Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 54
Kṛṣṇa Teases Rukmiṇī; Her Devotional Reply and the Lord’s Assurance
दिष्ट्या गृहेश्वर्यसकृन्मयि त्वया कृतानुवृत्तिर्भवमोचनी खलै: । सुदुष्करासौ सुतरां दुराशिषो ह्यसुंभराया निकृतिं जुष: स्त्रिया: ॥ ५४ ॥
diṣṭyā gṛheśvary asakṛn mayi tvayā kṛtānuvṛttir bhava-mocanī khalaiḥ su-duṣkarāsau sutarāṁ durāśiṣo hy asuṁ-bharāyā nikṛtiṁ juṣaḥ striyāḥ
幸いにも、家の女主人よ、あなたは常にわたしに忠実なバクティの奉仕を捧げてきた。それは物質的存在から解き放つ。だがこの奉仕は、妬む者にはきわめて難しく、まして邪な意図を抱き、身体の欲求のためだけに生き、欺きに耽る女にはなおさらである。
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī poses the following question: Since devotional service easily awards one liberation, isn’t it possible that everyone will be liberated and the world will no longer exist? The great ācārya answers that there is no such danger, since it is very difficult for envious, duplicitous, sensuous persons to faithfully serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and there is no shortage of such people in the world.
FAQs
This verse calls devotion to Kṛṣṇa “bhava-mocanī”—the kind of bhakti that releases the soul from saṁsāra (material existence) when one repeatedly and faithfully adheres to Him.
After testing Rukmiṇī through playful, sharp words, Kṛṣṇa reassures her by praising her unwavering devotion, emphasizing how rare and difficult such fidelity is amid worldly pressures and hostile influences.
The verse highlights repeated, deliberate adherence to Kṛṣṇa even when surrounded by harmful influences—practically, this means consistent remembrance, prayer, and choosing devotional priorities over fear, manipulation, or social pressure.