Srimad Bhagavatam

Canto 10: The Summum Bonum
Chapter 52: Rukmini's Message to Lord Krishna

Text 0: Chapter Summary
Text* 1: Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« said: My dear King, thus graced by Lord Kṛṣṇa, Mucukunda circumambulated Him and bowed down to Him. Then Mucukunda, the beloved descendant of Iká¹£vÄku, exited through the mouth of the cave.
Text 2: Seeing that the size of all the human beings, animals, trees and plants was severely reduced, and thus realizing that the Age of Kali was at hand, Mucukunda left for the north.
Text 3: The sober King, beyond material association and free of doubt, was convinced of the value of austerity. Absorbing his mind in Lord Kṛṣṇa, he came to GandhamÄdana Mountain.
Text* 4: There he arrived at BadarikÄÅ›rama, the abode of Lord Nara-NÄrÄyaṇa, where, remaining tolerant of all dualities, he peacefully worshiped the Supreme Lord Hari by performing severe austerities.
Text 5: The Lord returned to MathurÄ, which was still surrounded by Yavanas. Then He destroyed the army of barbarians and began taking their valuables to DvÄrakÄ.
Text* 6: As the wealth was being carried by oxen and men under Lord Kṛṣṇa’s direction, JarÄsandha appeared at the head of twenty-three armies.
Text* 7: O King, seeing the fierce waves of the enemy’s army, the two MÄdhavas, imitating human behavior, ran swiftly away.
Text* 8: Abandoning the abundant riches, fearless but feigning fear, They went many yojanas on Their lotuslike feet.
Text* 9: When he saw Them fleeing, powerful JarÄsandha laughed loudly and then pursued Them with charioteers and foot soldiers. He could not understand the exalted position of the two Lords.
Text* 10: Apparently exhausted after fleeing a long distance, the two Lords climbed a high mountain named Pravarṣaṇa, upon which Lord Indra showers incessant rain.
Text 11: Although he knew They were hiding on the mountain, JarÄsandha could find no trace of Them. Therefore, O King, he placed firewood on all sides and set the mountain ablaze.
Text 12: The two of Them then suddenly jumped from the burning mountain, which was eleven yojanas high, and fell to the ground.
Text* 13: Unseen by Their opponent or his followers, O King, those two most exalted Yadus returned to Their city of DvÄrakÄ, which had the ocean as a protective moat.
Text* 14: JarÄsandha, moreover, mistakenly thought that BalarÄma and KeÅ›ava had burned to death in the fire. Thus he withdrew his vast military force and returned to the Magadha kingdom.
Text 15: As ordered by Lord BrahmÄ, Raivata, the opulent ruler of Ä€narta, gave Lord BalarÄma his daughter RaivatÄ« in marriage. This has already been discussed.
Text 16-17: O hero among the Kurus, the Supreme Lord Himself, Govinda, married BhÄ«á¹£maka’s daughter, VaidarbhÄ«, who was a direct expansion of the goddess of fortune. The Lord did this by her desire, and in the process He beat down ÅšÄlva and other kings who took ÅšiÅ›upÄla’s side. Indeed, as everyone watched, ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa took Rukmiṇī just as Garuá¸a boldly stole nectar from the demigods.
Text 18: King ParÄ«ká¹£it said: The Supreme Lord married Rukmiṇī, the beautiful-faced daughter of BhÄ«á¹£maka, in the RÄká¹£asa style — or so I have heard.
Text 19: My lord, I wish to hear how the immeasurably powerful Lord Kṛṣṇa took away His bride while defeating such kings as MÄgadha and SÄlva.
Text* 20: What experienced listener, O brÄhmaṇa, could ever grow satiated while listening to the pious, charming and ever-fresh topics of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which cleanse away the world’s contamination?
Text* 21: ÅšrÄ« BÄdarÄyaṇi said: There was a king named BhÄ«á¹£maka, the powerful ruler of Vidarbha. He had five sons and one daughter of lovely countenance.
Text* 22: RukmÄ« was the first-born son, followed by Rukmaratha, RukmabÄhu, RukmakeÅ›a and RukmamÄlÄ«. Their sister was the exalted Rukmiṇī.
Text 23: Hearing of the beauty, prowess, transcendental character and opulence of Mukunda from visitors to the palace who sang His praises, Rukmiṇī decided that He would be the perfect husband for her.
