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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 10 · The Summum Bonum · 90 chapters

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How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
  2. 2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
  3. 3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
  4. 4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
  5. 5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
  6. 6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.
Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›
Canto 10 · Chapter 52: Rukmiṇī’s Message to Lord Kṛṣṇa
10.52.1510.52.18

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 10.52.16-17

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 10.52.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

भगवानपि गोविन्द उपयेमे कुरूद्वह ।

वैदर्भीं भीष्मकसुतां श्रियो मात्रां स्वयंवरे ॥ १६ ॥

प्रमथ्य तरसा राज्ञ: शाल्वादींश्चैद्यपक्षगान् ।

पश्यतां सर्वलोकानां तार्क्ष्यपुत्र: सुधामिव ॥ १७ ॥

bhagavān api govinda

upayeme kurūdvaha

vaidarbhīṁ bhīṣmaka-sutāṁ

śriyo mātrāṁ svayaṁvare

pramathya tarasā rājñaḥ

śālvādīṁś caidya-pakṣa-gān

paśyatāṁ sarva-lokānāṁ

tārkṣya-putraḥ sudhām iva

Translation

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.

Read the purport on Vedabase.io

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.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī Choose Each Other

  1. 1

    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.

  2. 2

    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.

  3. 3

    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.

Key points from the purport
  • Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī gives the following profound comments on these two verses: The words śriyo mātrām indicate that beautiful Rukmiṇī is a direct expansion of the eternal goddess of fortune.
  • Thus, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains, Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī-devī is a plenary portion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.
  • In fact, Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī chose each other because of their eternal, transcendental love.

The purport's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

How it feels

Yearning and danger → Marriage and reciprocity. A wider range of divine relationships appears.

Chapters 50–59 of Canto 10: Dvārakā, Rukmiṇī and royal rescues. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 52: Rukmiṇī’s Message to Lord Kṛṣṇa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Rukmiṇī, the young daughter of Bhīṣmaka, King of Vidarbha, had heard of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s beauty, strength and other fine qualities, and she therefore made up her mind that He would be the perfect husband for her. Lord Kṛṣṇa also wanted to marry her.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.52
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. bhagavānthe Supreme Lord
  2. apiindeed
  3. govindaḥKṛṣṇa
  4. upayememarried
  5. kuru-udvahaO hero among the Kurus (Parīkṣit)
  6. vaidarbhīmRukmiṇī
  7. bhīṣmaka-sutāmthe daughter of King Bhīṣmaka
  8. śriyaḥof the goddess of fortune
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Īśānukathā · The science of God

    Who is the Lord, and how do His devotees live? · Subject 7 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.52

    In this verse: “kings”

  • Prema · Transcendental love

    The intimacy and sweetness of devotion to Kṛṣṇa. · Theme in SB 10.52

    In this verse: “love”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How does their eternal, transcendental love shape my understanding of this marriage?

Practice

Spend a quiet minute remembering that Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī chose each other out of eternal love.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 10.52's connections

Live this todayKṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī Choose Each OtherThis verse's lesson: one practice and one question for today

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.

Ask the BhāgavatamHave a question about SB 10.52.16-17? Get an answer from the verses themselves.