Rukmini (, ) is a Devi and the first queen of Krishna.
Rukmini is mainly worshipped in Maharashtra and South India. The people of Maharashtra venerate her with Vithoba (a regional form of Krishna) and call her Rakhumai.
Etymology and epithets
The name
Rukmini is derived from the
Sanskrit word
Rukma which means 'Radiant', 'Clear' or 'Bright'.
The name can also mean 'decorated with gold ornaments'.
Other names and epithets include:
-
Shree – Lakshmi, Mother Goddess of the universe
-
Ruciranana – One Who Has A Beautiful Face, Expanding Like A Lotus Flower
-
Vaidarbhi – She Who Is From The Kingdom Of Vidarbha
-
Bhaishmi – Daughter of Bhishmaka
-
Rakhumai – Mother Rukmini
-
Chiryauvana – One Who Is Forever Young
-
Pradyumna Janani – Mother of Pradyumna
Legends
Birth
According to the epic
Mahabharata and other
Puranic scriptures, Princess Rukmini was born to
Bhishmaka—the king of
Vidarbha kingdom, belonging to the
Bhoja tribe dynasty. She had five elder brothers—
Rukmi, Rukmaratha, Rukmabahu, Rukmakesa and Rukmanetra.
such as
Vishnu Purana,
Bhagavata Purana, and
Padma Purana praise her as an incarnation of Goddess
Lakshmi, the wife of God
Vishnu.
Marriage to Krishna
In the
Harivamsa, a supplement to Mahabharata, (Vishnu Parva, Chapter 59, Verse 35-40), it is stated about Rukmini that However, according to another translation of the
Harivamsa Purana text by
Gita Press in Hindi, Rukimini's age when Krishna first sees her and later elopes with her she is described as being sixteen in the commentary and the translation but this is not stated in the original
Sanskrit text. According to the
Skanda Purana, Rukmini was eight years old when she married Krishna. Her father had a dream when his daughter was born she would marry a being with four arms when Rukmini was eight he had announced that she was ready for marriage, and that she was set to marry
Shishupala the crown prince of
Chedi Kingdom, but Rukmini did not wish to marry
Shishupala this is when she wrote a letter to
Krishna to save her. It was during this time that
Krishna came and eloped with and then married her.
According to another translation of the Harivamsha Purana by Manmatha Nath Dutt, Rukimini's age is not stated.
It is stated in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana (Krishna Janma Khanda, Chapter 105, Verses 9–14) she had reached puberty and was ready for marriage according to her father.
In the Bhagavata Purana (Dasama Skandha, Chapter 53, Verse 51), she has been described as having budding breasts.
The Bhagavata Purana narrates that Rukmini once heard about Krishna and his heroic deeds, such as slaying the tyrant king Kamsa, and opposing the evil king Jarasandha. She fell in love with him and desired to marry him. The episode of Rukmini Kalyanam, and the devotion of Rukmini towards her desired husband is narrated by the sage Shuka to King Parikshit.
Rukmini's parents rejoiced and gave their permission, but Rukmi – who was an ally of Jarasandha – strongly opposed it. Instead, he proposed that she marry his friend Shishupala— the crown prince of Chedi Kingdom, and a cousin of Krishna.
Meanwhile, in Vidarbha's capital Kundina, Bhishmaka had prepared for Rukmini's marriage. Rukmini grew anxious as she observed the host of kings, wondering if the Brahmin she had dispatched had not reached safely or not, and if the Almighty would assist her in her efforts. Her face grew pale and her thoughts grew distressed as she shunned herself from the rest of the world. Her sorrow of Krishna not having yet arrived to marry her yet was so immense that she refused to eat, sing to her parrot, or play her lyre.
Rukmi chased after Krishna and Rukmini.
