SB 10.54.18 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

रुक्‍मी तु राक्षसोद्वाहं कृष्णद्विडसहन् स्वसु: । पृष्ठतोऽन्वगमत् कृष्णमक्षौहिण्या वृतो बली ॥ १८ ॥

Verse text

rukmī tu rākṣasodvāhaṁ kṛṣṇa-dviḍ asahan svasuḥ pṛṣṭhato ’nvagamat kṛṣṇam akṣauhiṇyā vṛto balī

Synonyms

rukmī — Rukmī ; tu — however ; rākṣasa — in the style of demons ; udvāham — the marriage ; kṛṣṇa — dviṭ — the hater of Kṛṣṇa ; asahan — unable to bear ; svasuḥ — of his sister ; pṛṣṭhataḥ — from behind ; anvagamat — he followed ; kṛṣṇam — Lord Kṛṣṇa ; akṣauhiṇyā — by an entire akṣauhiṇī division ; vṛtaḥ — surrounded ; balī — powerful .

Translation

Powerful Rukmī, however, was especially envious of Kṛṣṇa. He could not bear the fact that Kṛṣṇa had carried off his sister to marry her in the Rākṣasa style. Thus he pursued the Lord with an entire military division.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Powerful Rukmī, however, was especially envious of Kṛṣṇa. He could not bear the fact that Kṛṣṇa had carried off his sister to marry her in the Rākṣasa style. Thus he pursued the Lord with an entire military division. KB 10.54.18 The whole catastrophe of the defeat was due to the envious nature of Rukmiṇī’s elder brother Rukmī. Having seen his sister forcibly taken away by Kṛṣṇa after he had planned to marry her to Śiśupāla, Rukmī was frustrated. So after Śiśupāla, his friend and intended brother-in-law, returned home, Rukmī, very much agitated, was determined to teach Kṛṣṇa a lesson personally. He called for his own soldiers—a military phalanx consisting of several thousand elephants, horses, chariots and infantry—and equipped with this military strength, he began to follow Kṛṣṇa to Dvārakā.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

This verse describes the activities when the battle started. He followed behind Kṛṣṇa since Kṛṣṇa had departed for Dvārakā and had entrusted the fighting to Balarāma and others. Hari-vaṁśa says: ādāya rukmiṇīṁ kṛṣṇo jagāmāśu purīṁ prati / rāme cāsajya taṁ bhāraṁ yuyudhāne ca vīryavān // akrūre vipṛthau cāpi gade ca kṛtavarmaṇi / cakradeve sudeve sāraṇe ca mahābale // nivṛttaśatrau vikrānte bhaṅgakāre vidūrathe / ugrasenātmaje kaṅke śatadyumne ca keśavaḥ // rājādhideve mṛdare prasene citrake tathā / atidānte bṛhaddurge śvaphalke satyake pṛthau // vṛṣṇyandhakeṣu cānyeṣu mukhyeṣu madhusūdanaḥ / Taking Rukmiṇī, courageous Kṛṣṇa departed for Dvārakā. He gave the responsibility of fighting to Balarāma, Yuyudhāna, Akrūra, Vipṛthu, Gada, Kṛtavarmā, Cakradeva, Sudeva, Sāraṇa, Mahābala, Nivṛttaśatru, Vikrānta, Bhaṅgakāra, Vidūratha, Ugrasena’s son named Kaṅka, Śatadyumna, Rājādhideva, Mṛdara, Prasena, Citraka, Atidānta. Bṛhaddurga, Śvaphalka, Satyaka and Pṛthu as well as many other leading Vṛṣnis and Andhakas. He fooled those who were following his path.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

Tu indicates a different topic. He could not tolerate his sister being carried off since he hated Kṛṣṇa, the supreme lord (kṛṣṇa-dvit). This shows his foolishness and wickedness. Afterwards, he pursued Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa had departed for Dvārakā, leaving the fighting to Balarāma and others. ādāya rukmiṇīṁ kṛṣṇo jagāmāśu purīṁ prati / rāme cāsajya taṁ bhāraṁ yuyudhāne ca vīryavān // akrūre vipṛthau cāpi gade ca kṛtavarmaṇi / cakradeve sudeve sāraṇe ca mahābale // nivṛttaśatrau vikrānte bhaṅgakāre vidūrathe / ugrasenātmaje kaṅke śatadyumne ca keśavaḥ // rājādhideve mṛdare prasene citrake tathā / atidānte bṛhaddurge śvaphalke satyake pṛthau // vṛṣṇyandhakeṣu cānyeṣu mukhyeṣu madhusūdanaḥ / Taking Rukmiṇī, courageous Kṛṣṇa departed for Dvārakā. He gave the responsibility of fighting to Balarāma, Yuyudhāna, Akrūra, Vipṛthu, Gada, Kṛtavarmā, Cakradeva, Sudeva, Sāraṇa, Mahābala, Nivṛttaśatru, Vikrānta, Bhaṅgakāra, Vidūratha, Ugrasena’s son named Kaṅka, Śatadyumna, Rājādhideva, Mṛdara, Prasena, Citraka, Atidānta. Bṛhaddurga, Śvaphalka, Satyaka and Pṛthu as well as many other leading Vṛṣnis and Andhakas. Hari-vaṁṣa Surrounded by one akṣauhiṇī or many, Rukmī pursued the Lord. He was capable of fighting (baliḥ).