Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 37
Mucukunda’s Departure; Jarāsandha’s Pursuit; Prelude to Rukmiṇī’s Abduction
Rukmiṇī’s Message Begins
श्रीरुक्मिण्युवाच श्रुत्वा गुणान् भुवनसुन्दर शृण्वतां ते निर्विश्य कर्णविवरैर्हरतोऽङ्गतापम् । रूपं दृशां दृशिमतामखिलार्थलाभं त्वय्यच्युताविशति चित्तमपत्रपं मे ॥ ३७ ॥
śrī-rukmiṇy uvāca śrutvā guṇān bhuvana-sundara śṛṇvatāṁ te nirviśya karṇa-vivarair harato ’ṅga-tāpam rūpaṁ dṛśāṁ dṛśimatām akhilārtha-lābhaṁ tvayy acyutāviśati cittam apatrapaṁ me
Śrī Rukmiṇī said [in her letter, as read by the brāhmaṇa]: O beauty of the worlds, having heard of Your qualities, which enter the ears of those who hear and remove their bodily distress, and having also heard of Your beauty, which fulfills all the visual desires of those who see, I have fixed my shameless mind upon You, O Kṛṣṇa.
Rukmiṇī was a king’s daughter, courageous and bold, and furthermore she would rather die than lose Kṛṣṇa. Considering all this, she wrote a frank, explicit letter, begging Kṛṣṇa to come and take her away.
FAQs
This verse says that hearing Kṛṣṇa’s qualities enters through the ears and removes bodily burning distress—showing śravaṇam as a direct, healing form of bhakti.
Rukmiṇī, having heard of Kṛṣṇa’s virtues and beauty, expresses how both His fame (heard) and His form (seen) irresistibly draw her mind to Him, forming the devotional basis of her plea to be accepted.
Regularly hear and contemplate Kṛṣṇa-kathā (scripture, kīrtan, discourse); it calms inner agitation and redirects the mind from anxiety toward a steady devotional focus.