Sri RukmiNi KalyANam : part III ..Abduction & Marriage between RukmiNi and KrishNa ParamAthmA.

[Guest guest]

Namo NaarAyaNAya !

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

 

Dear BhakthAs :

 

We will cover the abduction of RukmiNi by

Our Lord , His travel to Dwarakai and His

Marriage to RukmiNi there in the prescribed Vedic

manner in this concluding posting tonight

in anticipation of Sri Jayanthi celebrations

tomorrow on the Suddha RohiNi navami

Thithi this year .

 

THe Abduction in front of IndirANi's Temple

*********************************************

Sri KrishNA arirved at King BhIshmakA's

capitol city as though He was attending

the planned marriage of RukmiNi to SisupAlan.

King BhIshmakan welcomed both KrishNA and His

elder brother Bala RaamA with reverence and

arranged for their residences at exquisite

palaces. The citizens of VidharbhA came to

have the darsanam of the Lord and commented

that their princess should be an ideal match

for KrishNA and expressed their concerns

about the planned RukmiNi-SisupAla vivAham .

 

At this time , RukmiNi started her visit to

the temple of IndrANi , the vivAha dEvathai

for Her blessings. Swamy Desikan points out

that it was strange that RukmiNi prayed

for the blessings of a Devathai , whom She

used to grant boons in Her form as MahA Lakshmi:

Swamy Desikan explains this paradox by indicating

that in Her human form, RukmiNi had to observe

the norms of human conduct under such circumstances.

RukmiNi prayed to IndrANi for the boon of

realizing KrishNA as Her Husband . AakAsavANi

was heard then to declare: " Thou shall attain

as BharthA One , who is an AparAjithan ( One

who can not be conquered by others in battle)."

RukmiNi's left thigh and eye twitched foretelling

the auspicious event of the Lord rushing to

Her side shortly. She heard at the same time ,

the sound of Paanchajanyam and experienced

the fragrance of ThirutthuzhAi (TuLasi Gandham)

in the air.

 

The Lord suddenly presented Himself in front of

the embodiment of Beauty , RukmiNi as She came out

of the temple of IndrANi. RukmiNi cast a shy

side glance at Her Lord , the aapath-bhAndhavan.

KrishNA stepped down from the chariot and

approached RukmiNi . He addressed Her sweetly

and said: " Oh MahA PathivrathE ! Do not fear

any more.I have arrived here in response to

Your message sent via the dear Brahmin ".

 

In the midst of the startled royalty and

palace guards , Lord KrishNA lifted now the eager

RukmiNI and placed Her in His chariot as though

he was carrying away , what was His due ," just as

a lion lifts its prey from amidst a pack of jackals".

Swamy Desikan is reminded of the scene of

Sri Ramachandran lifting SithA pirAtti onto

the Pushpaka VimAnam after removing Her fears

and fulfilling His devi's wish to be reunited

with Him after a long and harrowing seperation:

"Sa Pushpakam Raama iva --aarOpayAmAsa Ratham

RathAngi". Our Lord united now with His devi

speeded the chariot towards Dwarakia in

the western direction.

 

The ensuing Fight between KrishNaa and Rukmi

**********************************************

 

SisupAlan , Rukmi and the assembled friends of

theirs were startled by these sudden developments

and began to chase the fast moving Chariot of

Lord KrishNA , the king of Yadhu vamsam.Rukmi ,

a great enemy of KrishNa could not accept the idea

that he was humiliated and that KrishNA had married his

dear sister in front of every one by Raakshasa

vivAha vidhi .Rukmi , SisupAlA , JarAsandhA and

the armies put up a fight and were easily defeated

by KrishNA and BalarAmaa and their small army .

Rukmi would not give up , when all th others

ran away .He jumped out of his chariot and

rushed towards KrishNa with his sword in hand .

KrishNa was ready to destroy Rukmi . RukmiNi

now begged Her Lord to spare the life of Her

foolish and vainglorious brother :

 

" YogEswara apramEyaathman DevadEva JagathpathE

Hanthum naarhasi KalyANa BhrAtharam mE MahAbhuja "

 

The punishment of Rukmi and the Journey to Dwaarakai

*****************************************************

 

KrishNa displayed dayA towards Rukmi and

spared his life . KrishNA deformed Rukmi

however by tonsuring his head and face partially

as a mark of punishment .The humiliated Rukmi

retreated , while vowing eternal enimity

to KrishNA until the rescue of his sister,

who did not need any rescue.Our Lord travelled

swiftly onto Dwaarakai and entertained His bride

with the stories about the places that they

were pasisng through .The citizens of DwArakai

greeted the dhivya Mithunam (divine couple)

with aaratthi and upahArams .

