Bhagavatapurana 10.61: ADHYAYA 61
The Srimad Bhagavatam 10.61
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ADHYAYA 61
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Krishna's descendants. Aniruddha married. Rukmi killed.
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1. Sri Suka said:— To Krishna every one of those women bore ten sons who were, by all their excellent qualities, in no manner inferior to their Father.
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2. Those princesses, seeing that Achyuta was never absent from homes, thought severally, 'Krishna is my own beloved consort and He is most beloved of me'; but they were not aware of His true nature.
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3. Those women only were fascinated with the charming face like unto the blooming lotus, long arms, broad (beautiful) eyes and looks that were sweet with love and smiles and the winning conversation of the Almighty Lord; but they were not for all their charms able to conquer and influence the mind of the Perfect One.
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4. Also (armed as they were) with Manmatha's arrows powerful messengers of love despatched by their brows that were charming with the sentiment expressed by their suppressed smiles and stealthy glances, those sixteen thousand women were not in any degree able to shake the strength of the Almighty Lord. [1. From behind the pillars, through the shyness of their new friendship, those virtuous queens sent their side-long glances, from their eyes overflowing with love, at their Lord, the Lord of the righteous, the abode of Lakshmi, enthroned now high in their mansions and very ardently loved by them.
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2. With their eyes blind-folded from behind with the hands of their beloved Lord, the damsels laughed in joy and, lest they should interrupt, they stayed, only setting right the garment on their body, (person), though it might not be liked by Him].
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5. Having thus gained Lakshmi's Consort for their Lord whose ways even Brahma and others do not realise, those women enjoyed in ever-growing delight His affection, smiling looks and attractions of newly wedded life.
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6. In going forth to meet, readily offering a seat and articles of worship, washing the feet, refreshing with fans, presenting betel-nut, pigments of sandal and wreaths of flowers, combing His hair, arranging the beds and baths and other attentions, hundreds of servants-maid readily did service to the Lord.
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7. Of Krishna's consorts who severally bore Him ten sons, - eight were already mentioned as chief queens: now I shall tell thee of Pradyumna and other sons of these eight.
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8. & 9. The powerful Charudeshna, Sudeshna, Charudeha, Sucharu, Charugupta Bhadracharu, Charuchandra, Vicharu and Charu the tenth; Pradyumna being the eldest, were born of Rukmini in no way inferior to the Father.
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10. Bhanu, Subhanu, Swarbhanu, Prabhanu, Bhanuman, Chandrabhanu, Brihatbhanu, Atibhanu the eighth, Sribhanu and Pratibhanu are the ten sons by Satyabhama.
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11. & 12. Samba, Sumitra, Purujit, Satrajit, Sahasrajit, Vijaya, Chitraketu, Vasuman, Dravida (Dravina) and Kratu-these ten beginning with Samba are the sons of Jambavati, most agreeable to the Father.
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13. Veera, (Bhanu) Chandra, Aswasena, Chitragu, Vegavan, Vrisha, Ama, Sanku, the beautiful Vasu and Kunti were the sons of Nagnajiti.
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14. Sruta, Kavi, Vrisha, Veera, Subahu, Badhra, Ekala, Santi, Darsa, Purnamasa, Somaka the youngest are the sons of Kalindi.
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15. Praghosha, Gatravat, Simha, Bala, Prabala, Urdhwaga, Mahasakti, Saha, Oja, Aparajita are the sons of Madri, (or Lakshmana).
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16. Vrika, Harsha (Arka), Anila, Gridhra, Vardhana, Annada, Mahasa, Pavana, Vahni and Kshudhi are the sons of Mitravinda.
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17. Sangramajit, Brihatsena, Sura, Praharana, Arijit, Jaya, Subhadra, Vama, Ayu, Satyaka are the sons of Bhadra.
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18. Diptimat, Tamratapta and others were Hari's sons by Rohini. Of Pradyumna, Anirudha was born by Rukmavati and he was endowed with great strength.
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19. Rukmavati was the daughter of Rukmin born in the city of Bhojakata. The sons and grandsons of these were many millions, O king; sixteen thousand were the mothers of Krishna's sons.
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20. The king said:—How did Rukmin defeated by Krishna in battle and ever looking for an occasion to kill Him, give his daughter to the son of his enemy? Please tell me of this, O sage, how marital relations came about between enemies.
