SB 10.53.51 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

तां देवमायामिव धीरमोहिनीं सुमध्यमां कुण्डलमण्डिताननाम् । श्यामां नितम्बार्पितरत्नमेखलां व्यञ्जत्स्तनीं कुन्तलशङ्कितेक्षणाम् । शुचिस्मितां बिम्बफलाधरद्युति- शोणायमानद्विजकुन्दकुड्‍मलाम् ॥ ५१ ॥ पदा चलन्तीं कलहंसगामिनीं सिञ्जत्कलानूपुरधामशोभिना । विलोक्य वीरा मुमुहु: समागता यशस्विनस्तत्कृतहृच्छयार्दिता: ॥ ५२ ॥ यां वीक्ष्य ते नृपतयस्तदुदारहास- व्रीदावलोकहृतचेतस उज्झितास्‍त्रा: । पेतु: क्षितौ गजरथाश्वगता विमूढा यात्राच्छलेन हरयेऽर्पयतीं स्वशोभाम् ॥ ५३ ॥ सैवं शनैश्चलयती चलपद्मकोशौ प्राप्तिं तदा भगवत: प्रसमीक्षमाणा । उत्सार्य वामकरजैरलकानपाङ्गै: प्राप्तान् ह्रियैक्षत नृपान् दद‍ृशेऽच्युतं च ॥ ५४ ॥ तां राजकन्यां रथमारुरुक्षतीं जहार कृष्णो द्विषतां समीक्षताम् ॥ ५५ ॥

Verse text

tāṁ deva-māyām iva dhīra-mohinīṁ su-madhyamāṁ kuṇḍala-maṇḍitānanām śyāmāṁ nitambārpita-ratna-mekhalāṁ vyaṣjat-stanīṁ kuntala-śaṅkitekṣaṇām śuci-smitāṁ bimba-phalādhara-dyuti- śoṇāyamāna-dvija-kunda-kuḍmalām padā calantīṁ kala-haṁsa-gāminīṁ siṣjat-kalā-nūpura-dhāma-śobhinā vilokya vīrā mumuhuḥ samāgatā yaśasvinas tat-kṛta-hṛc-chayārditāḥ yāṁ vīkṣya te nṛpatayas tad udāra-hāsa- vrīdāvaloka-hṛta-cetasa ujjhitāstrāḥ petuḥ kṣitau gaja-rathāśva-gatā vimūḍhā yātrā-cchalena haraye ’rpayatīṁ sva-śobhām saivaṁ śanaiś calayatī cala-padma-kośau prāptiṁ tadā bhagavataḥ prasamīkṣamāṇā utsārya vāma-karajair alakān apaṅgaiḥ prāptān hriyaikṣata nṛpān dadṛśe ’cyutaṁ ca tāṁ rāja-kanyāṁ ratham ārurakṣatīṁ jahāra kṛṣṇo dviṣatāṁ samīkṣatām

