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KB 1970-1-52 / Krsna Kidnaps Rukmini
52 / Krsna Kidnaps Rukmini
After hearing Rukmini's statement, Lord Krsna was very
pleased. He immediately shook hands with the brahmana and said:
"My dear brahmana, I am very glad to hear that Rukmini is
anxious to marry Me, since I am also anxious to get her hand.
My mind is always absorbed in the thought of the daughter
of Bhismaka, and sometimes I cannot sleep at night because I am
thinking of her. I can understand that the marriage of Rukmini
with Sisupala has been arranged by her elder brother in a
spirit of animosity toward Me; so I am determined to give a
good lesson to all of these princes. Just as fire is extracted
and utilized after manipulating ordinary wood, similarly,
after dealing with these demoniac princes, I shall bring forth
Rukmini, like fire, from their midst."
Krsna, upon being informed of the specific date of Rukmini's
marriage, became anxious to leave immediately. He asked His
driver, Daruka, to harness the horses for His chariot and
prepare to go to the kingdom of Vidarbha. The driver, just
after hearing this order, brought Krsna's four
special horses. The names and descriptions of these horses are
mentioned in the Padma Purana. The first one, Saivya, was
greenish; the second, Sugriva, was grayish like ice; the third,
Meghapuspa, was the color of a new cloud; and the last,
Balahaka, was of ashen color. When the horses were yoked and
the chariot ready to go, Krsna helped the brahmana up and
gave him a seat by His side. Immediately they started from
Dvaraka and within one night arrived at the province of
Vidarbha. The kingdom of Dvaraka is situated in the western
part of India, and Vidarbha is situated in the northern part.
They are separated by a distance of not less than 1,000
miles, but the horses were so fast that they reached
their destination, a town called Kundina, within one night, or
at most, twelve hours.
King Bhismaka was not very enthusiastic about handing his
daughter over to Sisupala, but he was obliged to accept the
marriage settlement due to his affectionate attachment for his
eldest son, who had negotiated it. As a matter of duty, he
was decorating the city for the marriage ceremony and was
acting in great earnestness to make it very successful. Water
was sprinkled all over the streets, and the city was cleansed
very nicely. Since India is situated in the tropical zone, the
atmosphere is always dry. Due to this, dust always accumulates
on the streets and roads; so they must be sprinkled with water
at least once a day, and in big cities like Calcutta, twice a
day. The roads of Kundina were arranged with colored flags and
festoons, and gates were constructed at particular crossings.
The whole city was decorated very nicely. The beauty of the
city was enhanced by the inhabitants, both men and women, who
were dressed in washed cloth, decorated with
sandalwood pulp, pearl necklaces and flower garlands. Incense
was burning everywhere, and fragrances like aguru scented
the air. Priests and brahmanas were sumptuously fed and,
according to ritualistic ceremony, were given sufficient wealth
and cows in charity. In this way, they were engaged in chanting
Vedic hymns. The King's daughter, Rukmini, was exquisitely
beautiful. She was very clean and had beautiful teeth. The
auspicious sacred girdle was tied on her wrist. She was given
various types of jewelry to put on and long silken cloth to
cover the upper and lower parts of her body. Learned priests
gave her protection by chanting mantras from the Sama Veda, Rg
Veda and Yajur Veda. After this they chanted mantras from the
Atharva Veda and offered oblations in the fire to pacify the
ominous conjunctions of different stars.
King Bhismaka was very experienced in dealing with the
brahmanas and priests when such ceremonies were held. He
specifically distinguished the brahmanas by giving them large
quantities of gold and silver, grains mixed with molasses, and
cows decorated with golden ornaments. Damaghosa, Sisupala's
father, executed all kinds of ritualistic performances to
invoke good fortune for his own family. Sisupala's father was
known as Damaghosa due to his superior ability to cut down
unregulated citizens. Dama means curbing down, and ghosa means
famous; so he was famous for controlling the citizens.
