The Winning of Rukmini

Verse 1 (vishnu.5.26.1)

भीष्मकः कुण्डिने राजा विदर्भविषयेऽभवत्। रुक्मी तस्याभवत् पुत्रो रुक्मिणी च वराङ्गना

bhīṣmakaḥ kuṇḍine rājā vidarbhaviṣaye'bhavat rukmī tasyābhavat putro rukmiṇī ca varāṅganā

In the land of Vidarbha there ruled a king named Bhishmaka, in the city of Kundina; his son was Rukmi, and his daughter, a maiden of great beauty, was Rukmini.

Verse 2 (vishnu.5.26.2)

रुक्मिणी चकमे कृष्णः सा च तं चारुहासिनी। न ददौ याचते चैनां रुक्मी द्वेषेण चक्रिणे

rukmiṇī cakame kṛṣṇaḥ sā ca taṁ cāruhāsinī na dadau yācate caināṁ rukmī dveṣeṇa cakriṇe

Krishna desired Rukmini, and she, of that lovely smile, desired him in turn; but her brother Rukmi, out of hatred for the wielder of the discus, would not give her to him, even when he asked.

Verse 3 (vishnu.5.26.3)

ददौ च शिशुपालाय जरासन्धप्रदेशितः। भीष्मको रुक्मिणा सार्धं रुक्मिणीमुरुविक्रमः

dadau ca śiśupālāya jarāsandhapradeśitaḥ bhīṣmako rukmiṇā sārdhaṁ rukmiṇīmuruvikramaḥ

Urged on by Jarasandha, he resolved to give Rukmini to Shishupala instead; and the mighty Bhishmaka, together with Rukmi, resolved to give Rukmini to him.

Verse 4 (vishnu.5.26.4)

विवाहार्थं ततः सर्व्वे जरासन्धमुखा नृपाः। भीष्मकस्य पुरं जग्मुः शिशुपालप्रियैषिणः

vivāhārthaṁ tataḥ sarvve jarāsandhamukhā nṛpāḥ bhīṣmakasya puraṁ jagmuḥ śiśupālapriyaiṣiṇaḥ

Then, for the wedding, all the kings led by Jarasandha, seeking Shishupala's favor, journeyed to Bhishmaka's city.

Verse 5 (vishnu.5.26.5)

कृष्णोऽपि बलभद्राद्यैर्यादवैर्बहुभिर्वृतः। प्रययौ कुण्डिनं द्रष्टुं विवाहं चेदिभूभृतः

kṛṣṇo'pi balabhadrādyairyādavairbahubhirvṛtaḥ prayayau kuṇḍinaṁ draṣṭuṁ vivāhaṁ cedibhūbhṛtaḥ

Krishna too, surrounded by Balabhadra and many other Yadavas, set out for Kundina to witness the wedding of the king of Chedi.

Verse 6 (vishnu.5.26.6)

श्वोभाविनि विवाहे तु तां कन्यां हृतवान् हरिः। विपक्षभारमासज्य रामाद्येष्वथ बन्धुषु

śvobhāvini vivāhe tu tāṁ kanyāṁ hṛtavān hariḥ vipakṣabhāramāsajya rāmādyeṣvatha bandhuṣu

On the very eve of the day the wedding was to take place, Hari carried off that maiden, having entrusted to Rama and his other kinsmen the task of holding back the enemy host.

Verse 7 (vishnu.5.26.7)

ततश्च पौण्ड्रकः श्रीमान् दन्तवक्रो विदूरथः। शिशुपालजरासन्धशाल्वाद्याश्च महीभृतः

tataśca pauṇḍrakaḥ śrīmān dantavakro vidūrathaḥ śiśupālajarāsandhaśālvādyāśca mahībhṛtaḥ

Then the illustrious Paundraka, Dantavakra, Vidooratha, and the kings Shishupala, Jarasandha, Shalva, and the rest —

Verse 8 (vishnu.5.26.8)

कुपितास्ते हरिं हन्तुं चक्रुरुद्योगमुत्तमम्। निर्जिताश्च समागम्य रामाद्यैर्यदुपुङ्गवैः

kupitāste hariṁ hantuṁ cakrurudyogamuttamam nirjitāśca samāgamya rāmādyairyadupuṅgavaiḥ

filled with rage, made a great effort to slay Hari; but, encountering Rama and the other foremost of the Yadus, they were defeated.

