Bhagavata Purana

श्रीरुक्मिण्युवाच। नन्वेवमेतदरविन्दविलोचनाह यद्वै भवान्भगवतोऽसदृशी विभूम्नः। क्व स्वे महिम्न्यभिरतो भगवांस्त्र्यधीशः क्वाहं गुणप्रकृतिरज्ञगृहीतपादा

Rukmiṇī 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?

सत्यं भयादिव गुणेभ्य उरुक्रमान्तः। शेते समुद्र उपलम्भनमात्र आत्मा। नित्यं कदिन्द्रियगणैः कृतविग्रहस्त्वं। त्वत्सेवकैर्नृपपदं विधुतं तमोऽन्धम्

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.

त्वत्पादपद्ममकरन्दजुषां मुनीनां। वर्त्मास्फुटं नृपशुभिर्ननु दुर्विभाव्यम्। यस्मादलौकिकमिवेहितमीश्वरस्य। भूमंस्तवेहितमथो अनु ये भवन्तम्

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.

निष्किञ्चनो ननु भवान्न यतोऽस्ति किञ्चिद्। यस्मै बलिं बलिभुजोऽपि हरन्त्यजाद्याः। न त्वा विदन्त्यसुतृपोऽन्तकमाढ्यतान्धाः। प्रेष्ठो भवान्बलिभुजामपि तेऽपि तुभ्यम्

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.

त्वं वै समस्तपुरुषार्थमयः फलात्मा। यद्वाञ्छया सुमतयो विसृजन्ति कृत्स्नम्। तेषां विभो समुचितो भवतः समाजः। पुंसः स्त्रियाश्च रतयोः सुखदुःखिनोर्न

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.

त्वं न्यस्तदण्डमुनिभिर्गदितानुभाव। आत्मात्मदश्च जगतामिति मे वृतोऽसि। हित्वा भवद्भ्रुव उदीरितकालवेग। ध्वस्ताशिषोऽब्जभवनाकपतीन्कुतोऽन्ये

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?

जाड्यं वचस्तव गदाग्रज यस्तु भूपान्। विद्राव्य शार्ङ्गनिनदेन जहर्थ मां त्वम्। सिंहो यथा स्वबलिमीश पशून्स्वभागं। तेभ्यो भयाद्यदुदधिं शरणं प्रपन्नः

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.

यद्वाञ्छया नृपशिखामणयोऽङ्गवैन्य। जायन्तनाहुषगयादय ऐक्यपत्यम्। राज्यं विसृज्य विविशुर्वनमम्बुजाक्ष। सीदन्ति तेऽनुपदवीं त इहास्थिताः किम्

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?

कान्यं श्रयेत तव पादसरोजगन्धम्। आघ्राय सन्मुखरितं जनतापवर्गम्। लक्ष्म्यालयं त्वविगणय्य गुणालयस्य। मर्त्या सदोरुभयमर्थविवीतदृष्टिः

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.

तं त्वानुरूपमभजं जगतामधीशम्। आत्मानमत्र च परत्र च कामपूरम्। स्यान्मे तवाङ्घ्रिररणं सृतिभिर्भ्रमन्त्या। यो वै भजन्तमुपयात्यनृतापवर्गः

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.

तस्याः स्युरच्युत नृपा भवतोपदिष्टाः। स्त्रीणां गृहेषु खरगोश्वविडालभृत्याः। यत्कर्णमूलमरिकर्षण नोपयायाद्। युष्मत्कथा मृडविरिञ्चसभासु गीता

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?

त्वक्श्मश्रुरोमनखकेशपिनद्धमन्तर्। मांसास्थिरक्तकृमिविट्कफपित्तवातम्। जीवच्छवं भजति कान्तमतिर्विमूढा। या ते पदाब्जमकरन्दमजिघ्रती स्त्री

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.

अस्त्वम्बुजाक्ष मम ते चरणानुराग। आत्मन्रतस्य मयि चानतिरिक्तदृष्टेः। यर्ह्यस्य वृद्धय उपात्तरजोऽतिमात्रो। मामीक्षसे तदु ह नः परमानुकम्पा

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.

नैवालीकमहं मन्ये वचस्ते मधुसूदन। अम्बाया एव हि प्रायः कन्यायाः स्याद्रतिः क्वचित्

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.

व्यूढायाश्चापि पुंश्चल्या मनोऽभ्येति नवं नवम्। बुधोऽसतीं न बिभृयात्तां बिभ्रदुभयच्युतः

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.

श्रीभगवानुवाच। साध्व्येतच्छ्रोतुकामैस्त्वं राजपुत्री प्रलम्भिता। मयोदितं यदन्वात्थ सर्वं तत्सत्यमेव हि

The Blessed Lord said: 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.

यान्यान्कामयसे कामान्मय्यकामाय भामिनि। सन्ति ह्येकान्तभक्तायास्तव कल्याणि नित्यद

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.

उपलब्धं पतिप्रेम पातिव्रत्यं च तेऽनघे। यद्वाक्यैश्चाल्यमानाया न धीर्मय्यपकर्षिता

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.

ये मां भजन्ति दाम्पत्ये तपसा व्रतचर्यया। कामात्मानोऽपवर्गेशं मोहिता मम मायया

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.

मां प्राप्य मानिन्यपवर्गसम्पदं। वाञ्छन्ति ये सम्पद एव तत्पतिम्। ते मन्दभागा निरयेऽपि ये नृणां। मात्रात्मकत्वात्निरयः सुसङ्गमः

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.

दिष्ट्या गृहेश्वर्यसकृन्मयि त्वया कृतानुवृत्तिर्भवमोचनी खलैः। सुदुष्करासौ सुतरां दुराशिषो ह्यसुंभराया निकृतिं जुषः स्त्रियाः

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.

न त्वादृशीम्प्रणयिनीं गृहिणीं गृहेषु। पश्यामि मानिनि यया स्वविवाहकाले। प्राप्तान्नृपान्न विगणय्य रहोहरो मे। प्रस्थापितो द्विज उपश्रुतसत्कथस्य

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.

भ्रातुर्विरूपकरणं युधि निर्जितस्य। प्रोद्वाहपर्वणि च तद्वधमक्षगोष्ठ्याम्। दुःखं समुत्थमसहोऽस्मदयोगभीत्या। नैवाब्रवीः किमपि तेन वयं जितास्ते

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.

दूतस्त्वयात्मलभने सुविविक्तमन्त्रः। प्रस्थापितो मयि चिरायति शून्यमेतत्। मत्वा जिहास इदं अङ्गमनन्ययोग्यं। तिष्ठेत तत्त्वयि वयं प्रतिनन्दयामः

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.

श्रीशुक उवाच। एवं सौरतसंलापैर्भगवान्जगदीश्वरः। स्वरतो रमया रेमे नरलोकं विडम्बयन्

Śuka said: In this way, the Lord of the universe, by affectionate conversation, enjoyed with Rukmiṇī, delighting her with His own words, while playfully imitating human ways.

तथान्यासामपि विभुर्गृहेषु गृहवानिव। आस्थितो गृहमेधीयान्धर्मांल्लोकगुरुर्हरिः

In the same way, 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.

अथैकषष्टितमोऽध्यायः 10.61 श्रीशुक उवाच। एकैकशस्ताः कृष्णस्य पुत्रान्दश दशाबलाः। अजीजनन्ननवमान्पितुः सर्वात्मसम्पदा

Śuka said: 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.

गृहादनपगं वीक्ष्य राजपुत्र्योऽच्युतं स्थितम्। प्रेष्ठं न्यमंसत स्वं स्वं न तत्तत्त्वविदः स्त्रियः

Seeing Acyuta, who never leaves home, present in their houses, the royal princesses considered Him their dearest, though the women did not truly know His nature.

चार्वब्जकोशवदनायतबाहुनेत्र। सप्रेमहासरसवीक्षितवल्गुजल्पैः। सम्मोहिता भगवतो न मनो विजेतुं। स्वैर्विभ्रमैः समशकन्वनिता विभूम्नः

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.