Devanagari
श्रीरुक्मिण्युवाच
नन्वेवमेतदरविन्दविलोचनाह
यद्वै भवान् भगवतोऽसदृशी विभूम्न: ।
क्व स्वे महिम्न्यभिरतो भगवांस्त्र्यधीश:
क्वाहं गुणप्रकृतिरज्ञगृहीतपादा ॥ ३४ ॥
Verse text
śrī-rukmiṇy uvāca
nanv evam etad aravinda-vilocanāha
yad vai bhavān bhagavato ’sadṛśī vibhūmnaḥ
kva sve mahimny abhirato bhagavāṁs try-adhīśaḥ
kvāhaṁ guṇa-prakṛtir ajṣa-gṛhīta-pādā
Synonyms
śrī
—
rukmiṇī uvāca — Śrī Rukmiṇī said
;
nanu
—
well
;
evam
—
so be it
;
etat
—
this
;
aravinda
—
vilocana — O lotus-eyed one
;
āha
—
said
;
yat
—
which
;
vai
—
indeed
;
bhavān
—
You
;
bhagavataḥ
—
to the Supreme Lord
;
asadṛśī
—
unequal
;
vibhūmnaḥ
—
to the almighty
;
kva
—
where, in comparison
;
sve
—
in His own
;
mahimni
—
glory
;
abhirataḥ
—
taking pleasure
;
bhagavān
—
the Supreme Lord
;
tri
—
of the three (principal deities, namely Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva)
;
adhīśaḥ
—
the controller
;
kva
—
and where
;
aham
—
myself
;
guṇa
—
of material qualities
;
prakṛtiḥ
—
whose character
;
ajṣa
—
by foolish persons
;
gṛhīta
—
taken hold of
;
pādā
—
whose feet .
Translation
Śrī Rukmiṇī said: Actually, what You have said is true, O lotus-eyed one. I am indeed unsuitable for the almighty Personality of Godhead. What comparison is there between that Supreme Lord, who is master of the three primal deities and who delights in His own glory, and myself, a woman of mundane qualities whose feet are grasped by fools?
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Śrī Rukmiṇī said: Actually, what You have said is true, O lotus-eyed one. I am indeed unsuitable for the almighty Personality of Godhead. What comparison is there between that Supreme Lord, who is master of the three primal deities and who delights in His own glory, and myself, a woman of mundane qualities whose feet are grasped by fools?
KB 10.60.34
She said, “My dear lotus-eyed Lord, Your statement that we are not a fit combination is completely right. It is not possible for me to come to an equal level with You, for You are the reservoir of all qualities, the unlimited Supreme Personality of Godhead. How can I be a fit match for You? There is no possibility of comparison with You, who are the master of all greatness, the controller of the three qualities and the object of worship for great demigods like Brahmā and Lord Śiva. As far as I am concerned, I am a product of the three modes of material nature, which impede the progressive advancement of devotional service. When and where can I be a fit match for You?
Purport
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī lists the faults Lord Kṛṣṇa had described in Himself that He claimed disqualified Him from being Rukmiṇī’s husband. These include incompatibility, fearfulness, taking shelter in the ocean, quarreling with the powerful, abandoning His kingdom, uncertainty as to His identity, acting against ordinary standards of behavior, having no good qualities, being praised falsely by beggars, aloofness, and lack of desire for family life. The Lord claimed that Rukmiṇī had failed to recognize these bad qualities in Him. Now she begins to respond to all the Lord’s statements.
First she responds to Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s statement in text 11 of this chapter:
kasmān no vavṛṣe ’samān.
“Why did you select Us, who are not equal to you?” Here Śrīmatī Rukmiṇī-devī says that she and Kṛṣṇa are certainly not equal, for no one can be equal to the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī further points out that in her extreme humility Rukmiṇī is identifying herself with the Lord’s external energy, which in fact is her expansion, Rukmiṇī being the goddess of fortune.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Taking the same statements by which Krsna previously denigrated himself, and praised Rukmini, Rukmini now gives an opposite meaning to those points.
Krsna had said, "You should not have accepted me because we are not equal in qualities."
Rukmini here replies, "Oh Lotus eyed Lord, that is true (nunma), I can never be equal to you. You are the supreme Lord endowed with six opulences, the controller of the three gunas (tryadhisa). And I am controlled by the three gunas. I am vastly inferior to you. It is not possible that I can be equal to you. Out of a feeling of great humility, Rukmini identified herself with the material energy, which is just a portion of her energy."
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
In the second line of his introductory verse Śrīdhara Svāmī mentions three separate faults in Kṛṣṇa: his ignorance, not following normal behavior and causing women to suffer.