Synonyms

tām — her ; deva — of the Supreme Lord ; māyām — the illusory potency ; iva — as if ; dhīra — even those who are sober ; mohinīm — who bewilders ; su — madhyamām — whose waist was well-formed ; kuṇḍala — with earrings ; maṇḍita — decorated ; ānanām — whose face ; śyāmām — uncontaminated beauty ; nitamba — on whose hips ; arpita — placed ; ratna — jewel-studded ; mekhalām — a belt ; vyaṣjat — budding ; stanīm — whose breasts ; kuntala — of the locks of her hair ; śaṅkita — frightened ; īkṣaṇām — whose eyes ; śuci — pure ; smitām — with a smile ; bimba — phala — like a bimba fruit ; adhara — of whose lips ; dyuti — by the glow ; śoṇāyamāna — becoming reddened ; dvija — whose teeth ; kunda — jasmine ; kuḍmalām — like buds ; padā — with her feet ; calantīm — walking ; kala — haṁsa — like that of a royal swan ; gāminīm — whose gait ; siṣjat — tinkling ; kalā — skillfully fashioned ; nūpura — of whose ankle bells ; dhāma — by the effulgence ; śobhinā — beautified ; vilokya — seeing ; vīrāḥ — the heroes ; mumuhuḥ — became bewildered ; samāgatāḥ — assembled ; yaśasvinaḥ — respectable ; tat — by this ; kṛta — generated ; hṛt — śaya — by the lust ; arditāḥ — distressed ; yām — whom ; vīkṣya — upon seeing ; te — these ; nṛ — patayaḥ — kings ; tat — her ; udāra — broad ; hāsa — by the smiles ; vrīḍā — of shyness ; avaloka — and the glances ; hṛta — stolen ; cetasaḥ — whose minds ; ujjhita — dropping ; astrāḥ — their weapons ; petuḥ — they fell ; kṣitau — to the ground ; gaja — on elephants ; ratha — chariots ; aśva — and horses ; gatāḥ — sitting ; vimūḍhāḥ — fainting ; yātrā — of the procession ; chalena — on the pretext ; haraye — to Lord Hari, Kṛṣṇa ; arpayatīm — who was offering ; sva — her own ; śobhām — beauty ; sā — she ; evam — thus ; śanaiḥ — slowly ; calayatī — making walk ; cala — moving ; padma — of lotus flowers ; kośau — the two whorls (that is, her feet) ; prāptim — the arrival ; tadā — then ; bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Lord ; prasamīkṣamāṇā — eagerly awaiting ; utsārya — pushing away ; vāma — left ; kara — jaiḥ — with the nails of her hand ; alakān — her hair ; apāṅgaiḥ — with sidelong glances ; prāptān — those present ; hriyā — with shyness ; aikṣata — she looked ; nṛpān — at the kings ; dadṛśe — she saw ; acyutam — Kṛṣṇa ; ca — and ; tām — her ; rāja — kanyām — the King’s daughter ; ratham — His chariot ; ārurukṣatīm — who was ready to mount ; jahāra — seized ; kṛṣṇaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa ; dviṣatām — His enemies ; samīkṣatām — as they looked on .