Damaghosa thought that if Krsna came to disturb the marriage
ceremony, he would certainly cut Him down with his military
power. Therefore, after performing the various auspicious
ceremonies, Damaghosa gathered his military divisions, known as
Madasravi. He took many elephants, garlanded with golden
necklaces, and many chariots and horses
which were similarly decorated. It appeared that Damaghosa,
along with his son and other companions, was going to Kundina,
not completely forgetting the marriage, but mainly
intent on fighting.
When King Bhismaka learned that Damaghosa and his party were
arriving, he left the city to receive them. Outside the city
gate there were many gardens where the guests were welcomed to
stay. In the Vedic system of marriage, the bride's father
receives the large party of the bridegroom and accommodates
them in a suitable place for two or three days until the
marriage ceremony is performed. The party led by Damaghosa
contained thousands of men, among whom the prominent kings and
personalities were Jarasandha, Dantavakra, Viduratha and
Paundraka. It was an open secret that Rukmini was meant to be
married to Krsna but that her elder brother, Rukmi, had
arranged her marriage to Sisupala. There was also some
whispering going on about a rumor that Rukmini had sent a
messenger to Krsna; therefore the soldiers suspected that Krsna
might cause a disturbance by attempting to kidnap Rukmini. Even
though they were not without fear, they were all prepared to
give Krsna a nice fight in order to prevent the girl from being
taken away. Sri Balarama received the news that Krsna had left
for Kundina accompanied only by a brahmana; He also heard that
Sisupala was there with a large number of soldiers. Suspecting
that they would attack Krsna, Balarama
took strong military
divisions of chariots, infantry, horses and elephants and
arrived at the precinct of Kundina.
Meanwhile, inside the palace, Rukmini was expecting Krsna to
arrive, but when neither He nor the brahmana who took her
message appeared, she became full of anxiety and began to think
how unfortunate she was. "There is only one night between today
and my marriage day, and still neither the brahmana nor
Syamasundara has returned. I cannot ascertain any reason for
this." Having little hope, she thought perhaps Krsna had
found reason to become dissatisfied and had rejected her fair
proposal. As a result the brahmana might have become
disappointed and not come back. Although she was thinking of
various causes for the delay, she expected them both at every
moment.
Rukmini further began to think that demigods such as Lord
Brahma, Lord Siva and the goddess Durga might have been
displeased. It is generally said that the demigods become angry
when they are not properly worshiped. For instance, when Indra
found that the inhabitants of Vrndavana were not worshiping him
(Krsna having stopped the Indra-yajna), he became very angry
and wanted to chastise them. Thus Rukmini was thinking that
since she did not worship Lord Siva or Lord Brahma very much,
they might have become angry and tried to frustrate her plan.
Similarly she thought that the goddess Durga, the wife of
Lord Siva, might have taken the side of her husband. Lord Siva
is known as Rudra, and his wife is known as Rudrani. Rudrani
and Rudra refer to those who are very accustomed to putting
others in a distressed condition so they might cry
forever. Rukmini was thinking of the goddess Durga as
Girija, the daughter of the Himalayan Mountains. The Himalayan
Mountains are very cold and hard, and she thought of the
goddess Durga as hardhearted and cold. In her anxiety to see
Krsna, Rukmini, who was after all still a child, thought this
way about the different demigods. The gopis worshiped goddess
Katyayani to get Krsna as their husband; similarly Rukmini was
thinking of the various types of demigods, not for material
benefit, but in respect to Krsna. Praying to the demigods to
achieve the favor of Krsna is not irregular, and Rukmini was
fully absorbed in thoughts of Krsna.
Even though she pacified herself by thinking that the time for
Govinda to arrive had not yet expired, Rukmini felt that she
was hoping against hope. She began to
shed tears, and when they
became more forceful, she closed her eyes in helplessness.
While Rukmini was in such deep thought, auspicious symptoms
appeared in different parts of her body. Trembling began to
occur in her left eyelid and in her arms and thighs. When
trembling occurs in these parts of the body it is an
auspicious sign indicating that something lucrative can be
expected.
Just then Rukmini, full of anxiety, saw the brahmana messenger.
Krsna, being the Supersoul of all living beings, could
understand Rukmini's anxiety; therefore He sent the brahmana
inside the palace to let her know that He had arrived. When
Rukmini saw the brahmana, she could understand the auspicious
trembling of her body and immediately became elated. She smiled
and inquired from him whether or not Krsna had already come.
