Shloka 18
Chapter 54
रुक्मी तु राक्षसोद्वाहं कृष्ण-द्विड् असहन् स्वसुः ।
पृष्ठतो 'न्वगमत् कृष्णम् अक्षौहिण्या वृतो बली ॥
rukmī tu rākṣasodvāhaṃ kṛṣṇa-dviḍ asahan svasuḥ / pṛṣṭhato 'nvagamat kṛṣṇam akṣauhiṇyā vṛto balī //
But Rukmī, unable to bear that his sister’s wedding had turned into a rākṣasa-style abduction, and being hostile to Kṛṣṇa, pursued Kṛṣṇa from behind—mighty, and surrounded by an akṣauhiṇī division.
The Bhāgavata now singles out Rukmī’s personal motive. Unlike the other kings who withdraw, Rukmī cannot accept that Rukmiṇī has chosen Kṛṣṇa and that Kṛṣṇa has carried her away in the rākṣasa mode (marriage by heroic capture), which is permitted for kṣatriyas under certain circumstances. His real pain is not dharmic concern but wounded prestige and envy—explicitly marked by the phrase kṛṣṇa-dviṭ, “one who hates Kṛṣṇa.” Thus he chases the Lord with an akṣauhiṇī, displaying the classic materialistic confidence that numbers and force can subdue God. In Kṛṣṇa-līlā, such confrontations reveal two truths simultaneously: the Lord’s protection of His devotees (Rukmiṇī) and the futility of opposing Him through pride, anger, or militaristic power. For practitioners of bhakti, Rukmī becomes a cautionary figure—family ties and social status do not purify the heart unless one cultivates humility and devotion to Kṛṣṇa.
FAQs
Rākṣasa marriage refers to marriage by heroic capture/abduction; here it describes Kṛṣṇa taking Rukmiṇī, which Rukmī cannot tolerate due to pride and hostility.
Rukmī’s envy and wounded prestige drove him to pursue Kṛṣṇa with massive force, believing military power could reverse Rukmiṇī’s choice and defeat Kṛṣṇa.
It warns that ego and possessiveness—even within family—can become anti-bhakti; humility and acceptance of the Lord’s will protect one from destructive envy.