Journeying to the sacred Badarī-āśrama, the revered dwelling of Nara and Nārāyaṇa, he arrived with a tranquil mind, steadfastly enduring all dualities. There, he worshipped Lord Hari through deep austerities, seeking divine grace. Meanwhile, the Lord Himself returned once more to the city besieged by the Yavanas. With great might, He vanquished these barbarian forces and gathered their wealth, bringing it back to Dvārakā. As the treasure was being transported—accompanied by cows and men—Jarāsandha, the powerful king, arrived, leading a formidable force of twenty-three armies, incited by Acyuta. Observing the rapid and forceful advance of the enemy host, Krishna and Balarāma, though divine, adopted the ways of ordinary men. They swiftly fled the scene, O King, abandoning the vast wealth. Though fearless in truth, they appeared as if afraid, like cowards, and traveled many yojanas on foot, their lotus-like feet touching the earth. Jarāsandha, the mighty monarch of Magadha, saw them fleeing and laughed, giving chase with his chariot divisions, unaware of the true nature and power of the two Lords. After covering a great distance and growing weary, Krishna and Balarāma ascended the lofty Pravarṣaṇa mountain, known for its perpetual rains. Unable to find their tracks upon the mountain, Jarāsandha surmised that they were hiding. Determined, he ordered the mountain to be set ablaze on all sides. Yet, as the flames rose, the two brothers leapt from the burning slope, descending from the ten-yojana-high peak to the ground below. Unseen by their adversaries, Krishna and Balarāma, the best of the Yadus, returned safely to their city, Dvārakā, protected by the ocean. Jarāsandha, convinced that Balarāma and Keśava had perished in the fire, withdrew his vast army and returned to Magadha. In the meantime, the illustrious king of Ānarta, Raivata, following the counsel of Brahmā, gave his daughter Raivatī in marriage to Baladeva, as had been previously ordained. Govinda, the Supreme Lord, also took as His bride Vaidarbhī, the daughter of Bhīṣmaka and mother of Śrī, at her svayaṃvara, O best of the Kurus. Overcoming the assembled kings—Śālva and the allies of Cedi—by force, Krishna seized her before the eyes of all, as Garuḍa might snatch the nectar. At this point, the king inquired: “It is said that the Lord married Rukmiṇī, the beautiful daughter of Bhīṣmaka, by the rākṣasa rite. O Lord, I wish to hear how Krishna, of immeasurable brilliance, after conquering Jarāsandha, Śālva, and others, brought the maiden as His bride. Who could ever tire of hearing the sacred stories of Krishna—sweet as honey, purifying the world, ever fresh and new, even for those well-versed in them?” Śrī Bādarāyaṇa replied: There was a great king named Bhīṣmaka, the lord of Vidarbha, who had five sons and a daughter of exceptional beauty. The sons were Rukmi, Rukmaratha, Rukmabāhu, Rukmakeśa, and Rukmamālī; and their virtuous sister was Rukmiṇī. Rukmiṇī, hearing from visitors to her home the praises of Mukunda—of His beauty, valor, virtues, and glory—came to consider Krishna the only worthy husband. Krishna, for His part, recognized in her a rare combination of intelligence, noble character, beauty, and virtue, and resolved in His heart to accept her as His wife. Although her relatives wished to give the princess to Krishna, her brother Rukmi, who harbored enmity towards Krishna, prevented this and sought to wed her to Śiśupāla instead. Learning of these plans, the dark-eyed princess of Vidarbha became deeply distressed. After thoughtful deliberation, she swiftly sent a trusted Brahmin messenger to Krishna. The Brahmin journeyed to Dvārakā and, upon arrival, was admitted by the doorkeepers into the Lord’s presence. There, he beheld Krishna seated upon a golden throne. Seeing the Brahmin, the Lord of devotees rose, offered him a seat, and honored him as the gods honor themselves. After the Brahmin had eaten and rested, Krishna—the refuge of the righteous—approached, respectfully touched his feet, and inquired with care: “O best of Brahmins, is your dharma, esteemed by the elders, proceeding without great difficulty? Is your mind always content? Whenever a Brahmin, content with whatever comes, remains steadfast in his duty, he becomes the fulfiller of all desires. Even the lord of the gods, if discontent, wanders endlessly, but one who is content, though possessing nothing, sleeps free from all affliction. I bow my head to those Brahmins who are content, virtuous, humble, peaceful, and the best friends to all beings. O Brahman, is all well with you? The king whose subjects are happy is dear to me. Since you have come here, braving many hardships, tell me everything, especially if there is anything confidential—what can I do for you?” Thus respectfully addressed by the Supreme Lord, the Brahmin conveyed all that had transpired. He delivered Rukmiṇī’s heartfelt message: “O beauty of the worlds, having heard of Your virtues—which remove the distress of those who listen—my mind has entered into You through the channels of my ears, O infallible one. Beholding Your form, the fulfillment of all desires for those who see, my heart is captivated. O Mukunda, what noble maiden, discerning and of good family, would not choose You as her husband? You are unparalleled in lineage, character, beauty, knowledge, age, wealth, and glory; You delight the minds of all, O lion among men. Therefore, O Lord, I have chosen You as my husband; please accept me. Let not the king of Cedi, like a jackal seizing the offering meant for the lion, touch the share of the hero, O lotus-eyed one. If the Supreme Lord—the elder brother of Gada—is truly satisfied with my worship, my charity, sacrifices, vows, rituals, and service to gods, Brahmins, and elders, then let Him come and take my hand, and not the son of Damaghoṣa or any other. Tomorrow, O unconquered one, when You come to Vidarbha to marry, concealed and surrounded by Your chiefs, overpower the forces of Cedi and Magadha, and win me by force, as is the custom of the Rākṣasas, for my bride-price is valor. If You wonder how I, kept within the inner chambers and guarded by relatives, can be married by You, I will tell You: On the day before the wedding, there is a great procession to the family goddess, when the new bride goes out to worship Girijā. Great souls desire to bathe in the dust of Your lotus feet, just as the Lord of Umā does to dispel his own darkness. O lotus-eyed one, if I do not obtain Your favor, let me give up this life, worn by vows, over hundreds of births.” Thus, Rukmiṇī’s longing and devotion were revealed to Krishna, setting the stage for the divine union of Lord and devotee.