The brahmana replied that the son of the Yadu dynasty, Sri
Krsna, had arrived; he further encouraged her by saying that
Krsna had promised to carry her away without fail. Rukmini was
so elated by the brahmana's message that she wanted to give him
in charity everything she possessed. However, finding nothing
suitable for presentation, she simply offered him her
respectful obeisances. The significance of offering respectful
obeisances to a superior is that the one offering obeisances is
obliged to the respected person. In other words, Rukmini
implied that she would remain ever grateful to the brahmana.
Anyone who gets the favor of the goddess of fortune, as did
this brahmana, is without a doubt always happy in material
opulence.
When King Bhismaka heard that Krsna and Balarama had come, he
invited Them to see the marriage ceremony of his daughter.
Immediately he arranged to receive Them, along with Their
soldiers, in a suitable garden house. As was the Vedic custom,
the King offered Krsna and Balarama honey and fresh washed
cloth. He was hospitable not only to Krsna, Balarama and
kings such as Jarasandha, but he also received many other kings
and princes according to their respective personal strength,
age and material possessions. Out of curiosity and eagerness,
the people of Kundina assembled before Krsna and Balarama and
began to drink the nectar of Their beauty. With tearful eyes,
they offered Them their silent respects. They
were very pleased, considering Lord Krsna the suitable
match for Rukmini. They were so eager to unite Krsna and
Rukmini that they began to pray to the Personality of Godhead:
"My dear Lord, if we have performed any pious activities that
You are satisfied with, kindly be merciful upon us and
accept the hand of Rukmini." It appears that Rukmini was a very
popular princess, and all the citizens, out of intense love for
her, prayed for her best fortune. In the meantime, Rukmini,
being very nicely dressed and protected by bodyguards, came out
of the palace to visit the temple of Ambika, the goddess
Durga.
Deity worship in the temple has been in existence since the
beginning of Vedic culture. There is a class of men described
in the Bhagavad-gita as the veda-vada-rata; they only believe
in the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies, but not in the temple
worship. Such foolish people may here take note that although
this marriage of Krsna and Rukmini took place more than 5,
000 years ago, there were arrangements for temple worship.
In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says, yanti deva-vrata devan:
"The worshipers of the demigods attain the abodes of
the demigods." There were many people who worshiped the
demigods and many who directly worshiped the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. The system of demigod worship was
directed mainly to Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, Lord Ganesa, the sun-
god and the goddess Durga. Lord Siva and the goddess
Durga were worshiped even by the royal families; other minor
demigods were worshiped by silly inferior people. As far
as the brahmanas and Vaisnavas are concerned, they simply
worship Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the
Bhagavad-gita the worship of demigods is condemned, but not
forbidden; there it is clearly stated that the less intelligent
class of men worship the different kinds of demigods for
material benefit. On the other hand, even though Rukmini was
the goddess of fortune, she went to the temple of the
goddess Durga because the family deity was worshiped there. In
the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that as Rukmini was
proceeding towards the temple of the goddess Durga, within
her heart she was always thinking of the lotus feet of Krsna.
Therefore when Rukmini went to the temple it was not with the
intention of an ordinary person, who goes to beg for material
benefits; her only target was Krsna. When people go to the
temple of a demigod, the objective is actually Krsna, since it
is He who empowers the demigods to provide material benefits.
As Rukmini proceeded toward the temple, she was very silent and
grave. Her mother and her girl friend were by her side,
and the wife of a brahmana was in the center; surrounding her
were bodyguards. (This custom of a would-be bride going
to the temple of a demigod is still practiced in India.) As the
procession continued, various musical sounds were heard.
Drums, conchshells, and bugles of
different sizes such as panavas, turyas and bheris combined
to make a sound which was not only auspicious but very sweet to
hear. There were thousands of wives of respectable
brahmanas present. These women were all dressed very
nicely with suitable ornaments. They presented Rukmini with
flower garlands, sandalwood pulp and a variety of colorful
garments to assist her in worshiping Lord Siva and the
goddess Durga. Some of these ladies were very old and knew
perfectly well how to chant prayers to the goddess Durga
and Lord Siva; so, followed by Rukmini and others, they led
these prayers before the deity.