Translation

Rukmiṇī appeared as enchanting as the Lord’s illusory potency, who enchants even the sober and grave. Thus the kings gazed upon her virgin beauty, her shapely waist, and her lovely face adorned with earrings. Her hips were graced with a jewel-studded belt, her breasts were just budding, and her eyes seemed apprehensive of her encroaching locks of hair. She smiled sweetly, her jasmine-bud teeth reflecting the glow of her bimba-red lips. As she walked with the motions of a royal swan, the effulgence of her tinkling ankle bells beautified her feet. Seeing her, the assembled heroes were totally bewildered. Lust tore at their hearts. Indeed, when the kings saw her broad smile and shy glance, they became stupefied, dropped their weapons and fell unconscious to the ground from their elephants, chariots and horses. On the pretext of the procession, Rukmiṇī displayed her beauty for Kṛṣṇa alone. Slowly she advanced the two moving lotus-whorls of her feet, awaiting the arrival of the Supreme Lord. With the fingernails of her left hand she pushed some strands of hair away from her face and shyly looked from the corners of her eyes at the kings standing before her. At that moment she saw Kṛṣṇa. Then, while His enemies looked on, the Lord seized the princess, who was eager to mount His chariot.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Rukmiṇī appeared as enchanting as the Lord's illusory potency, who enchants even the sober and grave. Thus the kings gazed upon her virgin beauty, her shapely waist, and her lovely face adorned with earrings. Her hips were graced with a jewel-studded belt, her breasts were just budding, and her eyes seemed apprehensive of her encroaching locks of hair. She smiled sweetly, her jasmine-bud teeth reflecting the glow of her bimba-red lips. As she walked with the motions of a royal swan, the effulgence of her tinkling ankle bells beautified her feet. Seeing her, the assembled heroes were totally bewildered. Lust tore at their hearts. Indeed, when the kings saw her broad smile and shy glance, they became stupefied, dropped their weapons and fell unconscious to the ground from their elephants, chariots and horses. On the pretext of the procession, Rukmiṇī displayed her beauty for Kṛṣṇa alone. Slowly she advanced the two moving lotus-whorls of her feet, awaiting the arrival of the Supreme Lord. With the fingernails of her left hand she pushed some strands of hair away from her face and shyly looked from the corners of her eyes at the kings standing before her. At that moment she saw Kṛṣṇa. Then, while His enemies looked on, the Lord seized the princess, who was eager to mount His chariot. KB 10.53.51-55 All the princes and visitors who came to Kuṇḍina for the marriage had assembled outside the temple to see Rukmiṇī. The princes were especially eager to see her because they all actually thought that they would have Rukmiṇī as their wife. Struck with wonder upon seeing Rukmiṇī, they thought she was especially manufactured by the Creator to bewilder all the great chivalrous princes. Her body was well constructed, the middle portion being thin. Her high hips were adorned with a jeweled locket, she had pink lips, and the beauty of her face was enhanced by her slightly scattered hair and by different kinds of earrings. The bodily luster and beauty of Rukmiṇī appeared as if painted by an artist perfectly presenting beauty following the descriptions of great poets. Rukmiṇī’s breasts are described as being somewhat high, indicating that she was just a youth not more than thirteen or fourteen years old. Her beauty was specifically intended to attract the attention of Kṛṣṇa. Although the princes gazed upon her beautiful features, she was not at all proud. Her eyes moved restlessly, and when she smiled very simply, like an innocent girl, her teeth appeared just like jasmine buds. Expecting Kṛṣṇa to take her away at any moment, she proceeded slowly toward her home. Her legs moved just like a full-grown swan, and her ankle bells tinkled mildly. The chivalrous princes assembled there were so overwhelmed by Rukmiṇī’s beauty that they became almost unconscious and fell from their horses and elephants. Full of lust, they hopelessly desired Rukmiṇī’s hand, comparing their own beauty to hers. Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī, however, was not interested in any of them; in her heart she was simply expecting Kṛṣṇa to come and carry her away. As she was adjusting the ornaments on a finger of her left hand, she happened to look upon the princes and suddenly saw that Kṛṣṇa was present amongst them. Although Rukmiṇī had never before seen Kṛṣṇa, she was always thinking of Him; thus she had no difficulty recognizing Him amongst the princely order.

