Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 54
Kṛṣṇa Teases Rukmiṇī; Her Devotional Reply and the Lord’s Assurance
दिष्ट्या गृहेश्वर्यसकृन्मयि त्वया कृतानुवृत्तिर्भवमोचनी खलै: । सुदुष्करासौ सुतरां दुराशिषो ह्यसुंभराया निकृतिं जुष: स्त्रिया: ॥ ५४ ॥
diṣṭyā gṛheśvary asakṛn mayi tvayā kṛtānuvṛttir bhava-mocanī khalaiḥ su-duṣkarāsau sutarāṁ durāśiṣo hy asuṁ-bharāyā nikṛtiṁ juṣaḥ striyāḥ
Fortunately, O mistress of the house, you have always rendered Me faithful devotional service, which liberates one from material existence. This service is very difficult for the envious to perform, especially for a woman whose intentions are wicked, who lives only to gratify her bodily demands, and who indulges in duplicity.
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī poses the following question: Since devotional service easily awards one liberation, isn’t it possible that everyone will be liberated and the world will no longer exist? The great ācārya answers that there is no such danger, since it is very difficult for envious, duplicitous, sensuous persons to faithfully serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and there is no shortage of such people in the world.
FAQs
This verse calls devotion to Kṛṣṇa “bhava-mocanī”—the kind of bhakti that releases the soul from saṁsāra (material existence) when one repeatedly and faithfully adheres to Him.
After testing Rukmiṇī through playful, sharp words, Kṛṣṇa reassures her by praising her unwavering devotion, emphasizing how rare and difficult such fidelity is amid worldly pressures and hostile influences.
The verse highlights repeated, deliberate adherence to Kṛṣṇa even when surrounded by harmful influences—practically, this means consistent remembrance, prayer, and choosing devotional priorities over fear, manipulation, or social pressure.