Rukmini offered her prayers to the deity by saying, "My dear
goddess Durga, I offer my respectful obeisances unto you as
well as to your children." The Goddess Durga has four famous
children: two daughters -- the goddess of fortune, Laksmi, and
the goddess of learning, Sarasvati -- and two famous sons, Lord
Ganesa and Lord Karttikeya. They are all considered to be
demigods and goddesses. Since the goddess Durga is always
worshiped along with her famous children, Rukmini specifically
offered her respectful obeisances to the deity in that way;
however, her prayers were different. Ordinary people pray to
the goddess Durga for material wealth, fame, profit,
strength and so on; Rukmini, however, desired to have Krsna for
her husband and therefore prayed to the deity to be pleased
upon her and bless her. Since she desired
only Krsna, her worship of the demigods is not condemned. While
Rukmini was praying, a variety of items were
presented before the deity, chief of which were water,
different kinds of flames, incense, garments, garlands and
various foodstuffs prepared with ghee, such as puris and
kacuris. There were also fruits, sugarcane, betel nuts
and spices offered. With great devotion, Rukmini offered them
to the deity according to the regulative principles directed
by the old brahmana ladies. After this ritualistic ceremony,
the ladies offered the remnants of the foodstuffs to Rukmini as
prasadam, which she accepted with great respect. Then Rukmini
offered her obeisances to the ladies and to the goddess
Durga. After the business of deity worship was finished,
Rukmini caught hold of the hand of one of her girl
friends
and left the temple, accompanied by the others.
All the princes and visitors who came to Kundina for the
marriage were assembled outside the temple to see Rukmini. The
princes were especially very eager to see her because they all
actually thought that they would have Rukmini as their wife.
Struck with wonder upon seeing Rukmini, they thought that she
was specially manufactured by the Creator to bewilder all the
great chivalrous princes. Her body was well-constructed, the
middle portion being thin. She had green eyes
, pink lips, and a beautiful face
which was enhanced by her scattered hair and by
different kinds of earrings. Around her feet she wore jeweled
lockets. The bodily luster and beauty of Rukmini appeared as if
painted by an artist perfectly presenting beauty following the
description of great poets. The breast of Rukmini is
described as being a little bit high, indicating
that she was just a youth not more than thirteen or fourteen
years old. Her beauty was specifically intended to attract the
attention of Krsna. Although the princes gazed upon her
beautiful features, she was not at all proud. Her eyes moved
restlessly, and when she smiled very simply, like an innocent
girl, her teeth appeared just like lotus flowers. Expecting
Krsna to take her away at any moment, she proceeded very slowly
towards her home. Her legs moved just like a full-grown swan,
and her ankle bells tinkled very mildly.
As already explained, the great chivalrous princes who
assembled there were so overwhelmed by Rukmini's beauty that
they almost became unconscious
. Full of lust, they hopelessly desired
Rukmini's hand, comparing their own beauty with hers. Srimati
Rukmini, however, was not interested in any of them; in her
heart she was simply expecting Krsna to come and carry her away.
As she was adjusting the ornaments on her left-
hand finger, she happened to look upon the princes and suddenly
saw that Krsna was present amongst them. Although Rukmini had
never before seen Krsna, she was always thinking of Him; thus
she had no difficulty in recognizing Him amongst the princely
order. Krsna, not being concerned with the other
princes, immediately took the opportunity of placing Rukmini on
His chariot, marked by a flag bearing an image of Garuda. He
then proceeded slowly, without fear, taking away Rukmini
exactly as the lion takes the deer from the midst of the
jackals. Meanwhile Balarama appeared on the scene with the
soldiers of the Yadu dynasty.
Jarasandha, who had many times experienced defeat by Krsna,
began to roar: "How is this? Krsna is taking Rukmini away from
us without any opposition! What is the use in our being
chivalrous fighters with arrows? My dear princes, just look! We
are losing our reputation by this action. He is just like the
jackal taking away the booty from the lion."
Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Fifty-second Chapter
of Krsna, "Krsna Kidnaps Rukmini."
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KB 53: Krsna Kidnaps Rukmini
CHAPTER FIFTY–THREE
Krsna Kidnaps Rukmini
After hearing Rukmini's statement, Lord Krsna was very much
pleased. He immediately shook hands with the brahmana and said,
"My dear brahmana, I am very glad to hear that Rukmini is
eager to marry Me, since I am also eager to get her hand.
My mind is always absorbed in thoughts of the daughter
of Bhismaka, and sometimes I cannot sleep at night because I am
thinking of her. I can understand that the marriage of Rukmini
with Sisupala has been arranged by her elder brother in a
spirit of animosity toward Me; so I am determined to give a
good lesson to all of these princes. Just as one extracts
and uses fire after manipulating ordinary wood,
after dealing with these demoniac princes I shall bring forth
Rukmini, like fire, from their midst."
Krsna, upon being informed of the specific date of Rukmini's
marriage, was anxious to leave immediately. He asked His
driver, Daruka, to harness the horses for His chariot and
prepare to go to the kingdom of Vidarbha. After
hearing this order, the driver brought Krsna's four
special horses. The names and descriptions of these horses are
mentioned in the Padma Purana. The first one, Saibya, was
greenish; the second, Sugriva, was grayish like ice; the third,
Meghapuspa, was the color of a new cloud; and the last,
Balahaka, was of ashen color. When the horses were yoked and
the chariot was ready to go, Krsna helped the brahmana up and
gave him a seat by His side. Immediately they started from
Dvaraka and within one night arrived at the province of
Vidarbha. The kingdom of Dvaraka is situated in the western
part of India, and Vidarbha is situated in the northern part.
They are separated by a distance of not less than one
thousand miles, but the horses were so fast that they reached
their destination, a town called Kundina, within one night or,
at most, twelve hours.
King Bhismaka was not enthusiastic about handing his
daughter over to Sisupala, but he was obliged to accept the
marriage settlement due to his affectionate attachment for his
eldest son, who had negotiated it. As a matter of duty, the
King was decorating the city for the marriage ceremony and
acting in great earnestness to make it very successful. Water
was sprinkled all over the streets, and the city was cleansed
very nicely. Since India is situated in the tropical zone, the
atmosphere is always dry. Dust always accumulates
on the streets and roads, so they must be sprinkled with water
at least once a day, and in big cities like Calcutta twice a
day. The roads of Kundina were arrayed with colored flags and
festoons, and gates were constructed at particular crossings.
The whole city was decorated very nicely. The beauty of the
city was enhanced by the inhabitants, both men and women, who
were dressed in fresh, washed clothes and decorated with
sandalwood pulp, pearl necklaces and flower garlands. Incense
burned everywhere, and fragrances like aguru scented
the air. Priests and brahmanas were sumptuously fed and,
according to ritualistic ceremony, were given sufficient wealth
and cows in charity. In this way, they were engaged in chanting
Vedic hymns. The King's daughter, Rukmini, was exquisitely
beautiful. She was very clean and had beautiful teeth. The
auspicious sacred thread was tied on her wrist. She was given
various types of jewelry to wear and long silken cloth to
cover the upper and lower parts of her body. Learned priests
gave her protection by chanting mantras from the Sama Veda, Rg
Veda and Yajur Veda. Then they chanted mantras from the
Atharva Veda and offered oblations in the fire to pacify the
influence of different stars.
King Bhismaka was experienced in dealing with
brahmanas and priests when such ceremonies were held. He
specifically honored the brahmanas by giving them large
quantities of gold and silver, grain mixed with molasses, and
cows decorated with cloth and ornaments. Damaghosa, Sisupala's
father, executed all kinds of ritualistic performances to
invoke good fortune for his son. Sisupala's father was
known as Damaghosa due to his superior ability to cut down
unregulated citizens. Dama means curbing down, and ghosa means
famous; so he was famous for controlling the citizens.
Damaghosa thought that if Krsna came to disturb the marriage
ceremony, he would certainly cut Him down with his military
power. Therefore, after performing the various auspicious
ceremonies, Damaghosa gathered his military divisions
. He took many elephants garlanded with golden
necklaces, and many similarly decorated chariots and horses
. It appeared that Damaghosa,
along with his son and other companions, was going to Kundina
not exactly to get Sisupala married but mainly
to fight.
When King Bhismaka learned that Damaghosa and his party were
arriving, he left the city to receive them. Outside the city
gate were many gardens where guests were welcome to
stay. In the Vedic system of marriage, the bride's father
receives the large party of the bridegroom and accommodates
them in a suitable place for two or three days until the
marriage ceremony is performed. The party led by Damaghosa
contained thousands of men, among whom the prominent kings and
personalities were Jarasandha, Dantavakra, Viduratha and
Paundraka. It was an open secret that Rukmini was meant to be
married to Krsna but that her elder brother Rukmi had
arranged her marriage to Sisupala. There was also some
whispering about a rumor that Rukmini had sent a
messenger to Krsna; therefore the soldiers suspected that Krsna
might cause a disturbance by attempting to kidnap Rukmini. Even
though they were not without fear, they were all prepared to
give Krsna a good fight to prevent the girl from being
taken away. Sri Balarama received the news that Krsna had left
for Kundina accompanied only by a brahmana and that
Sisupala was there with a large number of soldiers. Balarama
suspected that they would attack Krsna, and thus out of
great affection for His brother He took strong military
divisions of chariots, infantry, horses and elephants and
went to the precincts of Kundina.
Meanwhile, inside the palace, Rukmini was expecting Krsna to
arrive, but when neither He nor the brahmana who took her
message appeared, she was full of anxiety and began to think
how unfortunate she was. "There is only one night between today
and my marriage day, and still neither the brahmana nor
Syamasundara has returned. I cannot ascertain any reason for
this." Having little hope, she thought that perhaps Krsna had
found reason to become dissatisfied and had rejected her fair
proposal. As a result, the brahmana might have become
disappointed and not come back. Although she was thinking of
various causes for the delay, she expected them both at any
moment.
Rukmini further thought that demigods such as Lord
Brahma, Lord Siva and Goddess Durga might have been
displeased. It is generally said that the demigods become angry
when not properly worshiped. For instance, when Indra
found that the inhabitants of Vrndavana were not worshiping him
(Krsna having stopped the Indra-yajna), he became angry
and wanted to chastise them. Thus Rukmini thought that
since she did not worship Lord Siva or Lord Brahma very much,
they might have become angry and tried to frustrate her plan.
Similarly she thought that Goddess Durga, the wife of
Lord Siva, might have taken the side of her husband. Lord Siva
is known as Rudra, and his wife is known as Rudrani. Rudrani
and Rudra refer to those who are accustomed to putting
others in distress to cry
forever. Rukmini was thinking of Goddess Durga as
Girija, the daughter of the Himalayan Mountains. The Himalayan
Mountains are very cold and hard, and she thought of Goddess
Durga as hardhearted and cold. In her anxiety to see
Krsna, Rukmini, who was after all still a child, thought this
way about the different demigods. The gopis worshiped goddess
Katyayani to get Krsna as their husband; similarly Rukmini was
thinking of the various types of demigods not for material
benefit but in respect to Krsna. Praying to the demigods to
achieve the favor of Krsna is not irregular, and Rukmini was
fully absorbed in thoughts of Krsna.
Even though she pacified herself by thinking that the time for
Govinda to arrive had not yet expired, Rukmini felt that she
was hoping against hope. Not expressing her mind to anyone, she
simply shed tears, unobserved by others, and when her tears
became more forceful, she closed her eyes in helplessness.
While Rukmini was in such deep thought, auspicious symptoms
appeared in different parts of her body. Trembling began to
occur in her left eyelid, arm and thigh. When
trembling occurs in these parts of the body, it is an
auspicious sign indicating that something lucrative can be
expected.
Just then, Rukmini, full of anxiety, saw the brahmana messenger.
Krsna, being the Supersoul of all living beings, could
understand Rukmini's anxiety; therefore He sent the brahmana
inside the palace to let her know that He had arrived. When
Rukmini saw the brahmana, she could understand the auspicious
trembling of her body and immediately became elated. She smiled
and inquired whether Krsna had already come.