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21. Yogins distinctly see what is beyond the range of the senses, (whether it is of) the future, the past or the present, distant or screened off.
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22. Sri Suka said:— In Swayamvara Manmatha endowed with a body was chosen by her (Rukmavati). The kings that had assembled there the warrior vanquished in battle, riding but in one chariot, and carried her away.
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23. Disgraced by Krishna, Rukmin did constantly cherish inimical feelings towards Him, but to please his sister he bestowed his daughter on his nephew.
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[1. Put to shame by Krishna Rukmin continued to cherish that enmity and by tapas propitiated the god Siva abiding on Sri Saila.
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2. & 3. Propitiated by the tapas of Rukmin, Rudra, first among those that confer boons, asked him to choose a boon: he
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asked for a strong bow invincible for the enemies and not possible to be cut even by the gods. Accordingly Sankara gave him a bow and said thus.
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[4. When thou hatest Vishnu, (then) this bow will leave thee and undoubtedly go back to myself.
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[5. With these words Sankara gave him the bow and vanished out of sight: having obtained this boon the king returned to his city of Bhojakata.
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[6. With that bow he brought under his power in battles all the kings celebrated for their prowess except Krishna.
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[7. & 8. Therefore Rukmin did not make up his mind to stand opposed to Vasudeva, for fear of losing the bow, O great king: still he never conceived an unmixed friendship for Him, though he remembered the words of Siva. In a swayamvara Manmatha himself restored to his body was chosen by her (Rukmavati); putting down the assembled kings with a single chariot he (Pradyumna) took her away: of that Rukmavati the great warrior Anirudha was born.
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[9. At the instance of Bana's daughter, Chitraleka stole him (Anirudha) away and on his account Banasura of thousand arms became Bana of but two arms.]
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24. The powerful son of Kritavarman married, it is said, Charumati, a maiden of broad eyes and daughter of Rukmin.
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25. Though of unquenched enmity and though aware that marital relation is not righteous, still on account of ties of affection and his desire to do the wishes of his sister, Rukmin gave his grand-daughter Rochana to his grandson Anirudha (daughter's son.)
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26. For that festive occasion, Rukmini, Rama and Krishna, Samba, Pradyumna and others were at Bhojakata.
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27. & 28. When the marriage was over, Kalinga and other kings, full of insolence, advised Rukmin to overthrow Balarama in a game at dice: for they told him, "though Bala is ignorant of it, O king, great is Balaram's passion for it." Thus advised, he invited Balarama and with him played at dice.
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29. In the play Balarama staked hundreds and thousands and tens of thousands and all that Rukmi won over: then Kalinga laughed out at Balarama, showing his teeth and Halayuda could not put up with it.
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30. Then Rukmi staked a lakh and in that turn Balarama won it: but Rukmin fraudulently said, "I have won."
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31. Like the sea under the full moon, agitated with rage, the glorious Balarama, naturally of fiery eyes, now much more so in anger, staked Nyarbuda. (V. as before).
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32. Balarama rightly won that also, but Rukmin putting forward a false pretext, said, "That also is won by me, let these umpires give their judgment."
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[1. 'It is so,' said Kalinga too grinning at Balarama; thereupon Bala burned with anger and still kept silence.]
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33. Then a heavenly voice declared that the wager was rightly won only by Balarama and that Rukmi utters a falsehood (in fraud).
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34. Neglecting that voice and prompted by wicked princes as well as his bad time, Vaidarbha (Rukmin) ridiculed Balarama and said.
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35. You cowherds roaming in forests are no experts at dice: only born princes play at dice and with arrows and not those like thee.
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36. Thus reproached and scorned by Rukmin and ridiculed (laughed at) by the kings, the enraged Balarama took up a bolt (the chess-board) and struck him down in that festive assembly.
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37. In ten paces he overtook, and with force caught hold of, the king of Kalingas and made his teeth drop down which he showed in laughing at him.
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38. Many others had their arms, thighs, heads, broken, were bathed in blood and struck by Balarama with Parigha and took to flight in fear.
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39. When Rukmin, the brother-in-law, was thus down, Hari did not say anything for or against lest the affection of Rukmini or Bala should be lost.
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40. Being accomplished of all their purposes, then they set Anirudha with the new bride in a chariot and made their journey to Dwaraka: Balarama and all other Dasarhas, dependents of Madhusudana, departed from Bhojakata.
Linked texts (1)
- Bhāgavatapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit