50 Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

had a son named Aniruddha. In this way, Krsna’s family—Krsna and His
wives, along with their sons and grandsons and even great-grandsons—all
combined together to include very nearly one billion family members.

Rukmi, the elder brother of Krsna’s first wife, Rukmini, was greatly
harrassed and insulted in his fight with Krsna, but on the request of
Rukmini his life was saved. Since then Rukmi had held a great grudge
against Krsna and was always inimical toward Him. Nevertheless, his
daughter was married with Krsna’s son, and his granddaughter was married
with Krsna’s grandson, Aniruddha. This fact appeared to be a little aston-
ishing to Maharaja Pariksit when he heard it from Sukadeva Gosvami. “I
am surprised that Rukmi and Krsna, who were so greatly inimical to one
another, could again be united by marital relationships between their
descendants.” Pariksit Maharaja was curious about the mystery of this
incident, and therefore he inquired further from Sukadeva Gosvami.
Because Sukadeva Gosvami was a practical yogi, nothing was hidden from
his power of insight. A perfect yogi like Sukadeva Gosvami can see past,
present and future in all details. Therefore, from such yogis or mystics
there can be nothing concealed. When Pariksit Maharaja inquired from
Sukadeva Gosvami, Sukadeva Gosvami answered as follows.

Pradyumna, the eldest son of Krsna, born of Rukmini, was Cupid
himself. He was so beautiful and attractive that the daughter of Rukmi,
namely Rukmavati, could not select any husband other than Pradyumna
during her svayamvara. Therefore, in that selection meeting, she garlanded
Pradyumna in the presence of all other princes. When there was a fight
among the princes, Pradyumna came out victorious, and therefore Rukmi
was obliged to offer his beautiful daughter to him. Although a far-off
enmity was always blazing in the heart of Rukmi because of his being
insulted by Krsna’s kidnapping of his sister Rukmini, when his daughter
selected Pradyumna as her husband Rukmi could not resist consenting
to the marriage ceremony just to please his sister, Rukmini. And so
Pradyumna became the nephew of Rukmi. Besides the ten sons described
above, Rukmini had one beautiful daughter with big eyes, and she was
married to the son of Krtavarma, whose name was Ball.

Although Rukmi was a veritable enemy of Krsna, he had great affection
for his sister, Rukmini, and he wanted to please her in all respects. On this
account, when Rukmini’s grandson Aniruddha was to be married, Rukmi
offered his granddaughter Rocana to Aniruddha. Such marriage between
immediate cousins is not very much sanctioned by the Vedic culture, but
in order to please Rukmini, Rukmi offered his daughter and granddaughter
to the son and grandson of Krsna. In this way, when the negotiation of the
