Krishna, the Lord, spoke gently yet firmly to Rukmini, saying, “Therefore, unite yourself with a Kshatriya hero who matches your qualities. By such a union, you will obtain true blessings both in this world and the next.” He continued, “Shishupala, Shalva, Jarasandha, Dantavakra, and other kings, O slender-thighed one, are hostile to me—even your elder brother Rukmi stands among them.” He explained, “O good lady, you were brought here by me to humble the pride of those kings, who are blinded by their strength and intoxicated by power, and to diminish their arrogance for the sake of the virtuous.” Krishna then revealed his own detachment: “Truly, I am indifferent—not seeking wife, children, or pleasure. I am fulfilled in myself, and my household is but a lightless ritual.” Śuka, the sage, narrates that after Krishna spoke these words, he ceased, seeing Rukmini as his beloved, inseparable from himself, and thus ended her pride. But when the Lord of the three worlds uttered such harsh words—never before heard from her beloved—Rukmini, his queen, was terrified. Trembling at heart, she fell into deep, unending sorrow and wept. With her well-formed foot, adorned by the red glow of her nails, she traced the ground. Her tears, darkened by collyrium, fell as her breasts—smeared with saffron—were bathed in grief. She stood, head bowed, her voice choked by intense sorrow. Her mind, overwhelmed by unbearable grief, fear, and sorrow, caused her bracelet to slip from her limp hand, and the fan she held fell away. Bewildered in body and mind, she suddenly fainted, like a plantain tree struck by the wind, her hair scattered. Seeing this, Krishna, bound by his beloved’s love and unaware of the depth of her affection, was moved to compassion. He quickly descended from the couch, raised her up with his four arms, gathered her hair, and gently wiped her face with his lotus hand. Wiping the tears from her eyes and her breasts wet with sorrow, he embraced her with his arm, for she was devoted to none but him. He, who knows how to console, comforted the distressed Rukmini with compassion. Though her mind was bewildered by pride and jest, she was undeserving of such sorrow. Krishna, the refuge of the virtuous, soothed her. Then the Blessed Lord spoke: “Do not be angry, O princess of Vidarbha. I know you are devoted to me. Wishing to hear your words, I acted playfully, O fair one.” He continued, “Desiring to see your face, with lips trembling in loving excitement, your sidelong glances reddened, and the beautiful curve of your frowning brows. For householders, O timid and lovely one, the highest gain in family life is to spend time in playful conversation with their beloved.” Śuka says that thus consoled by the Lord, Rukmini understood his words were spoken in jest, and she let go of her fear of being abandoned by her beloved. Looking at Krishna’s face, she spoke to the best of men, her glance gentle and affectionate, her smile charming with modesty. Rukmini said, “Indeed, O lotus-eyed one, what you have said is true. How could I, of insignificant qualities and ignorant, be a fitting match for you—the Lord, master of all opulence, who delights in your own greatness? Truly, O mighty-armed, you dwell within all virtues, yet remain untouched by them, just as the ocean lies beneath the waves. Ever free from the senses, you assume forms for your devotees, dispelling the dense darkness of ignorance from the hearts of kings.” She continued, “The path to your lotus feet, enjoyed by sages, is indeed difficult for men and beasts to comprehend, O Lord, because your actions are beyond worldly understanding. Only those who follow you, O great one, can grasp your ways. You are truly without possessions, for nothing exists apart from you; even the powerful offer tribute to you. Those blinded by insatiable desire and wealth do not know you, O beloved, yet even the mighty are dear to you, and you are dear to them.” “You are the embodiment of all human goals and their fruits; wise men, desiring you, renounce everything. O Lord, your association is fitting for them, not for those absorbed in the pleasures and pains of men and women. You, whose greatness is praised by sages who have laid aside anger, are the soul and giver of souls to the worlds—so I have heard. When your eyebrow signals the force of time, even Brahmā and Śiva lose their blessings; what then of others?” “O elder brother of Gadā, your words may seem dull, but you drove away kings with the twang of your bow and took me, just as a lion seizes his share among animals; out of fear of them, I sought refuge in the ocean. Desiring you, O lotus-eyed one, the foremost of kings—such as Ambarīṣa, Nahuṣa, and Gaya—abandoned their kingdoms and entered the forest; yet those who remain here, why do they not follow your path?” “Who, after smelling the fragrance of your lotus feet, spoken of by the virtuous and granting liberation to people, would seek any other shelter? Mortal men, with their vision blinded by material pursuits, disregard the abode of Lakṣmī, the treasury of virtues. I have worshipped you, the Lord of all worlds, as is proper; you are the fulfiller of desires in this life and the next. May your feet be my sole refuge as I wander through the cycles of birth, for you surely come to those who worship you, granting freedom from falsehood.” “O Acyuta, in the homes of women, the men instructed by you are like donkeys, cows, horses, cats, and servants; if your stories, sung in the assemblies of Śiva and Brahmā, do not reach their ears, what is the use of their lives? A foolish woman, who has not smelled the nectar of your lotus feet, cherishes her beloved—whose body is covered with skin, hair, nails, and hair, filled with flesh, bones, blood, worms, excrement, phlegm, bile, and wind—a living corpse.” “O Lotus-eyed One, may I have devotion to Your feet, for You are self-satisfied and see no one as separate from Yourself. When, due to the influence of old age, the mode of passion increases in someone, and You look upon me, that alone is Your supreme compassion for us. O Madhusudana, I do not think Your words are false. For a maiden's love is generally for her mother, and only sometimes for another. Even for a married woman of loose character, her mind turns again and again to something new. A wise man should not keep such a faithless woman; if he does, he loses both sides.” Krishna then spoke, “O chaste one, princess, you have been tested by Me with words meant to see your desire to hear. Everything you have asked about, as I have spoken, is indeed true. O beautiful one, whatever desires you may have, if you are devoted only to Me, O auspicious lady, they are always fulfilled for you, who are My exclusive devotee. O sinless one, your love for your husband and your fidelity have been proven. Even when you were agitated by My words, your mind did not waver from Me.” He continued, “Those who worship Me in married life, with austerity and vows, but are attached to desires, are deluded by My maya, thinking of Me as the lord of liberation. Those proud ones who, after attaining Me—the Lord and the wealth of liberation—still desire material prosperity and a husband, are unfortunate. Even in hell, for such people, hell is pleasant because of their attachment to their own kind.” “O mistress of the house, by good fortune you have repeatedly acted in accordance with Me, which is rare and liberates one from birth, even for women who are difficult to please, whose desires are hard to fulfill, and who indulge in deceit. O proud one, I do not see in any household a wife as devoted as you, who, at the time of your own wedding, did not consider the kings who had come, but sent the brahmin who had heard My glories to Me in secret.” “When your brother was disfigured in battle and killed at the gambling arena during the wedding festival, you endured that unbearable sorrow out of fear of separation from Me, and did not say anything; thus, you have conquered us.” Thus, in this exchange, Krishna and Rukmini reveal the profound depths of their love, devotion, and spiritual understanding, each testing and affirming the other, and Krishna acknowledges her unparalleled fidelity and devotion.