Verse 9 (vishnu.5.26.9)

कुण्डिनं न प्रवेक्ष्यामि अहत्वा युधि केशवम्। कृत्वा प्रतिज्ञां रुक्मी च हन्तुं कृष्णमभिद्रुतः

kuṇḍinaṁ na pravekṣyāmi ahatvā yudhi keśavam kṛtvā pratijñāṁ rukmī ca hantuṁ kṛṣṇamabhidrutaḥ

'I shall not enter Kundina again without slaying Keshava in battle' — making this vow, Rukmi rushed forward to kill Krishna.

Verse 10 (vishnu.5.26.10)

हत्वा बलं सनागाश्वपत्तिस्यन्दनसङ्कुलम्। निर्जितः पातितश्चोर्व्यां लीलयैव स चक्रिणा

hatvā balaṁ sanāgāśvapattisyandanasaṅkulam nirjitaḥ pātitaścorvyāṁ līlayaiva sa cakriṇā

Slaying his army, crowded thick with elephants, horses, foot-soldiers, and chariots, the discus-bearer defeated him with mere ease, and felled him to the ground.

Verse 11 (vishnu.5.26.11)

हन्तुं कृतमतिः कृष्णो रुक्मिणं युद्धदुर्मदम्। प्रणम्य याचितो ब्रह्मन् रुक्मिण्या भगवान् हरिः

hantuṁ kṛtamatiḥ kṛṣṇo rukmiṇaṁ yuddhadurmadam praṇamya yācito brahman rukmiṇyā bhagavān hariḥ

Krishna had already resolved to slay Rukmi, so maddened was he now in battle, when, O brahmin, the Blessed Hari, entreated by Rukmini's own bowed prayer, relented.

Verse 12 (vishnu.5.26.12)

एक एव मम भ्राता न हन्तव्यस्त्वयाधुना। कोपं नियम्य देवेश भ्रातृभिक्षा प्रदीयताम्

eka eva mama bhrātā na hantavyastvayādhunā kopaṁ niyamya deveśa bhrātṛbhikṣā pradīyatām

'I have but this one brother — do not slay him now; O Lord of gods, restrain your anger and grant me this alms of my brother's life.'

Verse 13 (vishnu.5.26.13)

इत्युक्तेन परित्यक्तः कृष्णेनाक्लिष्टकर्मणा। रुक्मी भोजकटं नाम पुरं कृत्वावसत् तदा

ityuktena parityaktaḥ kṛṣṇenākliṣṭakarmaṇā rukmī bhojakaṭaṁ nāma puraṁ kṛtvāvasat tadā

Thus addressed, Rukmi, cast aside by Krishna, whose every deed is effortless, then founded a city named Bhojakata and settled there.

Verse 14 (vishnu.5.26.14)

निर्जित्य रुक्मिणं सम्यगुपयेमे स रुक्मिणीम्। राक्षसेन विवाहेन सम्प्राप्तां मधुसूदनः

nirjitya rukmiṇaṁ samyagupayeme sa rukmiṇīm rākṣasena vivāhena samprāptāṁ madhusūdanaḥ

Having thoroughly defeated Rukmi, Madhusudana duly married that Rukmini, won through the rakshasa form of marriage.

Verse 15 (vishnu.5.26.15)

तस्यां जज्ञेऽथ प्रद्युम्नो मदनांशः स वीर्यवान्। जहार शम्बरो यं वै यो जघान च शम्बरम्

tasyāṁ jajñe'tha pradyumno madanāṁśaḥ sa vīryavān jahāra śambaro yaṁ vai yo jaghāna ca śambaram

From her was born the mighty Pradyumna, a portion of the god of love, whom the demon Shambara carried off — and who, in the end, was the very one who slew Shambara.