Purport

According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, Rukmiṇī was anxious that her locks of hair might impede her vision, since she was most eager to see her beloved Kṛṣṇa. The nondevotees, or demons, are bewildered at seeing the opulences of the Lord and think that His potency is meant for their gross sense gratification. But Rukmiṇī, an expansion of Kṛṣṇa’s internal pleasure potency, was meant for the Lord alone. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī quotes the following verse to describe the kind of woman known as śyāmā: śīta-kāle bhaved usṇo uṣṇa-kāle tu śītalā stanau su-kaṭhinau yasyāḥ sā śyāmā parikīrtitā “A woman is called śyāmā when her breasts are very firm and when someone in her presence feels warm in the winter and cool in the summer.” Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī further points out that since the beautiful form of Rukmiṇī is a manifestation of the Lord’s internal energy, the nondevotees cannot perceive her. Thus the heroic kings assembled in Vidarbha were agitated with lust upon seeing the Lord’s illusory potency, an expansion of Rukmiṇī. In other words, no one can lust after the Lord’s eternal consort, since as soon as one’s mind is contaminated with lust, the covering of Māyā separates one from the pristine beauty of the spiritual world and its inhabitants. Finally, Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī-devī felt shy as she looked from the corners of her eyes at the other kings, for she did not want to meet the glances of those inferior men.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Then the demons, who were inimical to the Lord began to see Rukmini, the sakti of the Lord, full of knowledge and bliss, as Maya. This is described in two and a half verse. Verses 51 and 52, describing Rukmini are connected to verse 53, which describes the warriors who saw her as devimaya. The word iva means "certainly" in this phrase. Thus they saw her certainly as devimaya. The wrestlers saw Krsna as a thunderbolt, not as a tender, young boy. Thinking of him as such, was not thinking of his svarupa, all the different spectators viewed the svarupa of Krsna in their own way at the wrestling arena. In the same way the demons thought of Rukmini as some very bewildering maya of the devatas, and not some human woman. Then that devamaya is described in detail. She was syama, a woman who is warm during the cold seasons, and cool during the hot season, with hard breasts. The warriors became overcome with lust on seeing Rukmini with such qualities ,wiht prominent breasts, and eyes moving about as if afraid of her locks of hair. She had teeth like jasmine buds reflecting the redness of her bimba like lips. She moved her feet which were lit by her jingling, well crafted ankle bells. From perceiving her in this way as maya, they became afflicted with lust, just as Pururava was afflicted with lust on seeing a fiery image of Urvasi produced by the gandharvas. Just as Pururva becamse lusty, not by the fiery image, but the thought that it was Urvasi, so the warriors became lusty, not by seeing Rukmini, but by perceiving her as maya. In this way other meanings of these verse are refuted. Not only did they faint, but they fell to the ground on seeing Rukmini, who had offered her beauty to Krsna and no one else. As Rukmini was walking, because she wanted to see Krsna, she looked at the other men present bashfully, as they were other men. She would not show such bashfulness on seeing him. She then saw Acyuta, who never leaves (cyuta) the heart.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

At the proper time Rukmiṇī displayed her powers in order to defeat the opposing kings. As described in in verse 54, she did not offer her beauty to anyone accept Kṛṣṇa. Therefore she possessed the māyā of Kṛṣṇa (deva-mayīm). This was the māyā of Kṛṣṇa who shines (deva) with his variegated svarūpa for the devotees but appears like a thunderbolt to the wrestlers in the arena. (SB 10.43.17) Another version has vīra-mohinīm. She was bewildering to the opposing kings, breaking their determination. Seeing her, as she bewildered them by assuming another form, they fainted. That form which bewildered them is described as having fine hips etc. By her taking that form of mohinī they were bewildered. Though famous for courage and intelligence (yaśasvinaḥ), they became tormented with love because of her bewildering form. The kings became useless. Seeing that bewildering form, they fell to the ground. She had offered her real, extraordinary beauty to the Lord. It was not visible to the demons. With her fingers she pushed aside her locks of hair. She was looking for her Lord with shy side-glances. She did not look directly. She saw the fallen kings and then saw Kṛṣṇa. What did she do? She moved her lotus bud feet slowing with a desire to come close to him. Instead of caraṇābja-koṣau there is another version calat-padma-koṣau accepted by Śrīdhara Svāmī. Caraṇa is missing in that metaphor. This is an example of the first type atiśayokti (identity in difference). siddhatve'dhyavasāyasyātiśayoktir nigadyate || bhede’py abhedaḥ sambandhe’sambandhas tad-viparyayau | paurvāparyātmakaṁ kārya-hetvoḥ sā pañcadhā mataḥ || When the object is completely identified with the object of comparison it is called atiśayokti. There are five types, identity in difference, non-relation in relationship, the opposites of these, and reversal of cause and effect. Sāhitya-darpaṇa 71-72 Acyutam ca is accepted by Śrīdhara Svāmī though acyutam sā is generally accepted. Sā seems to be correct to match the grammatical construction of the verses. She saw Kṛṣṇa who did not waver from his promise (acyutam). There was no need to investigate further. She was in the process of getting on the chariot. She did not get on immediately but started doing various activities to prepare to mount the chariot. She did not mount immediately because she did not want to show disrespect to the sacred procession. The rivals looked on with direct vision. They had recovered from their bewilderment. The possessive case is used to show that Kṛṣṇa disrespected them.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