The following is the meaning. I am not suitable for you. What you say is true. But you are Bhagavān, filled with respect. This is certain (vai). “Why is it certain?” You are filled with unlimited powers, qualities and beauty (vibhūmnaḥ). You have lotus eyes. I cannot compare in beauty to even one of your limbs, what to speak of having similar beauty in all limbs. This difference is explained. You are completely engaged in your own glory, most highly praised because of having the most blissful form because you are Bhagavān, existing in the most excellent position. I, on the other hand, am endowed by nature with prakṛti, along with its faults of the three guṇas down to tamas. I am in the lowest position, extending down from mahat-tattva to the grossest elements. Having shown his form with disregard for powers, she then shows his powerful aspect. You are worshipped (īśaḥ) by Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva or by the three guṇas. You are the Lord above (adhi) the puruṣa. I am only your aṁśa (pādā), displaying powers of sattva etc., whom materialists (ajña) worship. My feet are sought by Indra and other ignorant people, since I am the essential Lakṣmī of the material world. Though she is actually the Lord’s svarūpa-śakti, out of humility she identifies herself with her shadow expansion, māyā-śakti. Śrīdhara Svāmī clearly accepts that Kṛṣṇa is the controller of Brahmā, Śiva and even Viṣṇu.
In one meaning, she speaks in humility. You are engaged in your powers, in your form of omniscience and beauty as Bhagavān. What am I? Though I am a śakti intrinsic to your svarūpa, because of possessing śakti, I am the secondary śakti called prakṛti.
tripād-vyāptiḥ pare dhāmni pādo’syehābhavat punaḥ |
tripād-vibhūtir nityā syād anityaṁ pādam aiśvaram ||
The Lord’s power spreads over the spiritual realm. The tripād-vibhūti is eternal. The one portion of power is temporary. Padma Purāṇa
You are the Lord above all, in control of the tripād-vibhūti in Vaikuṇṭha, according to the Padma Purāṇa. Thus what am I in comparison? I am worshipped by those who know (jña) Viṣṇu (a). I am recognized for the powers accomplished through your great powers.
She speaks without humility in another meaning. Bhagavān in this manner exists at all times (kvā). He exists as my shelter. I exist always (kvā) as your shelter. I possess the very nature (prakṛtiḥ) of your qualities such as powers. Thus I am worshipped by those who lack no knowledge (ajña). How then am I unequal?
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
I am not suitable for you. What you say is true. But you are Bhagavān, filled with respect. This is certain (vai). “Why is it certain?” You are filled with unlimited powers, (vibhūmnaḥ). You have lotus eyes. I cannot compare in beauty to even one of your limbs, what to speak of having similar beauty in all limbs.
This is further explained. You are completely absorbed (abhirataḥ) in your own uncommon greatness, your bliss, because you are the supreme Lord (bhagavān) and the ruler (adhīśaḥ) of the three deities. I am just a woman, dependent, interested in material happiness. These three terms sve mahimne abhirataḥ, bhagavān and tryādhīśaḥ should be explained as contrary to her: aham, guṇa-prakrtiḥ and ajña-gṛhīta-pādā. Or bhagavān can refer to bhavān. Thus sve mahimne abhirataḥ and tryadhīśaḥ are paired with guṇa-prakṛtiḥ and ajña-gṛhīta-pādā. Or you manifest glory by combining power and astonishment simultaneously in one action (sve mahimni). Brahmā says:
bhūmeḥ suretara-varūtha-vimarditāyāḥ
kleśa-vyayāya kalayā sita-kṛṣṇa-keśaḥ |
jātaḥ kariṣyati janānupalakṣya-mārgaḥ
karmāṇi cātma-mahimopanibandhanāni ||
Kṛṣṇa, with skillfully bound up hair, whose method of attainment is unknown to men, having made his appearance to relieve the earth of the suffering caused by the armies of demons, and to relieve the devotees of their pain of separation, will perform activities whose sweetness will hide his powers. SB 2.7.26
This is possible because you are endowed with unlimited astonishing powers (bhagavān). And you are the Lord of the three worlds. I am one princess from the southern province of Vidarbha. I am a piece of matter with material qualities. Why then do kings of the three worlds seek you? They are fools. I control fools. I am most foolish. The contrast can be seen in opposite order. (You are lord of the three worlds whereas I am just a small princess; you are bhagavān, beyond the guṇas, and I am in the guṇas; you are absorbed in your astonishing actions and I am a fool, worshipped by fools.)
Or his two qualities are contrasted with her two qualities in order. You are absorbed in your bliss. I am made of matter with material qualities. You are the Lord of the three worlds. I am served by the ignorant and am ignorant.