Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 43
Kṛṣṇa Teases Rukmiṇī; Her Devotional Reply and the Lord’s Assurance
तं त्वानुरूपमभजं जगतामधीश- मात्मानमत्र च परत्र च कामपूरम् । स्यान्मे तवाङ्घ्रिररणं सृतिभिर्भ्रमन्त्या यो वै भजन्तमुपयात्यनृतापवर्ग: ॥ ४३ ॥
taṁ tvānurūpam abhajaṁ jagatām adhīśam ātmānam atra ca paratra ca kāma-pūram syān me tavāṅghrir araṇaṁ sṛtibhir bhramantyā yo vai bhajantam upayāty anṛtāpavargaḥ
あなたは私にふさわしいので、私はあなたを選びました。すべての世界の主であり至高の魂であるあなたは、この世でも来世でも私たちの願いを叶えてくださいます。崇拝者に近づくことで幻想からの自由を与えるあなたの足が、ある物質的な状況から別の状況へとさまよってきた私に避難所を与えてくださいますように。
An alternate reading for the word sṛtibhiḥ is śrutibhiḥ, in which case the idea Rukmiṇī expresses is this: “I have been bewildered by hearing from various religious scriptures about numerous rituals and ceremonies with their promises of fruitive results.” Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī gives this explanation, while Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī and Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī give an additional idea Rukmiṇī might express with the word śrutibhiḥ: “My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I was bewildered by hearing about Your various incarnations. I heard that when You descended as Rāma You abandoned Your wife, Sītā, and that in this life You abandoned the gopīs. Thus I was bewildered.”
FAQs
It teaches that Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet are the true refuge for a soul wandering through worldly paths, because He personally approaches His devotee and grants unfailing liberation.
In her humble, devotional speech to Kṛṣṇa, Rukmiṇī expresses gratitude and dependence, affirming that she has chosen Him as her Lord and praying that His feet remain her shelter, beyond worldly insecurity.
By prioritizing steady devotion—remembering Kṛṣṇa, praying for shelter, and aligning desires with service—one seeks lasting spiritual freedom rather than temporary, unreliable outcomes.