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| RUKMINI - THE PRINCESS
OF VIDARBHA |
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| THE EMISSARY INFORMING
RUKMINI |
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| KRISHNA TAKING RUKMINI TO DWARAKA |
At that time the ruler of Vidarbha was Bhishmak, who had
a daughter named Rukmini.This beautiful princess hearing the adventurous stories of Krishna had fallen
in love with him. The elder brother of Rukmini wanted to
marry, his sister to Sishupal, the king of Chedi. The princess secretly sent
a letter to Krishna through an emissary. In this letter she requested him to come and save her. Krishna also
learnt from this emissary the day when the princess was to be married to Shishupal.
On the appointed day the intended bridegroom entered the city with great pomp
and show. The poor princess Rukmini was disappointed not
to see her rescuer approach there. When she had lost all hopes the emissary stealthily entered Rukmini's
apartments and informed her of Krishna' s arrival together with his brother,
Balarama.
In the morning Rukmini, with her escorts, proceeded towards
the temple of Ambika for prayers. Krishna on his chariot was waiting on one side.
He with a sudden and swift move took her on the chariot by his side and rushed
towards Dwarka.The chiefs who had assembled for the wedding gave a hot pursuit but Krishna and
Balarama together with other Yadava tribe chiefs conferred on them a crushing
defeat and they had to retreat.
Lord Krishna entered Dwarka with Rukmini, who was married
with him formally there.Though there are legends about sixteen thousand wives of Krishna, Mahabharata
speaks of only one other wife, named Satyabhama.
In the epic of Mahabharata Krishna appears' first in the
Swayamvara (marriage ceremony) of Draupadi, the daughter of king Drupad of the
State of Panchal. The
stage was set at Panchal for the marriage of princess Draupadi. Royal princes
had come from far and near to win the hand of this beautiful girl. King Drupad
had declared that he would give his daughter in marriage only to that prince
who would hit the set target with his arrow.
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| KRISHNA - THE EMBODIMENT OF DHARMA AND JUSTICE |
Five Pandava brothers also entered
the arena, but at the time where in the disguise of Brahmans. None could hit
the mark while Arjuna succeeded in hitting the mark. At this victory feat of
Arjuna, the princes who had assembled their felt humiliated and became ready
to give a fight to Arjuna and his brothers. Here Krishna intervened and persuaded
the assembly not to indulge in any unjust action. He succeeded pacifying the
angry contenders. Draupadi was eventually married to all the five brothers.
After Draupadi' s marriage, Krishna is seen as taking active part in the marriage
of Subhadra, his sister, Arjuna loved her and wanted to take her as his wife.
Arjuna, after consultation with Krishna, carried away Subhadra in his chariot,
as other family members were opposed to this alliance.
After sometime Yuddhistira with his four Pandava brothers came out of their disguise
and started ruling over their kingdom. But until Jarasandha, the mighty and cruel
King of Magadha, was not subdued, the sovereignty of Pandava brothers could not
remain unchallenged. Jarasandha had got numerous princes as his captive. Krishna
challenged Jarasandha and killed him in the fight. He thus fortified the supremacy
of the Pandavas and also relieved people of an oppressive ruler.
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