Who, indeed, after catching even a whiff of the fragrance of Your lotus feet—celebrated by the virtuous and granting liberation—would seek shelter anywhere else? Yet mortal men, blinded by their pursuit of material gain, turn away from You, the very abode of Lakṣmī and the treasury of all virtues. I have worshipped You, Lord of all worlds, as is fitting, for You fulfill every desire in this life and the next. Let Your feet be my only refuge as I wander through the endless cycles of birth and death, for You surely come to those who worship You sincerely, freeing them from all falsehood. O Acyuta, in the homes of women, if men have not heard Your stories—sung even in the great assemblies of Śiva and Brahmā—they are like beasts of burden, like donkeys, cows, horses, or cats, mere servants; and what is the use of their lives? A foolish woman, who has never tasted the nectar of Your lotus feet, will cherish her beloved, whose body is but a bundle of skin, hair, nails, flesh, bones, blood, worms, and all manner of foul substances—a living corpse. O Lotus-eyed Lord, may I have devotion for Your feet, for You are self-satisfied and see none as separate from Yourself. When, through the force of old age, the mode of passion grows in someone, and You cast Your glance upon me, that alone is Your supreme compassion. O Madhusudana, I do not think Your words are untrue. For a maiden’s love is generally reserved for her mother, and only sometimes for another. Even a married woman of loose character allows her mind to wander again and again to new objects. A wise man should not place his trust in such a faithless woman; if he does, he loses both sides. Then the Blessed Lord spoke: O chaste princess, you have been tested by Me with words meant to probe your desire to hear. All that you have asked, and all that 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 will always be fulfilled, for you are My exclusive devotee. O sinless one, your love and fidelity towards your husband have been proven. Even when agitated by My words, your mind did not waver from Me. Those who worship Me in married life, with austerity and vows, but remain attached to worldly desires, are deluded by My Maya, thinking of Me only as the Lord of liberation. Those proud ones who, after attaining Me—the Lord and the wealth of liberation—still crave material prosperity and a husband, are most unfortunate. Even in hell, for such people, hell seems pleasant because of their attachment to their own kind. O mistress of the house, by good fortune you have repeatedly acted in accordance with My wishes—a rare achievement that liberates even those 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. At your own wedding, you gave no thought to the assembled kings, but secretly sent the brahmin who had heard My glories to fetch Me. When your brother was disfigured in battle and killed during the gambling at the wedding festival, you endured that unbearable sorrow out of fear of separation from Me, and said nothing; thus, you have conquered Me. When you sent a messenger with a secret message to bring Me to you, and when you thought I might abandon this unworthy body, you remained steadfast in Me; for this, I respond in kind. Śuka continued: In this way, the Lord of the universe delighted Rukmiṇī with affectionate conversation, pleasing her with His own words, while playfully imitating the ways of ordinary humans. And so, the all-pervading Lord Hari, as the teacher of the world, resided in each of His wives’ homes, upholding the duties of householders as if He were a householder Himself. Then, each of Krishna’s wives bore ten sons, each one equal in strength, and a ninth son as well, all endowed with their father’s glorious qualities. Though Krishna never left their homes, the royal princesses considered Him their dearest, even though they did not truly know His divine nature. With faces like blooming lotuses, long arms, and enchanting eyes, Krishna charmed the women with loving glances and sweet words. They, who once prided themselves on their own beauty and arts, found their minds utterly captivated by 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, even though they tried with all the arrows of Cupid. Thus, having attained the Lord of Lakṣmī as their husband, these women—whose path even Brahmā and the other gods cannot know—joyfully served Him with unceasing affection, ever eager for His smile, glance, touch, and embrace. Hundreds of maidservants attended the Lord, performing all household duties: welcoming Him, offering seats, washing His feet, providing betel, arranging for His rest, fanning Him, adorning Him with fragrant garlands, arranging His hair, preparing His bed, bathing Him, and making other offerings. Among Krishna’s wives, those who were foremost among the ten sons are the eight principal queens. I will name their sons, beginning with Pradyumna. They are: Charudeṣṇa, Sudeṣṇa, mighty Charudeha, Suchāru, Charugupta, Bhadracāru, and another. Charucandra, Vichāru, and Charu are the tenth of Hari; these, headed by Pradyumna, were born to Rukmiṇī, none inferior to their father. Bhānu, Subhānu, Svarbhānu, Prabhānu, Bhānumān, Candra Bhānu, Bṛhadbhānu, and Ratibhānu are the eight. Śrībhānu and Pratibhānu complete the ten sons of Satyabhāmā. Sāmba, Sumitra, Purujit, Shatajita, and Sahasrajit; Vijaya, Citraketu, Vasumān, Draviḍa, and Kratu—these are the sons of Jāmbavatī, headed by Sāmba, esteemed by their father. Vīra Chandra, Ashvasena, Citragu, Vegavān, Vṛṣa, Āma, Shaṅku, Vasu, Śrīmān, and Kuntir—these are the sons of Nāgnajit. Śruta, Kavi, Vṛṣa, Vīra, Subāhu, Bhadra, Ekala, Śānti, Darśa, and Pūrṇamāsa are the sons of Kālindī; Somaka is the youngest. Praghoṣa, Gātravān, Siṃha, Bala, Prabala, Ūrdhvaga, Mahāśakti, Saha, Oja, and Aparājita are the sons of Mādrī. Vṛka, Harṣa, Anila, Gṛdhra, Vardhana, Annāda, Mahāśa, Pāvana, and Vahni are the sons of Mitravinda, along with Kṣudhi. Saṅgrāmajit, Bṛhatsena, Śūra, Praharaṇa, Arijit, Jaya, Subhadra, Vāmāyu, and Satyaka are the sons of Bhadrā. Dīptimān, Tāmra, Taptā, and others are the sons of Rohiṇī. From Pradyumna came Aniruddha, born to Rukmavatī, the mighty daughter of Rukmi, in the city of Bhojakaṭa. Their sons and grandsons numbered in the tens of millions, O King, for the mothers of Krishna’s children were sixteen thousand in number. At this, the king inquired: How did Rukmi, though insulted by Krishna and ever seeking an opportunity to kill Him, give his daughter in marriage to Krishna’s son in battle? Tell me, O wise one, the story of the wedding between these rivals. Yogis, O King, can clearly perceive what is past, future, present, or hidden, even what is distant or beyond the senses. Śuka replied: In the svayamvara, the maiden chose Cupid himself, endowed with many limbs; defeating the assembled kings, he carried her away alone in his chariot during the battle.