Shloka 1
Chapter 54
श्री-शुक उवाच इति सर्वे सु-संरब्धा वाहान् आरुह्य दंशिताः ।
स्वैः स्वैर् बलैः परिक्रान्ता अन्वीयुर् धृत-कार्मुकाः ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca iti sarve su-saṃrabdhā vāhān āruhya daṃśitāḥ / svaiḥ svair balaiḥ parikrāntā anvīyur dhṛta-kārmukāḥ //
Śrī Śuka said: Hearing this, they all became fiercely agitated. Mounting their vehicles and donning armor, they surrounded the route with their respective forces and pursued with bows held ready.
This verse sets the battlefield mood immediately after the preceding provocation in the narrative of Rukmiṇī’s abduction. The opponents of Kṛṣṇa do not respond with deliberation or dharmic counsel, but with su-saṃrabdha—heated agitation—showing how passion (rajas) quickly converts wounded pride into violence. Their readiness—mounted, armored, and with bows drawn—also highlights the organized, royal nature of the pursuit: this is not a random skirmish but a coordinated attempt to reclaim honor and control. In the Bhāgavata’s devotional frame, such mobilization against the Lord’s will becomes a display of worldly power set against divine purpose. The verse thus prepares the reader for the contrast between external strength (armies, weapons, strategy) and the unstoppable course of Kṛṣṇa’s līlā, wherein the Supreme protects His devotee (Rukmiṇī) and humbles arrogance without compromising dharma.
FAQs
This verse shows leaders becoming intensely agitated and immediately mobilizing for violence, illustrating how wounded pride can drive rash, passion-filled action.
They viewed the event as an affront to honor and authority, so they organized a full military pursuit—mounted, armored, and weapon-ready—to stop Kṛṣṇa’s departure.
It warns against acting while emotionally inflamed; when pride is triggered, pause and seek dharmic counsel before escalating situations.