antaḥ-purāntara-carīm anihatya bandhūn
tvām udvahe katham iti pravadāmy upāyam
pūrve-dyur asti mahatī kula-deva-yātrā
yasyāḿ bahir nava-vadhūr girijām upeyāt
antah-pura -- the women's quarters of the palace; antara -- within; carim -- moving; anihatya -- without killing; bandhun -- your relatives; tvam -- you; udvahe -- I shall carry away; katham -- how; iti -- saying such words; pravadami -- I shall explain; upayam -- a means; purve-dyuh -- on the day before; asti -- there is; mahati -- large; kula -- of the royal family; deva -- for the presiding deity; yatra -- a ceremonial procession; yasyam -- in which; bahih -- outside; nava -- new; vadhuh -- the bride; girijam -- goddess Girija (Ambika); upeyat -- approaches.
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 Girija.
Clever Rukmini anticipated a possible objection on the part of Sri Krishna. He certainly would not object to subduing rascals like Sisupala and Jarasandha, but He might be reluctant to injure or kill Rukmini's relatives, some of whom might block His way to the palace's inner sanctum, where the women were protected. The procession to or from the temple of Girija (Durga) would provide the perfect opportunity for Krishna to kidnap Rukmini without harming her relatives.
