Kṛṣṇa Teases Rukmiṇī; Her Devotional Reply and the Lord’s Assurance
निष्किञ्चनो ननु भवान् न यतोऽस्ति किञ्चिद् यस्मै बलिं बलिभुजोऽपि हरन्त्यजाद्या: । न त्वा विदन्त्यसुतृपोऽन्तकमाढ्यतान्धा: प्रेष्ठो भवान् बलिभुजामपि तेऽपि तुभ्यम् ॥ ३७ ॥
niṣkiñcano nanu bhavān na yato ’sti kiñcid yasmai baliṁ bali-bhujo ’pi haranty ajādyāḥ na tvā vidanty asu-tṛpo ’ntakam āḍhyatāndhāḥ preṣṭho bhavān bali-bhujām api te ’pi tubhyam
O Bhagavān, du bist wahrhaft ohne Besitz, denn jenseits deiner gibt es nichts. Selbst Brahmā und die anderen Devas, die Empfänger der Opfergaben, entrichten dir Tribut. Die vom Reichtum Geblendeten, die in Sinnengenuss versunken sind, erkennen dich nicht einmal in der Gestalt des Todes; doch für die Devas bist du der Allerliebste, und auch sie sind dir lieb.
Here Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī-devī replies to Lord Kṛṣṇa’s statement in text 14:
It means Kṛṣṇa is completely unattached and beyond material ownership—He needs nothing, yet everything ultimately belongs to Him and is offered to Him.
She affirms Kṛṣṇa’s supreme position: even the devas, who receive sacrifices from humans, themselves offer tribute to the source of all power and worship.
It warns that opulence can blind one to spiritual truth; cultivating humility, gratitude, and devotion helps one recognize the Divine beyond status and possessions.