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

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Sadagopan • August 22, 2000 


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            
 
  


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