Shloka 1

रुक्मिणी-हरणम्, विरोधि-राजगणः, रुक्मी-प्रतिज्ञा-पराजयः, प्रद्युम्न-जन्म

Devanagari script

भीष्मकः कुण्डिने राजा विदर्भविषये ऽभवत् रुक्मी तस्याभवत् पुत्रो रुक्मिणी च वराङ्गना

Transliteration

bhīṣmakaḥ kuṇḍine rājā vidarbhaviṣaye 'bhavat rukmī tasyābhavat putro rukmiṇī ca varāṅganā

Translation

In the land of Vidarbha, at Kuṇḍina, there ruled a king named Bhīṣmaka. Of him were born a son, Rukmī, and also Rukmiṇī, a maiden of exquisite beauty.

Word by Word

• भीष्मकः: Bhīṣmaka
• भीष्मकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• कुण्डिने: in Kuṇḍina
• कुण्डिने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्डिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक (in Kuṇḍina)

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• विदर्भविषये: in the Vidarbha country
• विदर्भविषये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + विषय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास — ‘in the region of Vidarbha’

• अभवत्: was
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु; भू सत्तायाम्)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘was/became’

• रुक्मी: Rukmī
• रुक्मी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्मिन्/रुक्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• तस्य: his
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — ‘of him’

• अभवत्: was
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु; भू सत्तायाम्)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘was/became’

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; (predicate nominative to रुक्मी)

• रुक्मिणी: Rukmiṇī
• रुक्मिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्मिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• वराङ्गना: a noble lady
• वराङ्गना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास — ‘excellent woman’ (apposition to रुक्मिणी)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Introduction of Rukmiṇī’s family background leading to Krishna’s marriage episode

Teaching: Historical

Quality: revealing, narrative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Krishna’s līlā advances toward the Rukmiṇī-vivāha, establishing dharmic union and curbing Rukmī’s pride and hostile politics against the Yadavas.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Kṣatriya honor and dharmic marriage aligned with devotion to Bhagavan

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Rukmiṇī’s destiny to unite with Krishna frames conjugal love as a mode of devotion where the finite soul seeks the Supreme as its true beloved.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Let love refine into devotion—choose values and relationships that support surrender to God over social pressure or pride.

Vishishtadvaita: Śrī (Lakṣmī) as inseparable divine auspiciousness is mirrored by Rukmiṇī’s association with Krishna, highlighting relational theology within non-dual dependence on Bhagavan.

Dynasty & Genealogy

Vamsha: Chandra

Dharma Exemplar: Śaraṇāgati-bhāva (Rukmiṇī’s destined turning toward Krishna)

Key Kings: Bhīṣmaka, Rukmī, Rukmiṇī

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Madhurya

Vyuha Form: Vasudeva

Lakshmi Presence: Sri

Characters & Entities

• Bhishmaka
• Kundina (Kuṇḍina)
• Vidarbha
• Rukmi
• Rukmini

FAQs

What is the significance of Bhīṣmaka and Kuṇḍina in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse locates the Vidarbha dynasty at Kuṇḍina and introduces King Bhīṣmaka as the patriarch whose children—Rukmī and Rukmiṇī—become pivotal to later Krishna-centered events.

How does Sage Parāśara explain lineage and sovereignty in this passage?

Parāśara presents kingship and genealogy as a structured record (vamśa) that preserves dharmic continuity—naming place, ruler, and heirs to situate later sacred history within an ordered human realm.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Although Vishnu is not named in the verse, Rukmiṇī’s introduction signals the unfolding of the Lord’s avatāra narrative—where worldly dynasties become stages for the Supreme Reality’s dharma-restoring līlā.