Krsna Kidnaps Rukmini 359
Balarama honey and fresh washed cloth. He was hospitable not only to
Krsna, Balarama and kings such as Jarasandha, but he also received many
other kings and princes according to their respective personal strength, age
and material possessions. Out of curiosity and eagerness, the people of
Kundina assembled before Krsna and Balarama and began to drink the
nectar of Their beauty. With tearful eyes, they offered Them their silent
respects. They were very pleased, considering Lord Krsna the suitable
match for Rukmini. They were so eager to unite Krsna and Rukmini that
they began to pray to the Personality of Godhead: “My dear Lord, if we
have performed any pious activities that You are satisfied with, kindly be
merciful upon us and accept the hand of Rukmini.” It appears that
Rukmini was a very popular princess, and all the citizens, out of intense
love for her, prayed for her best fortune. In the meantime, Rukmin1, being
very nicely dressed and protected by bodyguards, came out of the palace
to visit the temple of Ambika, the goddess Durga.

Deity worship in the temple has been in existence since the beginning
of Vedic culture. There is a class of men described in the Bhagavad-gita as
the veda-vada-rata; they only believe in the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies,
but not in the temple worship. Such foolish people may here take note
that although this marriage of Krsna and Rukmini took place more than’
5,0@0@ years ago, there were arrangements for temple worship. In the
Bhagavad-gita the Lord says, yanti deva-vrata devan: “The worshipers of
the demigods attain the abodes of the demigods.” There were many
people who worshiped the demigods and many who directly worshiped
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The system of demigod worship was
directed mainly to Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, Lord Ganega, the sun-god and
the goddess Durga. Lord Siva and the goddess Durga were worshiped even
by the royal families; other minor demigods were worshiped by silly
inferior people. As far as the brahmanas and Vaisnavas are concerned, they
simply worship Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the
Bhagavad-gita the worship of demigods is condemned, but not forbidden;
there it is clearly stated that the less intelligent class of men worship the
different kinds of demigods for material benefit. On the other hand, even
though Rukmini was the goddess of fortune, she went to the temple of the
goddess Durga because the family deity was worshiped there. In the

rimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that as Rukmini was proceeding towards
the temple of the goddess Durga, within her heart she was always thinking
of the lotus feet of Krsna. Therefore when Rukmini went to the temple
it was not with the intention of an ordinary person, who goes to beg for
material benefits; her only target was Krsna. When people go to the temple
