Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 24
Kṛṣṇa Teases Rukmiṇī; Her Devotional Reply and the Lord’s Assurance
तस्या: सुदु:खभयशोकविनष्टबुद्धे- र्हस्ताच्छ्लथद्वलयतो व्यजनं पपात । देहश्च विक्लवधिय: सहसैव मुह्यन् रम्भेव वायुविहतो प्रविकीर्य केशान् ॥ २४ ॥
tasyāḥ su-duḥkha-bhaya-śoka-vinaṣṭa-buddher hastāc chlathad-valayato vyajanaṁ papāta dehaś ca viklava-dhiyaḥ sahasaiva muhyan rambheva vāyu-vihato pravikīrya keśān
ルクミニーの心は苦しみと恐れと悲嘆に呑まれ、手から腕輪がゆるんで滑り落ち、扇も地に落ちた。錯乱のうちに彼女は突然気を失い、風に倒された芭蕉の木のように身を投げ出し、髪は四方に散った。
Shocked by Lord Kṛṣṇa’s words, Rukmiṇī could not understand that the Lord was only teasing, and thus she displayed these ecstatic symptoms of grief, which Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī characterizes as sāttvika ecstasies ranging from “becoming stunned” to “dissolution.”
FAQs
This verse describes Rukmiṇī becoming overwhelmed by sorrow, fear, and grief, dropping her fan and fainting—showing the depth of her emotional dependence on Kṛṣṇa.
In this pastime, Kṛṣṇa’s words function as a divine test and playful līlā that reveals Rukmiṇī’s humility and single-minded devotion, not actual rejection.
It highlights how deep attachment can destabilize the mind; devotion is strengthened by cultivating steadiness, humility, and trust in the Lord’s ultimate goodwill.