Krishna's ruse
The
Bhagavata Purana describes an episode through the sage
Shuka where the yet unwed Rukmini takes a bejewelled whisk and starts fanning her prospective husband Krishna, wearing an expensive girdle and a dazzling necklace. Even though he is pleased, Krishna points to the fact that the princess had been desired by a number of handsome and energetic monarchs and states that he was not their equal, and that he had also almost lost his realm rescuing her. He remarks that she had not been far-sighted in choosing him as her groom and that she must now instead choose a Kshatriya like her. Rukmini's heart shuddered, her red nails scratched the floor, and tears flowed from her eyes that were decorated with collyrium. She fell to the floor, her hair dishevelled. Krishna swiftly raised her back to her feet and assures her that he was merely joking, as householders do with their beloved. Her fear of abandonment seeping away from her, the princess eulogises him, praising his glories and addressing him as her atman, her sense of self. Krishna praises her single-minded devotion to him.
Married life and children
Though Krishna married many other women, Rukmini remained his chief consort and the queen of Dvaraka.
When she longed for a child, Krishna flew to
Mount Kailash upon his mount
Garuda, and expressed his wife's desire to
Shiva. Obliging, Shiva blessed Rukmini to be the bearer of the new incarnation of
Kamadeva, whom he had previously immolated with his third eye. Thus was
Pradyumna born.
Many scriptures have mentioned that Rukmini and other wives of Krishna lived like sisters.
The Bhagavata Purana and Vishnu Purana states that Rukmini and Krishna had ten sons—Pradyumna, Charudeshna, Sudeshna, Charudeha, Sucharu, Charugupta, Bhadracharu, Charuchandra, Vicharu, and Charu.
Tale of the scales
According to a folktale of
Odisha, the divine sage
Narada once arrived in Dvaraka and asked for Krishna to be given to him as alms. Krishna's 8 queens requested him to take anything else and Narada asked them to give wealth equal to Krishna's weight. They arranged for a big scale (
Tulabharama) to be put up. Satyabhama put all of her coins, gems and jewellery on the scale, but it doesn't budge. Other wives gave their jewels, but it was of no use. At last, Rukmini came and put a single leaf of Tulasi on the scale and chanted that it represented her love for Krishna. The scales then became balanced. Though this story is absent in the main scriptures pertaining to Krishna's life, it is often repeated to enunciate the worth of Rukmini's love over Satyabhama's material wealth.
The only known versions of this story are from
Padma Purana and Devi Bhagvata Purana, where Satyabhama succeeds in weighing Krishna normally with gold items.
Meeting Sudama
In the
Bhagavata Purana, another well-known incident in Rukmini's married life is narrated. When Krishna's childhood friend,
Sudama, visited Dvaraka, Rukmini welcomed Sudama and gave him food. She and Krishna fanned him as he rested from his long journey. This type of devotion is a characteristic of Rukmini, an attribute of her that is prevalent.
Durvasa's curse
According to the
Skanda Purana, the famously short-tempered sage
Durvasa met Krishna and Rukmini when he was on a pilgrimage. Durvasa asked the couple to be yoked onto his chariot while he held the reins. In the process of pulling the chariot forward, Rukmini grew exhausted and requested Krishna for water. Krishna struck his foot against the ground causing a spring of the
Ganges river to appear. Observing her quench her thirst without seeking his permission, the infuriated Durvasa cursed her to be separated from her beloved Krishna. Rukmini grew perturbed and started to cry. To pacify her, Krishna blessed her with the boon that if his devotees were to only see him and not her, they would receive only half the merit.
Despite this consolation, Rukmini grew distressed due to her separation from her consort and fell unconscious. The sea-god and the sage Narada arrived to comfort her. Narada informed her that her husband - a manifestation of Vishnu - was the Brahman himself, he rhetorically wondered how she could expect to keep his company in an exclusive garden. The sea affirmed the divine sage's words, promising her that as the companion of Vishnu, she would always retain her permanence in his being. The goddess Bhagirathi, the personification of the Ganga, produced a richly-endowed forest on the spot, laden with fruits and flowers, quickly to be frequented by the inhabitants of Dvaraka. Durvasa vengefully burnt the forest with his powers. Rukmini grew depressed and contemplated giving up her human form. Krishna arrived and stopped her. She felt ashamed and furious with herself even as her husband reassured her of his devotion. The repentant Durvasa begged Krishna to reunite with Rukmini, and the deity consented, blessing the sage with virtue as well as saluting the river Ganga, who then became the liberator of sorrows.