The brahmana replied that the son of the Yadu dynasty, Sri
Krsna, had arrived; he further encouraged her by saying that
Krsna had promised to carry her away without fail. Rukmini was
so elated by the brahmana's message that she wanted to give him
in charity everything she possessed. However, finding nothing
suitable for presentation, she simply offered him her
respectful obeisances. The significance of offering respectful
obeisances to a superior is that the one offering obeisances is
obliged to the respected person. In other words, Rukmini
implied that she would remain ever grateful to the brahmana.
Anyone who gets the favor of the goddess of fortune, as did
this brahmana, is without a doubt always happy in material
opulence.
When King Bhismaka heard that Krsna and Balarama had come, he
invited Them to see the marriage ceremony of his daughter.
Immediately he arranged to receive Them, along with Their
soldiers, in a suitable garden house. As was the Vedic custom,
the King offered Krsna and Balarama honey and fresh, washed
garments. He was hospitable not only to Krsna, Balarama and
kings such as Jarasandha but also to many other kings
and princes according to their personal strength,
age and material possessions. Out of curiosity and eagerness,
the people of Kundina assembled before Krsna and Balarama
to drink the nectar of Their beauty. With tearful eyes,
they offered Krsna and Balarama their silent respects. They
were very much pleased, considering Lord Krsna the suitable
match for Rukmini. They were so eager to unite Krsna and
Rukmini that they prayed to the Personality of Godhead:
"Our dear Lord, if we have performed any pious activities with
which You are satisfied, kindly be merciful upon us and
accept the hand of Rukmini." It appears that Rukmini was a very
popular princess, and all the citizens, out of intense love for
her, prayed for her best fortune. In the meantime, Rukmini,
being very nicely dressed and protected by bodyguards, came out
of the palace to visit the temple of Ambika, Goddess
Durga.
Deity worship in the temple has been in existence since the
beginning of Vedic culture. There is a class of men described
in the Bhagavad-gita as veda-vada-rata: they believe
only in the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies but not in temple
worship. Such foolish people may here take note that although
this marriage of Krsna and Rukmini took place more than five
thousand years ago, there were arrangements for temple worship.
In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says, yanti deva-vrata devan: [Bg.
9.25] "The worshipers of the demigods attain the abodes of the
demigods." There were many people who worshiped the demigods
and many who directly worshiped the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. The system of demigod worship was directed mainly to
Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, Lord Ganesa, the sun-god and Goddess
Durga. Lord Siva and Goddess Durga were
worshiped even by the royal families; other, minor demigods
were worshiped by silly, lower-class people. As far as the
brahmanas and Vaisnavas are concerned, they simply worship Lord
Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Bhagavad-gita
the worship of demigods is condemned but not forbidden; there
it is clearly stated that less intelligent men
worship the demigods for material benefit.
On the other hand, even though Rukmini was the goddess of
fortune, she went to the temple of Goddess Durga
because the family deity was worshiped there. In Srimad-
Bhagavatam it is stated that as Rukmini proceeded
toward the temple of Goddess Durga, within her heart
she always thought of the lotus feet of Krsna. Therefore
when Rukmini went to the temple it was not with the intention
of an ordinary person, who goes to beg for material benefits;
her only goal was Krsna.
As Rukmini proceeded toward the temple, she was silent and
grave. Her mother and her girlfriends were by her side,
and the wife of a brahmana was in the center; surrounding her
were royal bodyguards. (This custom of a would-be bride's going
to the temple of a demigod is still practiced in India.) As the
procession continued, various musical sounds were heard.
Conchshells, drums such as panavas, and bugles of
different sizes, such as turyas and bheris, combined
to make a sound which was not only auspicious but very sweet to
hear. Thousands of wives of respectable
brahmanas were present, all dressed very
nicely with suitable ornaments. They presented Rukmini with
flower garlands, sandalwood pulp and a variety of colorful
garments to assist her in worshiping Lord Siva and Goddess
Durga. Some of these ladies were very old and knew
perfectly well how to chant prayers to Goddess Durga
and Lord Siva; so, followed by Rukmini and others, they led
these prayers before the deity.
Rukmini offered her prayers to the deity by saying, "My dear
Goddess Durga, I offer my respectful obeisances unto you as
well as to your children." Goddess Durga has four famous
children: two daughters -- the goddess of fortune, Laksmi, and
the goddess of learning, Sarasvati -- and two sons, Lord
Ganesa and Lord Karttikeya. They are all considered
demigods and goddesses. Since Goddess Durga is always
worshiped with her famous children, Rukmini specifically
offered her respectful obeisances to the deity in that way;
however, her prayers were special. Ordinary people pray to
Goddess Durga for material wealth, fame, profit,
strength and so on; Rukmini, however, desired to have Krsna for
her husband and therefore prayed that the deity be pleased
with her and bless her with that benediction. Since she desired
only Krsna, her worship of the demigods is not condemned. While
Rukmini was praying, she presented a variety of items
before the deity, chief of which were water,
different kinds of flames, incense, garments, garlands and
various foods prepared with ghee, such as puris and
kachoris. She also offered fruits, sugarcane, betel nuts
and spices. With great devotion, Rukmini offered them
to the deity according to the regulative principles, directed
by the old brahmana ladies. After this ritualistic ceremony,
the ladies offered the remnants of the food to Rukmini as
prasadam, which she accepted with great respect. Then Rukmini
offered her obeisances to the ladies and to Goddess
Durga. After the business of deity worship was finished,
Rukmini caught hold of the hand of one of her girlfriends
in her own hand, which was decorated with a jeweled ring,
and left the temple in the company of the others.
All the princes and visitors who came to Kundina for the
marriage had assembled outside the temple to see Rukmini. The
princes were especially eager to see her because they all
actually thought that they would have Rukmini as their wife.
Struck with wonder upon seeing Rukmini, they thought she
was especially manufactured by the Creator to bewilder all the
great chivalrous princes. Her body was well constructed, the
middle portion being thin. Her high hips were adorned with a
jeweled locket, she had pink lips, and the beauty of her
face was enhanced by her slightly scattered hair and by
different kinds of earrings.
The bodily luster and beauty of Rukmini appeared as if
painted by an artist perfectly presenting beauty following the
descriptions of great poets. Rukmini's breasts
are described as being somewhat high, indicating
that she was just a youth not more than thirteen or fourteen
years old. Her beauty was specifically intended to attract the
attention of Krsna. Although the princes gazed upon her
beautiful features, she was not at all proud. Her eyes moved
restlessly, and when she smiled very simply, like an innocent
girl, her teeth appeared just like jasmine buds. Expecting
Krsna to take her away at any moment, she proceeded slowly
toward her home. Her legs moved just like a full-grown swan,
and her ankle bells tinkled mildly.
The chivalrous princes
assembled there were so overwhelmed by Rukmini's beauty that
they became almost unconscious and fell from their
horses and elephants. Full of lust, they hopelessly desired
Rukmini's hand, comparing their own beauty to hers. Srimati
Rukmini, however, was not interested in any of them; in her
heart she was simply expecting Krsna to come and carry her away.
As she was adjusting the ornaments on a finger of her
left hand, she happened to look upon the princes and
suddenly saw that Krsna was present amongst them. Although
Rukmini had never before seen Krsna, she was always thinking of
Him; thus she had no difficulty recognizing Him amongst the
princely order. Krsna, unconcerned with the
other princes, immediately took the opportunity to place
Rukmini on His chariot, marked by a flag bearing an image of
Garuda. He then proceeded slowly, without fear, taking
Rukmini away exactly as a lion takes a deer from the midst
of jackals. Meanwhile, Balarama appeared on the scene with
the soldiers of the Yadu dynasty.
Jarasandha, who had many times experienced defeat by Krsna,
roared, "How is this? Krsna is taking Rukmini away from
us without opposition! What is the use of our being
chivalrous fighters with arrows? My dear princes, just look! We
are losing our reputation. He is just like a
jackal taking booty from a lion."
Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Fifty-third Chapter
of Krsna, "Krsna Kidnaps Rukmini."
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