SB 10.52.41 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

श्वोभाविनि त्वमजितोद्वहने विदर्भान् गुप्त: समेत्य पृतनापतिभि: परीत: । निर्मथ्य चैद्यमगधेन्द्रबलं प्रसह्य मां राक्षसेन विधिनोद्वह वीर्यशुल्काम् ॥ ४१ ॥

Verse text

śvo bhāvini tvam ajitodvahane vidarbhān guptaḥ sametya pṛtanā-patibhiḥ parītaḥ nirmathya caidya-magadhendra-balaṁ prasahya māṁ rākṣasena vidhinodvaha vīrya-śulkām

Synonyms

śvaḥ bhāvini — tomorrow ; tvam — You ; ajita — O unconquerable one ; udvahane — at the time of the marriage ceremony ; vidarbhān — to Vidarbha ; guptaḥ — unseen ; sametya — coming ; pṛtanā — of Your army ; patibhiḥ — by the leaders ; parītaḥ — surrounded ; nirmathya — crushing ; caidya — of Caidya, Śiśupāla ; magadha — indra — and the King of Magadha, Jarāsandha ; balam — the military strength ; prasahya — by force ; mām — me ; rākṣasena vidhinā — in the Rākṣasa style ; udvaha — take in marriage ; vīrya — Your prowess ; śulkām — the payment for whom .

Translation

O unconquerable one, tomorrow when my marriage ceremony is about to begin, You should arrive unseen in Vidarbha and surround Yourself with the leaders of Your army. Then crush the forces of Caidya and Magadhendra and marry me in the Rākṣasa style, winning me with Your valor.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

O unconquerable one, tomorrow when my marriage ceremony is about to begin, You should arrive unseen in Vidarbha and surround Yourself with the leaders of Your army. Then crush the forces of Caidya and Magadhendra and marry me in the Rākṣasa style, winning me with Your valor. KB 10.52.41 Rukmiṇī’s marriage with Śiśupāla was already settled; therefore she suggested that Kṛṣṇa kidnap her so that this might be changed. This sort of marriage, in which the girl is kidnapped by force, is known as rākṣasa and is practiced among kṣatriyas, or men with an administrative, martial spirit. Because her marriage was already arranged to take place the next day, Rukmiṇī suggested that Kṛṣṇa come there incognito to kidnap her and then fight with Śiśupāla and his allies like the King of Magadha. Knowing that no one could conquer Kṛṣṇa, who would certainly emerge victorious, she addressed Him as Ajita, “the unconquerable Lord.”

Purport

As Śrīla Prabhupāda points out in Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Rukmiṇī, being born of royal blood, certainly had a brilliant grasp of political affairs. She advised Śrī Kṛṣṇa to enter the city alone and unnoticed and then surround Himself with His military commanders so He could do what was needed. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī compares the coming fight to the Lord’s churning of the ocean to extract the goddess Lakṣmī. Gorgeous Rukmiṇī, the goddess of fortune, would be gained in the coming turbulence.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

"True I accept you according to your past pious actions, but what should I do, now that you are have been given to Sisupala in marriage? " Rukmini then shows him a method. "You cannot be defeated by anyone (ajita), and therefore at the upcoming wedding, first you should enter the city unseen, without troops, and having entered the city, you can surround yourself with your army to show your strength. If you do not do this, then it will be difficult to enter the city quickly, for outside the city troops will be ready to fight with you. After entering the city, however, you can say that you have come to see the spectacular wedding and the army will have no reason for fighting with you. Then at your leisure you can take me away. If the evil, fearsome troops agitate to fight with you (nirmanthya), you can show your bravery, just as you received Laksmi from the churning (nirmanthana) of the ocean. Suddenly snatch me away, the reward for your show of strength."

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

In great distress, in two verses she gives her solution to the problem. You should be unknown, announcing yourself with a different province, name and language and come directly inside the assembly (sam--etya). Come surrounded by any leaders of armies. This indicates a huge army. She makes this description out of affection for Kṛṣṇa. She incites him boldly because he is unconquerable (ajita). Crush the forces of Śiśupāla and Jarāṣandha who has come to help him. The word nirmathya (crush or churn) suggests an ocean of armies. Just as you previously churned the Milk Ocean and delivered me (Lakṣmī) so you should churn the ocean of Śiśupāla’s armies and deliver me now. Suggesting the Rākṣasa type of marriage, she indicates his indifference to the enemy and suitability of her request. This act will be successful because you are unconquerable (ajita).

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

Enter within the city (sametya), surrounded by leaders of troops like Balarāma. There should be many leaders of troops. Though you are unconquerable (ajita), you should think of friends in danger. Agitate the enemy troops constantly or destroy them completely (nirmathya). Jarāsandha’s army should be destroyed because it assists Śiśupāla. The word nirmathya (churn) suggests that the armies are unlimited like the ocean. Moreover, just as pervious the ocean was churned, and you delivered me, now also deliver me from the inner city with its ocean of Śiśupāla’s army. In rākṣasa marriage there is no considerable of asking for the bride or qualification for marrying the bride. Or “Why do you encourage me to engage in a great battle?” You are famous at all times and places for victory. O unconquerable one!