Death
After the disappearance of Krishna following the Yadu massacre in the
Mausala Parva, Rukmini, along with
Jambavati, self-immolated herself on the funeral pyre.
[ Dio Mahabharate. „ Rukmini, the princess of Gandhara, Saivya, Haimavati, and queen Jamvabati ascended the funeral pyre."]
Iconography
In many texts, the
Brahmin dispatched by Rukmini to request Krishna to elope with her on her
svayamvara describes the princess poetically as bearing beautiful hands, braided tresses, and a face that resembles the moon.
She is consistently described as beautiful in other accounts.
Rukmini as mentioned in Hindu traditions, stands for the majesty and wealth of Krishna. Vadiraja Tirtha in Rukminisha Vijaya, describes her as Krishna's supreme beloved consort.
According to the Vaikhanasagama, Rukmini should be depicted on the right side of Krishna, her image golden-yellow in complexion. Her hair is supposed to be tied up in a fashionable knot, and should also be adorned with flowers. Her right arm should be hanging down, and she should hold a lotus in her left hand.
Literature and symbolism
Rukmini in
Hinduism, is revered as the goddess of fortune, and mostly appears alongside her husband Krishna. An avtara of
Lakshmi, she is the chief and most beloved consort of Krishna, in various scriptures and text of Hindu traditions.
Rukmini finds her mention in Gopala Tapani Upanishad (as Krishna's other consort),[Vol II, pp. 809-888. He has translated the Rāma Pūrva and Uttara-tāpinī and the Nṛsiṁha Pūrva and Uttara-tāpinī Upanishads.] in the Garga Samhita (as Queen of Dvaraka),[C Mackenzie Brown (1983), The Origin and Transmission of the Two "Bhāgavata Purāṇas": A Canonical and Theological Dilemma, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Vol. 51, No. 4, pages 551–567] in Brahma Vaivarta Purana,[ The Mahabharata in Sanskrit: Book I: Chapter 2 in sacred-texts.com website, (MBh.1.2.69): "hari vaṃśas tataḥ parva purāṇaṃ khila saṃjñitam bhaviṣyat parva cāpy uktaṃ khileṣv evādbhutaṃ mahat." "Hari.] and in Mahabharata, mainly in the Adi Parva and the Mausala Parva.[Ganguli, K.M. (1883-1896) " Mausala Parva" in The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (12 Volumes). Calcutta] Rukmini is the central character of the text, Rukminisha Vijaya, that talks about her and Krishna's life before marriage and ends with their marriage.
The Brihad Bhagavatamrita offers the following adulations to Rukmini, identifying her with Lakshmi and Krishna as the Supreme God, the source of all avatars. It states that she assumes partial avatars to accompany Krishna's avatars like Vamana and serves Krishna as his "perfectly complete divine consort".
Worship and festivals
Rukmini's worship as the consort of
Krishna precedes his association with his other consorts
Radha. According to D.C. Sircar, a sculpture from Paharpur in northern Bengal, attributed to the sixth or seventh century, represents Krishna and his consort, which he concludes is likely Rukmini. Her identification with Radha is rendered unlikely by the historian, since, "we have no undoubted reference to Radha in genuine epigraphic or literary records of an early date".
Rukmini is mainly worshipped in west and south Indian states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. Her kingdom, Vidarbha, is believed to be located in present-day Maharashtra. Along with Vithoba (a regional form of Krishna), Rukmini is worshipped as "Rakhumai" in the Pandharpur region.
Festivals
Rukmini Ashtami
Rukmini Ashtami is the occasion that celebrates the birth anniversary of Rukmini. It is observed on the eighth day of the waning moon in the Hindu lunar month of
Pausha (December—January on the Common Era calendar). Rukmini is acknowledged with special pujas and rituals in all of the temples dedicated to Krishna, especially those in those parts of India, especially associated with him such as Mathura and Vrindavan.
