The Lord spoke with gentle affection to Rukmiṇī, reflecting on the nature of desire and attachment. He remarked that those who, after attaining Him—the Supreme Lord and the wealth of liberation—still crave material prosperity and a husband, are truly unfortunate. Even in hell, such people find comfort, for their hearts are bound by attachment to their own kind. Turning to Rukmiṇī, the Lord praised her good fortune. He noted how she had repeatedly acted in accordance with His wishes, a rare devotion that liberates one from birth, even for women who are difficult to please, whose desires are hard to satisfy, and who sometimes resort to deceit. He acknowledged her pride, yet declared that he had not seen in any household a wife as devoted as she. At her own wedding, she did not consider the many assembled kings, but quietly sent the brahmin who had heard of His glories to Him, seeking Him in secret. The Lord remembered the trials she endured: when her brother was disfigured in battle and killed at the gambling arena during the wedding festival, she bore that unbearable sorrow in silence, fearing separation from Him. Her steadfastness conquered even Him. When she sent a secret messenger to obtain Him, and when she feared He might abandon His unworthy body, she remained unwavering in her devotion. For her steadfastness, He responded in kind. Thus, the Lord of the universe delighted Rukmiṇī with His affectionate words, playfully imitating the ways of humans. In the same manner, Lord Hari, the all-pervading teacher of the world, dwelled in the homes of each of His wives, upholding the duties of householders as if He were a householder Himself. In time, each of Krishna’s wives bore ten sons, and a ninth son as well, all endowed with their father’s qualities and strength. The royal princesses, seeing Acyuta—who never left home—present in their houses, considered Him their dearest, though they did not truly comprehend His divine nature. The Lord enchanted His wives with faces like blooming lotuses, long arms and eyes, loving glances, and sweet words. Their minds, which could not be controlled by their own charms, were 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 tried to disturb His senses with their feminine arts and Cupid’s arrows, but they could not sway Him. Having attained the Lord of Lakshmi as their husband, these women—whose path even Brahma 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, arranging His hair, preparing His bed, bathing, and other offerings. Among Krishna’s wives, the foremost among the ten sons were born to eight queens, beginning with Pradyumna. Their sons were Charudeṣṇa, Sudeṣṇa, Charudeha the mighty, Suchāru, Charugupta, Bhadracāru, Charucandra, Vichāru, and Charu. These, headed by Pradyumna, were born to Rukmiṇī and were not inferior to their father. Satyabhama’s sons were Bhānu, Subhānu, Svarbhānu, Prabhānu, Bhānumān, Chandra Bhānu, Bṛhadbhānu, Ratibhānu, Śrībhānu, and Pratibhānu. Jāmbavatī’s sons, headed by Sāmba, were Sāmba, Sumitra, Purujit, Shatajita, Sahasrajit, Vijaya, Citraketu, Vasumān, Draviḍa, and Kratu. Nāgnajit’s sons were Vīra Chandra, Ashvasena, Citragu, Vegavān, Vṛṣa, Āma, Shaṅku, Vasu, Śrīmān, and Kuntir. Kālindī’s sons were Śruta, Kavi, Vṛṣa, Vīra, Subāhu, Bhadra, Ekala, Śānti, Darśa, and Pūrṇamāsa, with Somaka as the youngest. Mādrī’s sons were Praghoṣa, Gātravān, Siṃha, Bala, Prabala, Ūrdhvaga, Mahāśakti, Saha, Oja, and Aparājita. Mitravinda’s sons were Vṛka, Harṣa, Anila, Gṛdhra, Vardhana, Annāda, Mahāśa, Pāvana, Vahni, and Kṣudhi. Bhadrā’s sons were Saṅgrāmajit, Bṛhatsena, Śūra, Praharaṇa, Arijit, Jaya, Subhadra, Vāmāyu, and Satyaka. Rohiṇī’s sons included Dīptimān, Tāmra, Taptā, and others. 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, and the mothers of Krishna’s children were sixteen thousand. King Parīkṣit then asked: How did Rukmi, though insulted by Krishna and 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. Śuka replied that yogis perceive clearly what is past, future, present, beyond the senses, distant, or hidden. At the svayamvara, Cupid himself, endowed with many limbs, was chosen by Rukmavatī; defeating the assembled kings, he carried her away alone in his chariot during the battle. Although Rukmi, remembering his enmity and having been insulted by Krishna, gave his daughter to the son of his sister, thus pleasing his sister. The powerful son of Kritavarma married Rukmini’s daughter, a maiden of wide eyes and renowned beauty. Rukmi gave his granddaughter, Rocana, to Aniruddha, the grandson of Hari, despite their ongoing feud, wishing to please his sister; knowing the union was improper, he was bound by ties of affection. At that auspicious event, Rukmini, Rama, Krishna, Samba, Pradyumna, and others went to the city of Bhojakat. When the wedding was completed, the kings led by the ruler of Kalinga, proud and arrogant, challenged Rukmi to defeat Balarama in dice. “This one does not know dice, O King, yet even so, the loss is great,” they said. Thus addressed, Balarama was summoned, and Rukmi played dice with him. There, Rama staked a hundred, a thousand, and then ten thousand coins. Rukmi defeated him, and the king of Kalinga laughed loudly at Balarama, showing his teeth, which Halayudha could not tolerate. Then Rukmi staked a hundred thousand coins, and Balarama won that wager. Rukmi, relying on deceit, declared, “I have won.” Filled with wrath, glorious Balarama, like the ocean at its full, his eyes reddened by birth and anger, staked ten million coins. Balarama also won that wager by fair means, though Rukmi resorted to trickery, saying, “I have won; let the witnesses declare it.” Then a voice from the sky declared, “The wager was won by Balarama alone; Rukmi speaks falsely, claiming victory by words, not by righteousness.