Shloka 31
Kṛṣṇa Teases Rukmiṇī; Her Devotional Reply and the Lord’s Assurance
अयं हि परमो लाभो गृहेषु गृहमेधिनाम् । यन्नर्मैरीयते याम: प्रियया भीरु भामिनि ॥ ३१ ॥
ayaṁ hi paramo lābho gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām yan narmair īyate yāmaḥ priyayā bhīru bhāmini
O scheue und leicht gekränkte Schöne, der größte Gewinn, den weltliche Haushälter daheim haben, ist, die Zeit mit Scherzen und Neckereien an der Seite der geliebten Gattin zu verbringen.
The word bhāmini indicates an angry, passionate, temperamental woman. Since lovely Rukmiṇī did not become angry despite all provocation, the Lord is still speaking facetiously.
FAQs
This verse says their ‘supreme gain’ is spending the night-hours in affectionate, playful talk with one’s beloved—highlighting how their happiness is centered on intimate domestic enjoyment.
In Kṛṣṇa’s exchange with Rukmiṇī, He speaks in a teasing, instructive mood—contrasting worldly household pleasure with higher spiritual values, while also engaging in loving marital banter.
It shows how easily ‘life’s greatest profit’ can be reduced to emotional comfort and romance; a devotee can value affection while remembering that lasting fulfillment comes from devotion to Bhagavān, not merely domestic enjoyment.