She was like the māyā of Viṣṇu (deva) since she was most beautiful for similar to Mohinī. O vīra (warrior) or dhīra (intelligent person)! The details of her beauty are then described with ten descriptive terms. Not only her waist was attractive (sumadhyama) but all limbs were attractive. Hari-vaṁṣa describes this. Śyāmāvadātā sā hy āsīt pṛthucārvāyatekṣaṇā Tāmroṣṭha-nayanāpāṅī pīnoru-jaghanastanī Vṛhatī cārusarvāṅī tanvīśacīnibhānanā Tāmra-tuṅganahī subhrur nīlakuñcita-mūrdhajā Atyarthām rūpataḥ kāntā pīna-=śroṇipayodharā Tīkṣṇa-śuklaiḥ samair dantaiḥ prabhāsadbhir alaṅkṛtā Sananyā pramadā loke rūpeṇa yaśasā śriyā Rūpiṇī rukmiṇī devī pāṇdura- ksaumavāsinī She was pure and dark. Her eyes were long and wide. Her lips were red. She glanced with her eyes. Her thighs were firm and ankles were narrow. Her limbs were large and waist was narrow. Her face was like the moon. Her raised nails were red. Her brows and hair were black. She was beautiful because of her form. Her hips and breasts were full. She was ornamented with even, white, sharp, shining teeth. She was incomparable in this world by her beauty, fame and wealth. She wore pale yellow cloth. She wore unlimited ornaments on her hips and ears. She was at vayaḥ sandhi (śyāmām). Thus her breasts were budding (vyañjat-stanīm). Her limbs, beauty, age and ornaments are described in summary. Then her sweetness is described in verse 51. Her glance was sweet, through her locks of hair. Her smile was sweet. This revealed her teeth slightly. Her gait was sweet. Her ankle bells sounded like a swan, as she walked like a swan. Directly seeing her, all the gathered warriors, though famous by defeating enemies, fainted in sorrow because they had no hope to attain her. They were frightened by her desire to have Kṛṣṇa (tat-kṛta-hṛcchaya). Though brave and mounted on elephants, they fell to the ground from fainting, dropping their weapons. Their hearts were destroyed by Kṛṣṇa’s shy glance and best smile, endowed with love, directed to Rukmiṇī. They fainted because of agitation, understanding that he would steal her. On the pretext of going to the temple, she offered or showed her extraordinary beauty to Kṛṣṇa alone. She actually went outside the palace so that Kṛṣṇa could take her. She did this by gently moving her feet. They were soft like lotus buds. The comparison with the lotus is to show their beautiful. She moved slowly because of their beauty and because of their softness. She waited to attain the Lord, endowed with all powers (bhagavataḥ). Or she was expecting with great desire (pra) to see him (praptim) with her eyes. She pushed aside her locks in order to see the Lord clearly. This indicates her cleverness. She saw all the kings who had come (prāptān) to help Śiśupāla. Wanting to see Kṛṣṇa, she cast a shy glance everywhere. She did not look at the kings. She sent many glances in order to see everywhere. Or she looked at the kings who were received with shame, caused by her disrespect for them. Or pushing aside her locks which blocked her glances, while glancing here and there for the arrival of the Lord, she saw the kings who had fallen here and there. Later by her glances (apāṅgaiḥ) she saw Kṛṣṇa who has standing far away in order to fool the kings. Kṛṣṇa does not fail in his determination (acyutam) and never fails to show his form and qualities at any time. She was eager to mount the chariot because she was a princess. She could not go to his house on foot. Or she could not go on foot because her feet were tender and she was unable to walk that far. Getting down from his chariot, he took her hand in his. Or he put her on his lap in the chariot, while the king looked. They had recovered from fainting. Genitive case indicates lack of respect for the kings. This act shows his boldness, his prowess and quickness. This could happen because he was Kṛṣṇa, bhagavān. Or he attracted all. He was most expert at directly taking her.