Krsna, the Ranchor 393
My dear Lord, in my previous life I may have done public welfare work
like digging wells and growing trees, or pious activities such as performing
ritualistic ceremonies and sacrifices and serving the superior spiritual
master, the brahmenas and Vaisnavas. By these activities, perhaps I have
pleased the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana. If this is so, then
I wish that You, Lord Krsna, the brother of Lord Balarama, would please
come here and catch hold of my hand so that I may not be touched by
Sigupala and his company.”

Rukmini’s marriage with Sigupala was already settled; therefore she
suggested that Krsna kidnap her so that this might be changed. This sort
of marriage, in which the girl is kidnapped by force, is known as raksasa
and is practiced among the ksatriyas, or the administrative, martial
spirited type of men. Because her marriage was already arranged to take
place the next day, Rukmini suggested that Krsna come there incognito to
kidnap her and then fight with Sisupala and his allies like the King of
Magadha. Knowing that no one could conquer Krsna and that He would
certainly emerge victorious, she addressed Him as Ajita—the unconquerable.
Rukmini told Krsna not to be concerned that many of her family members,
including other women, might be wounded or even killed if the fighting
took place within the palace. As the king of a country thinks of diplomatic
ways to achieve his object, similarly Rukmini, being the daughter of a
king, was diplomatic in suggesting how this unnecessary and undesirable
killing could be avoided.

She explained that it was the custom of her family to visit. the temple
of the goddess Durga, their family deity, before a marriage. (The ksatriya
kings were mostly staunch Vaisnavas, worshiping Lord Visnu in either
the Radha-Krsna or Laksmi-Narayana form; still, for their material welfare,
they used to worship the goddess Durga. They never made the mistake,
however, of accepting the demigods as the Supreme Lord on the level of
Visnu-tattva, as did some of the less intelligent men.) In order to avoid
the unnecessary killing of her relatives, Rukmini suggested that it would
be easiest for Him to kidnap her while she was either going from the
palace to the temple or else while she was returning home.

She also explained to Krsna why she was so anxious to be married to
Him, even though her marriage was to take place with Sigupala, who was
also qualified, being the son of a great king. Rukmini said that she did not
think anyone was greater than Krsna, not even Lord Siva, who is known
as Mahadeva, the greatest of all demigods. Lord Siva also seeks the pleasure
of Lord Krsna in order to be delivered from his entanglement in the quality
of ignorance within the material world. In spite of the fact that Lord
