Shloka 17
Mucukunda’s Departure; Jarāsandha’s Pursuit; Prelude to Rukmiṇī’s Abduction
Rukmiṇī’s Message Begins
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
O Held unter den Kurus, der Bhagavān Govinda selbst nahm im Svayaṃvara Vaidarbhī, die Tochter Bhīṣmakas, eine unmittelbare Ausstrahlung Śrīs, der Glücksgöttin, zur Gemahlin. Auf Rukmiṇīs Wunsch hin schlug Er mit Macht Śālva und andere Könige nieder, die auf Śiśupālas Seite standen; und vor aller Augen führte Śrī Kṛṣṇa Rukmiṇī fort, wie Garuḍa kühn den Nektar den Devas entriss.
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. Therefore she is worthy to be the bride of the Personality of Godhead. As stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.56) , śriyaḥ kāntā kāntaḥ parama-puruṣaḥ: “In the spiritual world, all the female lovers are goddesses of fortune and the male lover is the Supreme Personality.” Thus, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains, Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī-devī is a plenary portion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. The Kārttika-māhātmya section of the Padma Purāṇa states, kaiśore gopa-kanyās tā yauvane rāja-kanyakāḥ: “In childhood, Śrī Kṛṣṇa enjoyed with the daughters of cowherd men, and in His adolescence He enjoyed with the daughters of kings.” Similarly, in the Skanda Purāṇa we find this statement: rukmiṇī dvāravatyāṁ tu rādhā vṛndāvane vane. “Rukmiṇī is in Dvārakā what Rādhā is in the forest of Vṛndāvana.”
FAQs
This verse describes Rukmiṇī as “śriyo mātrām,” the very embodiment of Śrī (Lakṣmī), indicating her divine, auspicious nature and her eternal connection with the Lord.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī narrates to King Parīkṣit, addressing him as “kurūdvaha,” the best of the Kurus.
It teaches that sacred commitment and purity of intention—centered on God—transform life events into devotion, dignity, and auspiciousness.