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Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.53.23

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

Longing for Kṛṣṇa Before Sunrise

“[Princess Rukmiṇī thought:] Alas, my wedding is to take place when the night ends! How unlucky I am! Lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa does not come. I don’t know why. And even the brāhmaṇa messenger has not yet returned.”

Śrīla Prabhupāda · Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.53.23, translation

What the purport teaches

  • Rukmiṇī knew that her wedding would take place when the night ended, and she felt herself unlucky.
  • Lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa had not come, and she did not know why. Even her brāhmaṇa messenger had not yet returned.
  • The purport notes that this scene takes place before sunrise, as confirmed by Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī. The approaching end of night gives urgency to her thoughts.

Try this today

Read Rukmiṇī’s words slowly once, giving attention to her longing for lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa.

Ask yourself

What touches you about Rukmiṇī’s longing for Kṛṣṇa while she has no news?

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.

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