/ jahyām asūn vrata-kṛśān śata-janmabhiḥ syāt. “If I cannot obtain Your mercy, I shall simply give up my vital force, which will have become weak from the severe penances I will perform. Then, after hundreds of lifetimes of endeavor, I may obtain Your mercy.” The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam firmly establishes the unique glories of Queen Rukmiṇī-devī.

Devanagari

श्रीशुक उवाच
एवं सौरतसंलापैर्भगवान् जगदीश्वर: ।
स्वरतो रमया रेमे नरलोकं विडम्बयन् ॥ ५८ ॥

Text

śrī-śuka uvāca
evaṁ saurata-saṁlāpair
bhagavān jagad-īśvaraḥ
sva-rato ramayā reme
nara-lokaṁ viḍambayan

Synonyms

śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; evam — in this way; saurata — conjugal; saṁlāpaiḥ — by conversations; bhagavān — the Supreme Lord; jagat — of the universe; īśvaraḥ — the master; sva — in Himself; rataḥ — taking pleasure; ramayā — with Ramā, the goddess of fortune (that is, with Queen Rukmiṇī); reme — He enjoyed; nara-lokam — the world of humans; viḍambayan — imitating.

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: And so the self-satisfied Supreme Lord of the universe enjoyed with the goddess of fortune, engaging her in lovers’ talks and thus imitating the ways of human society.

Purport

The word viḍambayan means “imitating” and also “ridiculing.” The Lord acted like a husband of this world, but His pastimes are transcendental and expose the perverted nature of mundane activities aimed at bodily sense gratification.

Devanagari

तथान्यासामपि विभुर्गृहेषु गृहवानिव ।
आस्थितो गृहमेधीयान् धर्मान् लोकगुरुर्हरि: ॥ ५९ ॥

Text

tathānyāsām api vibhur
gṛhesu gṛhavān iva
āsthito gṛha-medhīyān
dharmān loka-gurur hariḥ

Synonyms

tathā — similarly; anyāsām — of the other (queens); api — also; vibhuḥ — the almighty Supreme Lord; gṛheṣu — in the residences; gṛha-vān — a householder; iva — as if; āsthitaḥ — carried out; gṛha-medhīyān — of a pious householder; dharmān — the religious duties; loka — of all the worlds; guruḥ — the spiritual master; hariḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Translation

The almighty Lord Hari, preceptor of all the worlds, similarly behaved like a conventional householder in the palaces of His other queens, performing the religious duties of a family man.

Purport

Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Sixtieth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Lord Kṛṣṇa Teases Queen Rukmiṇī.”