Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 56
Kṛṣṇa Teases Rukmiṇī; Her Devotional Reply and the Lord’s Assurance
भ्रातुर्विरूपकरणं युधि निर्जितस्य प्रोद्वाहपर्वणि च तद्वधमक्षगोष्ठ्याम् । दु:खं समुत्थमसहोऽस्मदयोगभीत्या नैवाब्रवी: किमपि तेन वयं जितास्ते ॥ ५६ ॥
bhrātur virūpa-karaṇaṁ yudhi nirjitasya prodvāha-parvaṇi ca tad-vadham akṣa-goṣṭhyām duḥkhaṁ samuttham asaho ’smad-ayoga-bhītyā naivābravīḥ kim api tena vayaṁ jitās te
When your brother, who had been defeated in battle and then disfigured, was later killed during a gambling match on Aniruddha’s wedding day, you felt unbearable grief, yet out of fear of losing Me you spoke not a word. By this silence you have conquered Me.
Here Lord Kṛṣṇa refers to an event that will be described in the next chapter. Thus Kṛṣṇa’s talks with Rukmiṇī must have taken place after the marriage of Aniruddha.
FAQs
It portrays Krishna’s silence as compassionate restraint—He does not inflame Rukmini’s pain over her brother’s humiliation and death, and that gentle self-control wins the hearts of His devotees.
Rukmini recalls painful events connected to her marriage and family conflict to highlight Krishna’s sensitivity—He endured those moments without harsh words, considering her feelings and her sense of unworthiness.
It teaches that loving restraint—knowing when not to speak, especially when someone is wounded—can be more powerful than argument, and it deepens trust in relationships.