Devanagari
श्रीराजोवाच
भगवान् भीष्मकसुतां रुक्मिणीं रुचिराननाम् ।
राक्षसेन विधानेन उपयेम इति श्रुतम् ॥ १८ ॥
Verse text
śrī-rājovāca
bhagavān bhīṣmaka-sutāṁ
rukmiṇīṁ rucirānanām
rākṣasena vidhānena
upayema iti śrutam
Synonyms
śrī
—
rājā uvāca — the King (Parīkṣit Mahārāja) said
;
bhagavān
—
the Supreme Lord
;
bhīṣmaka
—
sutām — the daughter of Bhīṣmaka
;
rukmiṇīm
—
Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī-devī
;
rucira
—
charming
;
ānanām
—
whose face
;
rākṣasena
—
called Rākṣasa
;
vidhānena
—
by the method (namely, by kidnapping)
;
upayeme
—
He married
;
iti
—
thus
;
śrutam
—
heard .
Translation
King Parīkṣit said: The Supreme Lord married Rukmiṇī, the beautiful-faced daughter of Bhīṣmaka, in the Rākṣasa style — or so I have heard.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
King Parīkṣit said: The Supreme Lord married Rukmiṇī, the beautiful-faced daughter of Bhīṣmaka, in the Rākṣasa style—or so I have heard.
Purport
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī quotes the following
smṛti
statement:
rākṣaso yuddha-haraṇāt.
“A Rākṣasa marriage takes place when the bride is stolen from one’s rival suitors by force.” Similarly, Śukadeva Gosvāmī himself has already said,
rājṣaḥ pramathya:
Kṛṣṇa had to beat down opposing kings to take Rukmiṇī.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The raksasa method of marriage is to take the bride after fighting with opponents according the smrti scriptures.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
The rākṣasa style of marriage was best for the warriors. Rukmiṇī is described as having a beautiful face, just like the Lord. Or she had a face which was attractive to Kṛṣṇa. Thus she was most suitable to marry Kṛṣṇa.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Hearing the general account, Parīkṣit with devotion asks for more details, with a desire to hear. Kṛṣṇa is full of all power (bhagavān). The rākṣasa style of marriage is best for the courageous. She was most beautiful (rucirānanām).