Shloka 25
Chapter 54
यत्र यासि स्वसारं मे मुषित्वा ध्वाङ्क्ष-वद् धविः ।
हरिष्ये 'द्य मदं मन्द मायिनः कूट-योधिनः ॥
yatra yāsi svasāraṃ me muṣitvā dhvāṅkṣa-vad dhaviḥ / hariṣye 'dya madaṃ manda māyinaḥ kūṭa-yodhinaḥ //
Where do you think you are going after stealing my sister, like a crow snatching the sacrificial offering? Today, O dull one, I will surely strip away your pride—you deceitful magician, you fighter who wages a crooked war!
This verse is spoken in the heat of pursuit, when Rukmī—burning with wounded prestige—chases Śrī Kṛṣṇa after Rukmiṇī’s departure. His words reveal the worldly mentality that measures honor through possession and control: he calls Rukmiṇī “my sister” in a way that implies ownership, and he frames Kṛṣṇa’s righteous act (rescuing Rukmiṇī from an unwanted marriage) as theft. Rukmī’s insult—comparing Kṛṣṇa to a crow stealing havis (an offering meant for sacrifice)—shows how envy distorts spiritual vision. In bhakti literature, Kṛṣṇa is the rightful enjoyer of all sacrifice (yajña), yet the proud see Him as a rival to their status. He further accuses Kṛṣṇa of māyā (deceit) and kūṭa-yuddha (dishonorable fighting), projecting onto the Lord the very duplicity born from his own pride. The Bhagavatam often exposes how false ego (mada) drives conflict: family ties, political alliances, and social reputation become excuses for aggression. This verse sets the stage for the Lord’s swift, measured response—demonstrating that divine power does not require rage, and that arrogance collapses when confronted by dharma protected by the Supreme.
FAQs
Rukmī mockingly compares Kṛṣṇa to a crow snatching sacrificial food, showing how pride and envy can misjudge the Lord’s righteous protection of Rukmiṇī as “theft.”
Rukmī felt dishonored by Rukmiṇī leaving and projected his wounded prestige onto Kṛṣṇa, accusing Him of deceit and unfair fighting.
It shows how ego turns relationships into possession and fuels hostility; cultivating humility and devotion prevents envy-driven speech and actions.