astv ambujākṣa mama te caraṇānurāga
ātman ratasya mayi cānatirikta-dṛṣṭeḥ
yarhy asya vṛddhaya upātta-rajo-'ti-mātro
mām īkṣase tad u ha naḥ paramānukampā
astu -- may there be; ambuja-aksha -- O lotus-eyed one; mama -- my; te -- Your; carana -- for the feet; anuragah -- steady attraction; atman -- in Yourself; ratasya -- who take Your pleasure; mayi -- toward me; ca -- and; anatirikta -- not much; drishteh -- whose glance; yarhi -- when; asya -- of this universe; vriddhaye -- for the increase; upatta -- assuming; rajah -- of the mode of passion; ati-matrah -- an abundance; mam -- at me; ikshase -- You look; tat -- that; u ha -- indeed; nah -- for us; parama -- the greatest; anukampa -- show of mercy.
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.
In Text 20 of this chapter Lord Krishna stated, "Always satisfied within Ourselves, We care nothing for wives, children and wealth." Here Rukmini-devi humbly replies, "Yes, You take pleasure within Yourself and therefore rarely look at me."
In this regard Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti points out that Lord Krishna had already declared His love for Rukmini (Bhag. 10.53.2): tathaham api tac-citto nidram ca na labhe nisi. "I am also thinking about her -- so much so that I cannot sleep at night." Lord Krishna is satisfied within Himself, and if we remember that Srimati Rukmini-devi is His internal potency, we can understand that His loving affairs with her are expressions of His pure spiritual happiness.
Here, however, Queen Rukmini 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 Acarya Visvanatha explains that Goddess Rukmini's statement can be understood in two ways. And of course the Vaishnavas, after thoroughly understanding the philosophy of Krishna from the bona fide acaryas, simply relish these loving affairs between the Lord and His exalted devotees.