 

Reception to the Dhivya dampathis at DwArakai

**********************************************

 

RukmiNi Devi looked like the KarpakA creeper clinging

tightly to the Kalpaka tree of KrishNA . Those who

had the good fortune to see this dhivya dampathis

attained the four kinds of PurushArhtams according

to Swamy Desikan :

 

KrishNasya thAm skandham upagnayanthIm

SuradhrumasyEva SuvarnavallIm

avEkshya noonam chathura: pumarthAn

ananyalabhyAmalabhantha PourA:

-- YaadhavAbhudhayam : Canto 13.65

 

The darsanam of the dhivya dampathis in their

wedded state blessed the citizens with

the four purushArthams of Dharma, artha ,Kaama

and Moksham . The just union between the dhivya

dampathis granted Dharmam to those , who were blessed

with their darsanam. Kaama PurushArtham was

realized since the mithunam were seen in

wedded state. LakshmI sambhandham of the Lord

granted artha PurushArtham. The bhAgyam of seeing

the divine couple granted the citizens Moksha

purushArhtam .Thus all the four PurushArhtams

were realized through the darsanam of RukmiNi

samEtha KrishNan at Dwaarakai.

 

The Vedic Weddding between RukmiNI and KrishNA

************************************************

 

Srimath BhAgavatham describes the Joyous wedding

in eight slOkams .Swamy Desikan enjoys this

Vedic wedding in 33 slOkAs in his Kaavya rathnam,

YaadhavAbhudhayam . Lord attained His VaivAhikI

Sampath at DwArakai . The Adhi dampathis celebrated

their wedding surrounded by the family and the citizens

of DhwArakai.VivAha MangaLa sangeetham echoed in

the air and Veda GhOsham filled all directions.

Elders threw sobhanAkshathais at the couple

and the Lord tied the Maangalya Soothram to

the accompaniment of the appropriate Veda manthrams.

Agni PradhakshiNam and Saptha Pathi , ammi-

mithitthal,Laaja Homam , Arundhathi darsanam

Pravisya Homam and Gruha pravEsam followed.

The elders of the Yadhu Vamsam blessed

the newly weded couple :

 

Raamasya SeethEva VishNOramushya

bhUyAsthvamihaikapathnI

ithyUchishO Yaadhavavruddha dhArAn

preethAsayA praikshatha saa sanAthA

--YaadhavAbhudhayam: 13. 95

 

(meaning):Oh RukmiNi ! May Thou shine as SeethA

to RaamA , Lakshmi to VishNu as Yeka pathni!

Thus blessed the elder sumangalis of Yadhu

Vamsam.

 

They used the expression , "yEka pathni"

to indicate that RukmiNi will be the One

for Yaj~nam and other Dharma Kaaryams ,

although the Lord had many other wives.

RukmiNi thus helped KrishNA to become

qualified for Veda Kaaryams such as Agni aadhAnam ,

VaisvadEvam, AgnihOthram and other prescribed

vedic rites.

 

Srimath BhAgavatham concludes the description of

the marriage of the dhivya dampathis this way:

 

dhvArakAyAmabhUdh Raajan MahAmOdhA: puroukasAm

RukmiNyA RamayOpEtham dhrushtvA KrishNam Sriya: pathim

-- Srimath BhAgavatham: 10.55.60

 

(meaning): "great was the delight of all

the inhabitants of DhwArakA on seeing KrishNaa ,

the Lord of Sri Devi , wedded to RukmiNi ,who is

none other than Sri Herself ".

 

RukmiNi Devi as MahA Lakshmi (Sri Devi)

****************************************

 

The SrEyO murthi , Sri devi is worshipped

through the auspicious "Sri" Sabdham .Swamy Desikan

has blessed us with the six complimentary meanings

behind the "Sri " Sabdham (Sreeyathi, Sraayathi ,

SruNOthi , SruNAthi , SrAvayati and SreeNAthi).

The deep meanings of these six functions represented by

"Sri" sabdham are covered elsewhere (http://desika.

homepage.com/Lakshmi.html).

 

There is also a seven fold meaning for

"Sri Devi " , when She is addressed as

"Lakshmi" .These seven meanings are revealed

to us by Nirutham , one of the six angams of

Vedam (etymology):

 

1. Labhad Vaa -- As One , who is attained

2. LakshaNAd vaa--As One who sees , One who

signifies , One who thinks etc.

3. LapsyanAdh Vaa--As One , who is sought after

as refuge (tanjam)

4. LanchanAdh vaa--As one , who indicates or brands

the highest as such

5. LasatEr Vaa -- As One, who shines, illumines

6. LagyatEr vaa-- As One , who clings inseperably

to Her Lord (AhalahillEn YenRu)

7. LajjatEr vaa-- As One, who feels shy over

the thought that She has not granted sufficient boons

to Her supplicants.

 

This is the Tattvam behind RukmiNi PirAtti,

the principal Consort of Sri KrishNa ParamAthmA .

adiyEn feels blessed to have had the bhAgyam

to write about the the dhivya mangala KalyANa MahOthsavam

of RukmiNi PirAtti during the occasion of

Vikrama Samvathsara Sri Jayanthi.

 

vandhE BrundhAvanacharam VallavI Janavallabham

JayanthI sambhavam dhama VaijayanthI VibhUshanam

 

--YasyAm YsyAm dhisi viharathE Devi dhrushtisthvadhIyA

TasyAm TasyAm ahamamikAm tanvathE SampadhOgA:

 

Sri RukamNi SamEtha Sri GeethAchAryAya nama:

Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan