Chapter Five Śrī Rukmiṇī-nirgamana The Kidnapping of Śrī Rukmiṇī

Perhaps Lord Kṛṣṇa, the master of the demigods and the best of the Yādavas, looks at me and sees that I am sinful and impure. Perhaps that is why He has not come to take my hand.

Brahmā is not kind to unfortunate me. Śiva is not kind. Gaṇeśa is not kind. Pārvatī is not kind. The cows and the brāhmaṇas are not kind to me.

At that moment the left side of her body trembled. That trembling was the reply to her questions. Aware of the nature of this good omen, all-beautiful and auspicious Śrī Rukmiṇī was very pleased.

Sent by Lord Kṛṣṇa, the brāhmaṇa presented himself before her and told her that Lord Kṛṣṇa had come.

Very pleased, Śrī Rukmiṇī fell at the brāhmaṇa's feet and said, "O brāhmaṇa, I will never leave your family. That is my promise." Note: Śrī Rukmiṇī is Śrīmatī Lakṣmī-devī, the goddess of fortune. Here she promises that the brāhmaṇa's family will never be in poverty.

Hearing that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, eager to see the wedding, had come, King Bhīṣmaka, aware of Their great power, went with many brāhmaṇas to greet Them.

koṭiśo madhu-parkānāṁ kumbha-vyuhān vidhāya ca pūjayitvātha vidhi-vad rāma-kṛṣṇau pareśvarau bhṛśam—greatly; maṅgala-pātreṣu—with auspicious pots; gandhākṣata-yuteṣu—with sweet fragrances; ca—and; vasaḥ—garments; ratna—jewels; cayam—multitude; dhṛtvā—taking; gīta-vāditra-maṅgalaiḥ—with auspicious singing and instrumental music; koṭiśaḥ—millions; madhu-parkānām—madhu-parka; kumbha-vyuhān—pots; vidhāya—placing; ca—and; pūjayitvā—worshiping; atha—then; vidhi-vat—properly; rāma-kṛṣṇau—Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma; pareśvarau—the two Supreme Personalities of Godhead. Offering many millions of maṅgala-pātras, sweet fragrances, garments, jewels, and pots of madhu-parka, and accompanied by sweet singing and instrumental music, King Bhīṣmaka properly worshiped Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, the two Supreme Personalities of Godhead.

koṭiśo madhu-parkānāṁ kumbha-vyuhān vidhāya ca pūjayitvātha vidhi-vad rāma-kṛṣṇau pareśvarau bhṛśam—greatly; maṅgala-pātreṣu—with auspicious pots; gandhākṣata-yuteṣu—with sweet fragrances; ca—and; vasaḥ—garments; ratna—jewels; cayam—multitude; dhṛtvā—taking; gīta-vāditra-maṅgalaiḥ—with auspicious singing and instrumental music; koṭiśaḥ—millions; madhu-parkānām—madhu-parka; kumbha-vyuhān—pots; vidhāya—placing; ca—and; pūjayitvā—worshiping; atha—then; vidhi-vat—properly; rāma-kṛṣṇau—Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma; pareśvarau—the two Supreme Personalities of Godhead. Offering many millions of maṅgala-pātras, sweet fragrances, garments, jewels, and pots of madhu-parka, and accompanied by sweet singing and instrumental music, King Bhīṣmaka properly worshiped Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, the two Supreme Personalities of Godhead.

Unhappy at heart, he thought, "Alas, I did not offer her to Him!" Cheerfully giving Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma a place to stay in the garden, He bowed down before Them and then returned to his home.

Hearing that Vasudeva's son Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the most handsome person in the three worlds, had arrived, with the cupped hands of their eyes the people of Kuṇḍina City again and again drank the nectar of His lotus face.

Enthralled by Śrī Kṛṣṇa's handsomeness, the people of Kuṇḍina City said, "Rukmiṇī should marry Kṛṣṇa. No one be He should marry her." The people of Kuṇḍika City donated the pious karmas of their previous births so that Kṛṣṇa could marry Rukmiṇī.

"We will see Lord Kṛṣṇa when He goes to the palace of the bride's father. Then our lives will become perfect. Why should we bother to spend many lives accumulating pious deeds?"

O king, as the people were speaking these words, princess Rukmiṇī, her heart now captured by Lord Kṛṣṇa, left the palace with her friends to attend the worship of goddess Pārvatī.

As the bherī, mṛdaṅga, and dundubhi drums sounded, the singers sang, the vandīs and māgadhas recited poetry, and the dancing girls gracefully danced, there were auspicious loud calls of "Victory!"

Holding a white parasol and waving fans and cāmaras, many girls served Śrī Rukmiṇī, the goddess of fortune, who was splendid as ten million moons and who wore earrings splendid as the rising sun.