Text 24: Lord Kṛṣṇa knew that Rukmiṇī possessed intelligence, auspicious bodily markings, magnanimity, beauty, proper behavior and all other good qualities. Concluding that she would be an ideal wife for Him, He made up His mind to marry her.
Text 25: O King, because RukmÄ« envied the Lord, he forbade his family members to give his sister to Kṛṣṇa, although they wanted to. Instead, RukmÄ« decided to give Rukmiṇī to ÅšiÅ›upÄla.
Text* 26: Dark-eyed VaidarbhÄ« was aware of this plan, and it deeply upset her. Analyzing the situation, she quickly sent a trustworthy brÄhmaṇa to Kṛṣṇa.
Text* 27: Upon reaching DvÄrakÄ, the brÄhmaṇa was brought inside by the gatekeepers and saw the primeval Personality of Godhead sitting on a golden throne.
Text* 28: Seeing the brÄhmaṇa, ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa, Lord of the brÄhmaṇas, came down from His throne and seated him. Then the Lord worshiped him just as He Himself is worshiped by the demigods.
Text* 29: After the brÄhmaṇa had eaten and rested, ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa, the goal of saintly devotees, came forward, and while massaging the brÄhmaṇa’s feet with His own hands, He patiently questioned him as follows.
Text 30: [The Supreme Lord said:] O best of exalted brÄhmaṇas, are your religious practices, sanctioned by senior authorities, proceeding without great difficulty? Is your mind always fully satisfied?
Text* 31: When a brÄhmaṇa is satisfied with whatever comes his way and does not fall away from his religious duties, those very religious principles become his desire cow, fulfilling all his wishes.
Text 32: An unsatisfied brÄhmaṇa wanders restlessly from one planet to another, even if he becomes King of heaven. But a satisfied brÄhmaṇa, though he may possess nothing, rests peacefully, all his limbs free of distress.
Text 33: I repeatedly bow My head in respect to those brÄhmaṇas who are satisfied with their lot. Saintly, prideless and peaceful, they are the best well-wishers of all living beings.
Text* 34: O brÄhmaṇa, is your King attending to your welfare? Indeed, that king in whose country the citizens are happy and protected is very dear to Me.
Text* 35: Whence have you come, crossing the impassable sea, and for what purpose? Explain all this to Us if it is not a secret, and tell Us what We may do for you.
Text 36: Thus questioned by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who incarnates to perform His pastimes, the brÄhmaṇa told Him everything.
Text 37: ÅšrÄ« Rukmiṇī said [in her letter, as read by the brÄhmaṇa]: O beauty of the worlds, having heard of Your qualities, which enter the ears of those who hear and remove their bodily distress, and having also heard of Your beauty, which fulfills all the visual desires of those who see, I have fixed my shameless mind upon You, O Kṛṣṇa.
Text* 38: O Mukunda, You are equal only to Yourself in lineage, character, beauty, knowledge, youthfulness, wealth and influence. O lion among men, You delight the minds of all mankind. What aristocratic, sober-minded and marriageable girl of a good family would not choose You as her husband when the proper time has come?
Text* 39: Therefore, my dear Lord, I have chosen You as my husband, and I surrender myself to You. Please come swiftly, O almighty one, and make me Your wife. My dear lotus-eyed Lord, let ÅšiÅ›upÄla never touch the hero’s portion like a jackal stealing the property of a lion.
Text 40: If I have sufficiently worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead by pious works, sacrifices, charity, rituals and vows, and also by worshiping the demigods, brÄhmaṇas and gurus, then may GadÄgraja come and take my hand, and not Damaghoá¹£a’s son or anyone else.
Text 41: O unconquerable one, tomorrow when my marriage ceremony is about to begin, You should arrive unseen in Vidarbha and surround Yourself with the leaders of Your army. Then crush the forces of Caidya and Magadhendra and marry me in the RÄká¹£asa style, winning me with Your valor.
Text 42: Since I will be staying within the inner chambers of the palace, You may wonder, “How can I carry you away without killing some of your relatives?†But I shall tell You a way: On the day before the marriage there is a grand procession to honor the royal family’s deity, and in this procession the new bride goes outside the city to visit Goddess GirijÄ.
Text 43: O lotus-eyed one, great souls like Lord Åšiva hanker to bathe in the dust of Your lotus feet and thereby destroy their ignorance. 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.
Text 44: The brÄhmaṇa said: This is the confidential message I have brought with me, O Lord of the Yadus. Please consider what must be done in these circumstances, and do it at once.