Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.52.16-17
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesKṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī Choose Each Other
“O hero among the Kurus, the Supreme Lord Himself, Govinda, married Bhīṣmaka’s daughter, Vaidarbhī, who was a direct expansion of the goddess of fortune. The Lord did this by her desire, and in the process He beat down Śālva and other kings who took Śiśupāla’s side. Indeed, as everyone watched, Śrī Kṛṣṇa took Rukmiṇī just as Garuḍa boldly stole nectar from the demigods.”
What the purport teaches
- Govinda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, married Bhīṣmaka’s daughter Rukmiṇī. She is a direct expansion of the eternal goddess of fortune and a plenary portion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.
- Here, svayaṁvare means “by one’s own choice,” rather than a formal marriage-selection ceremony. Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī chose each other because of their eternal, transcendental love.
- Kṛṣṇa subdued Śālva and other kings who supported Śiśupāla. Before everyone’s eyes, He took Rukmiṇī as boldly as Garuḍa took nectar from the demigods.
Try this today
Spend a quiet minute remembering that Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī chose each other out of eternal love.
Ask yourself
How does their eternal, transcendental love shape my understanding of this marriage?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.