The Blessed Lord Krishna, seeing Rukmiṇī troubled, spoke to her with gentle affection: “Do not be angry, O princess of Vidarbha. I know your heart is ever devoted to Me. I acted playfully, O fair one, only wishing to hear your words.” He continued, “Desiring to see your face, your lips trembling with loving excitement, your sidelong glances tinged with red, and the beautiful curve of your frowning brows—I was drawn to you. For those who live as householders, O lovely and gentle one, the greatest joy is to spend time in playful conversation with their beloved.” Śuka, the sage, then said: Thus consoled by the Lord, O King, Rukmiṇī realized that Krishna had only been jesting with her. Her fear of being abandoned by her beloved faded away. Looking at Krishna’s radiant face, she spoke softly to Him, her gaze full of affection and her smile modest and charming. Rukmiṇī said, “Indeed, O lotus-eyed one, what You have said is true. How could I, with my insignificant qualities and ignorance, be a worthy 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 its waves. Always free from the senses, You assume forms for Your devotees, dispelling the dense darkness of ignorance from the hearts of kings. “The path to Your lotus feet, which sages enjoy, is difficult for ordinary beings to comprehend, O Lord, for Your actions are beyond worldly understanding. Only those who follow You, O great one, can know 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 alone, renounce everything. O Lord, Your association is fitting for them, not for those absorbed in the fleeting 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 all 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 the 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—would seek any other shelter? Mortal men, 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 who are not 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, and nails, filled with flesh, bones, blood, worms, and other impurities—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.” The Blessed Lord replied, “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, 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. “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. When you sent a messenger with a secret message to obtain Me, and when you thought I might abandon this unworthy body, you remained steadfast in Me; for that, we respond in kind.” Śuka continued: In this way, the Lord of the universe delighted Rukmiṇī with affectionate conversation, enchanting her with His words while playfully imitating the ways of ordinary men. In the same manner, the all-pervading Lord Hari, teacher of the world, resided in each of His wives’ homes, upholding the duties of householders as if He Himself were a householder. Then, each of Krishna’s wives bore ten sons, each equal in strength, and a ninth son as well, all endowed with their father’s qualities. Though Krishna never left home, He was always present in their houses, and the royal princesses considered Him their dearest, though they did not truly know His divine nature. With faces like blooming lotuses, long arms and eyes, with loving glances and sweet words, the Lord enchanted the women, who could not control their minds by their own charms before His majesty. With smiling glances, gestures revealing His inner feelings, and skillful, love-filled words sent with the movement of His brows, the sixteen thousand wives could not disturb His senses with their feminine arts, though they tried with Cupid’s arrows. Having attained the Lord of Lakṣmī as their husband, those women—whose path even Brahmā and the others do not know—joyfully served Him with unceasing affection, eager for His smile, glance, touch, and embrace. Hundreds of maidservants attended the Lord, performing duties such as welcoming Him, offering seats, washing His feet, providing betel, resting, fanning, fragrant garlands, arranging His hair, preparing His bed, bathing, and other offerings. Of Krishna’s wives, those who were foremost among the ten sons are eight queens; I will name their sons, beginning with Pradyumna. They are Charudeṣṇa, Sudeṣṇa, Charudeha the mighty, Suchāru, Charugupta, Bhadracāru, and another. Charucandra, Vichāru, and Charu are the tenth of Hari; these, headed by Pradyumna, were born to Rukmiṇī, not inferior to their father.