Taking a hundred thousand sharpened swords from the armory, footsoldiers stood here and there. Riding on horses, chariots, and elephants, other soldiers stood as guards with upraised weapons.

Coming to goddess Pārvatī's temple, peaceful and pure-hearted Rukmiṇī washed her lotus hands and feet and, observing a vow of silence, entered the courtyard. Approaching the deity of the goddess, who removes the fear of repeated birth and death, Rukmiṇī worshiped her with folded hands.

She said: O Durgā, O wife of Lord Śiva, O beautiful and glorious one, I offer my respectful obeissances to you again and again. I pray that Śrī Kṛṣṇacandra, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is above the world of matter, will become my husband.

When her friends said, "O beautiful one, don't say the word Kṛṣṇa. You should pray that Śiśupāla will become your husband," Rukmiṇī spoke in the following words in the temple of goddess Pārvatī:

apūpa-tāmbūla-phalekṣubhiś ca bheje bhavānīṁ parayā ca bhaktyā natvātha tāṁ vā bahu-bhūṣaṇādyaiḥ sampūjya saubhāgyavatīr nanāma ajānatī—ignorant; iyam—thus; tava—of you; ca—and; amba—O mother Durgā; bālā—a little girl; tathā—so; vadantīṣu—speaking; sakhīṣu—friends; bhaiṣmī—Rukmiṇī; gandha—sweet fragrances; akṣataiḥ—with grains; dhūpa-vibhūṣaṇādyaiḥ—with incense, ornaments, and other things; sraṅ-mālya—with garlands; dīpāvalī—lamps; bhoga-vastraiḥ—and delicious foods; apūpa—cakes; tāmbūla—betelnuts; phala—fruits; ikṣubhiḥ—with sugarcane; ca—and; bheje—worshiped; bhavānīm—goddess Durgā; parayā—with great; ca—and; bhaktyā—devotion; natvā—bowing down; atha—then; tām—to her; vā—or; bahu-bhūṣaṇādyaiḥ—with many ornaments and other gifts; sampūjya—worshiping; saubhāgyavatīḥ—fortunate; nanāma—bowed down. "O Mother Pārvatī, my friends that say this are only little girls. They do not understand the truth about you." Then with great devotion Rukmiṇī worshiped goddess Pārvatī by offering her sweet fragrances, unbroken grains, incense, ornaments, garlands, necklaces, lamps, delicious foods, garments, cakes, betelnuts, fruits, sugarcane, and many other gifts. Then Rukmiṇī bowed down before the fortunate brāhmaṇa women and worshiped them with many ornaments and other gifts.

apūpa-tāmbūla-phalekṣubhiś ca bheje bhavānīṁ parayā ca bhaktyā natvātha tāṁ vā bahu-bhūṣaṇādyaiḥ sampūjya saubhāgyavatīr nanāma ajānatī—ignorant; iyam—thus; tava—of you; ca—and; amba—O mother Durgā; bālā—a little girl; tathā—so; vadantīṣu—speaking; sakhīṣu—friends; bhaiṣmī—Rukmiṇī; gandha—sweet fragrances; akṣataiḥ—with grains; dhūpa-vibhūṣaṇādyaiḥ—with incense, ornaments, and other things; sraṅ-mālya—with garlands; dīpāvalī—lamps; bhoga-vastraiḥ—and delicious foods; apūpa—cakes; tāmbūla—betelnuts; phala—fruits; ikṣubhiḥ—with sugarcane; ca—and; bheje—worshiped; bhavānīm—goddess Durgā; parayā—with great; ca—and; bhaktyā—devotion; natvā—bowing down; atha—then; tām—to her; vā—or; bahu-bhūṣaṇādyaiḥ—with many ornaments and other gifts; sampūjya—worshiping; saubhāgyavatīḥ—fortunate; nanāma—bowed down. "O Mother Pārvatī, my friends that say this are only little girls. They do not understand the truth about you." Then with great devotion Rukmiṇī worshiped goddess Pārvatī by offering her sweet fragrances, unbroken grains, incense, ornaments, garlands, necklaces, lamps, delicious foods, garments, cakes, betelnuts, fruits, sugarcane, and many other gifts. Then Rukmiṇī bowed down before the fortunate brāhmaṇa women and worshiped them with many ornaments and other gifts.

All the brāhmaṇa women reciprocated by giving gifts to Rukmiṇī. They also blessed her by saying, "May you be beautiful like Śatarūpā. May you be virtuous like goddess Pārvatī.

"May you have a faithful husband as Arudhnati has. May you be forgiving like Sītā. May you be fortunate like Dakṣiṇā. May you be glorious like Śacī. May you be learned like Sarasvatī. May you be devoted to your husband as the saintly devotees are devoted to Lord Hari." .pa