yad-vāñchayā nṛpa-śikhāmaṇayo 'nga-vainya-
jāyanta-nāhuṣa-gayādaya aikya-patyam
rājyaḿ visṛjya viviśur vanam ambujākṣa
sīdanti te 'nupadavīḿ ta ihāsthitāḥ kim
yat -- for whom; vanchaya -- out of desire; nripa -- of kings; sikhamanayah -- the crown jewels; anga-vainya-jayanta-nahusha-gaya-adayah -- Anga (the father of Vena), Vainya (Prithu, the son of Vena), Jayanta (Bharata), Nahusha (Yayati), Gaya and others; aikya -- exclusive; patyam -- having sovereignty; rajyam -- their kingdoms; visrijya -- abandoning; vivisuh -- entered; vanam -- the forest; ambuja-aksha -- O lotus-eyed one; sidanti -- suffer frustration; te -- Your; anupadavim -- on the path; te -- they; iha -- in this world; asthitah -- fixed; kim -- whether.
Wanting Your association, the best of kings -- Anga, Vainya, Jayanta, Nahusha, 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?
Here Queen Rukmini refutes the ideas put forth by Lord Krishna in Text 13. In fact Srimati Rukmini-devi repeats Lord Krishna's own words. The Lord said, asthitah padavim su-bhru prayah sidanti yoshitah: "Women who follow My path generally suffer." Here Rukmini-devi says, sidanti te 'nupadavim ta ihasthitah 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 Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti, Srimati Rukmini-devi here intends to tell Sri Krishna, "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."
