Shloka 21

Devanagari script

रुक्मिणी चावदत् प्रेम्णा सास्रदृष्टिर् अनिन्दिता धन्याया खल्व् अयं पुत्रो वर्तते नवयौवने

Transliteration

rukmiṇī cāvadat premṇā sāsradṛṣṭir aninditā dhanyāyā khalv ayaṃ putro vartate navayauvane

Translation

Then Rukmiṇī—blameless—spoke in love, her eyes brimming with tears: “Truly blessed is that mother whose son abides in the full bloom of fresh youth.”

Word by Word

• रुक्मिणी: Rukmiṇī
• रुक्मिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्मिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अवदत्: said
• अवदत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• प्रेम्णा: with affection
• प्रेम्णा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• सास्रदृष्टिः: with tearful eyes
• सास्रदृष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + अश्रु + दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—अश्रुभिः सह दृष्टिः यस्याः (सह-पूर्वक कर्मधारय/बहुव्रीहिवत् विशेषणप्रयोगः)

• अनिन्दिता: blameless
• अनिन्दिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनिन्दित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• धन्यायाः: of the fortunate (woman)
• धन्यायाः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; ‘धन्याया:’ इति सम्बन्धे

• खलु: indeed
• खलु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: खलु (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/उपपत्तिबोधक अव्यय (particle: indeed)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वर्तते: exists/is present
• वर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नवयौवने: in fresh youth
• नवयौवने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नव + यौवन (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—नवं यौवनं (कर्मधारय)

Speaker

Rukmini (as narrated within Parasara’s discourse to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa descends to uphold dharma and grant protection and solace to his devotees through household and royal līlā.

Leela: Moksha-dana

Dharma Restored: Consolation and protection of the Yādava household; reaffirmation of divine guardianship.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Vātsalya-bhakti sanctifies emotion: even sorrow becomes devotion when love recognizes the Lord’s protecting hand behind fortune.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Offer strong feelings—especially grief and hope—into prayer rather than suppressing them; let tears become remembrance.

Vishishtadvaita: Śrī (grace/auspiciousness) is inseparable from the Lord’s presence and is reflected in Rukmiṇī’s tender, compassionate speech.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

Lakshmi Presence: Sri

Characters & Entities

• Rukmini
• Mother (implied)
• Son (implied; contextually Krishna)

FAQs

What is the significance of Rukmini’s tearful speech in the Vishnu Purana?

It highlights bhakti expressed as intimate love (prema) toward the Lord’s līlā—showing how Vishnu’s supreme nature is approached through tender, humanlike devotion.

How does Sage Parasara frame such emotional episodes within his teaching to Maitreya?

Parasara uses narrative scenes from Krishna’s life to convey theology through lived devotion—where the Supreme Vishnu is understood not only as cosmic ruler but also as personally lovable and present.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu (Krishna) in this context?

Even in a domestic, affectionate moment, Krishna is implicitly the Supreme Vishnu: the verse shows that the highest reality is encountered through loving relationship, a key Vaishnava emphasis compatible with Vishishtadvaita and Dvaita readings.