Vasanthotsavam
Vasanthotsavam is an annual Seva celebrated in
Tirumala to celebrate the arrival of spring season.
- specifically called
Snapana Thirumanjanam (Holy bathing), is performed to the utsava murthy and his consorts on all the three days. On the third day, abhishekam is performed to the idols of
Rama,
Sita,
Lakshmana and
Hanumana along with Krishna and Rukmini. Procession of the consecrated idols are taken in a procession in the evening on all the three days.
Temples
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Rukmini Devi Temple, Dwarka, Gujarat.
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Kantajew Temple, Bangladesh
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Vitthal Rukhmini Temple, Kaundanyapur, Maharashtra
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Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.
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Vithoba Temple, Pandharpur, Maharashtra.
[ Vithoba Temple Pandharpur - The Divine India]
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Pandava Thoothar Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu.
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Thennangur Sri Rakhumai Sametha Panduranga Temple, Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu.
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Sri Vittal Rakhumai Mandir, Dahisar, Maharashtra.
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Shri Vitthal Rukmini Temple, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.
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Sri Rukmini Panduranga Swamy Temple, Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
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Vijaya Vitthala Mandhira, Hampi, Karnataka.
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ISKCON Temple - Iskcon Kaundanyapur,
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Kantajew Temple, Dinajpur, Bangladesh.
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Sri Krishnan Temple, Singapore.
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Lakhubai Mandir Temple Dindiravan, Pandharpur, India
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Vitthal Rukmini Mandir, New Jersey USA
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Rukmini Panduranga Temple, Long Beach, CA
Influence
Culture
The
Mishmi people of Arunachal Pradesh believe that Rukmini belonged to their tribe. The plays and dances on 'Rukmini Haran' are common. There is a legend that Krishna asked the Mishmi people to cut their hair as a form of punishment for not allowing him to marry Rukmini. Due to this Idu-Mishmi people are also called "chulikata" (chuli-hair, kata- cut).
[Aiyadurai, A., & Lee, C. S. (2017). Living on the Sino-Indian border : The story of the Mishmis in Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India. Asian Ethnology, 76(2), 367–395.]
Paintings
Rukmini's marriage to Krishna and related events have been depicted in the
Kangra painting and
Pahari painting.
[ Pahari centres Arts of India: Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, Music, Dance and Handicraft, by Krishna Chaitanya. Published by Abhinav Publications, 1987. . Page 62.]
In popular culture
Films
-
In the 1957 Telugu-Tamil film Mayabazar, Rukmini was portrayed by Sandhya.
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In the 1966 Telugu film Sri Krishna Tulabharam, Rukmini was portrayed by Anjali Devi.
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In the 1967 and 1971 Telugu films Sri Krishnavataram and Sri Krishna Vijayamu respectively, Rukmini was portrayed by Devika.
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In the 1986 Hindi film Krishna-Krishna, Rukmini was portrayed by Vidya Sinha.
Television
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In B. R. Chopra's 1988 series Mahabharat, Rukmini was portrayed by Channa Ruparel.
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In Ramanand Sagar's 1993 series Shri Krishna, Rukmini was portrayed by Pinky Parikh.
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In the 2011 series Dwarkadheesh Bhagwan Shree Krishn, Rukmini was portrayed by Priya Bathija and Payal Shrivastav.
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In the 2013 series Mahabharat, Rukmini was portrayed by Pallavi Subhash.
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In the 2017 series Vithu Mauli, Rukmini was portrayed by Ekta Labde.
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In the 2017 series Paramavatar Shri Krishna, Rukmini was portrayed by Amandeep Sidhu and Hunar Hali.
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In the 2018 series RadhaKrishn, Rukmini was portrayed by Zalak Desai.
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In the 2019 series Dwarkadheesh Bhagwan Shree Krishn – Sarvkala Sampann, Rukmini was portrayed by Neetha Shetty.
Notes
See also
Bibliography
External links
