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
అతిదుఃఖం, భయం, శోకం ఆమె బుద్ధిని కమ్మేశాయి. చేతిలోని గాజులు సడలిపోయి, వీచే పంకా నేలపై పడిపోయింది. అయోమయంలో ఆమె అకస్మాత్తుగా మూర్ఛపోయింది; గాలికి పడిపోయిన అరటి చెట్టులా ఆమె దేహం కూలి, జుట్టు చెల్లాచెదురైంది.
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.