Śuka continued his narration: O King, when Rukmiṇī heard the Lord’s words, she realized that Kṛṣṇa had spoken in jest to test her, and her fear of being abandoned by her beloved melted away. Looking upon the face of her Lord, she addressed Him—the best among men—with a gentle, affectionate glance and a modest, charming smile. Rukmiṇī spoke with humility: “Truly, O lotus-eyed one, your words are correct. How could someone as insignificant and ignorant as I be a worthy match for you, the Supreme Lord, the master of all opulence, who finds delight in your own greatness? O mighty-armed one, you dwell within all virtues, yet remain untouched by them, just as the ocean lies beneath its waves. Though ever 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, cherished by sages, is difficult for ordinary people and creatures to comprehend, O Lord, for your actions are beyond worldly understanding. Only those who follow you, O great one, can truly grasp your ways. You are truly without possessions, for nothing exists apart from you; even the most powerful offer you tribute. Those blinded by insatiable desire and wealth do not know you, O beloved, yet even the mighty are dear to you, and you to them. You are the embodiment of all human goals and the fruits they yield. Wise men, desiring only you, renounce everything. O Lord, your company is suited for them, not for those absorbed in the joys and sorrows of worldly life. Your greatness is sung by sages who have abandoned anger; you 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 harsh, but you drove away kings with the twang of your bow and claimed 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—like Ambarīṣa, Nahuṣa, and Gaya—abandoned their kingdoms and entered the forest; why, then, do those who remain not follow your path? Who, after experiencing the fragrance of your lotus feet—celebrated by the virtuous and granting liberation—would seek any other shelter? Yet mortal men, 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, 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 tasted the nectar of your lotus feet, cherishes her beloved—whose body is covered with skin, hair, and nails, 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 Madhusūdana, 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.” Then the Blessed Lord replied: “O chaste one, princess, I have tested you with words 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 and fidelity to your husband 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 māyā, 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 brāhmin 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, through affectionate conversation, delighted Rukmiṇī with His own sweet words, playfully imitating the ways of ordinary humans. In the same manner, the all-pervading Lord Hari, as the teacher of the world, resided in each of His wives’ homes, upholding the duties of a householder as if He were a householder Himself. Thereafter, 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. Seeing Acyuta, who never left home, present in their houses, 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 found their own charms powerless 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, the foremost among the ten sons were born from the eight principal queens. I shall 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. From Satyabhāmā came Bhānu, Subhānu, Svarbhānu, Prabhānu, Bhānumān, Chandra Bhānu, Bṛhadbhānu, and Ratibhānu; Śrībhānu and Pratibhānu complete the ten. From Jāmbavatī, Sāmba, Sumitra, Purujit, Shatajita, Sahasrajit, Vijaya, Citraketu, Vasumān, Draviḍa, and Kratu were born—these sons, headed by Sāmba, were esteemed by their father. Thus, the Lord, in His infinite compassion and playful majesty, delighted His devotees and filled their lives with the abundance of His blessings.