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376
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[DECEMBER, 1907.
श्रीराम
RUKMINI KALYANAM.
BY G. R. SUBRAMIAH PANTULU.
(An Episode in the Srimat Bhagavata from the text of Bammara Potanna. - The Telugu Poet.)
You have heard from ne, o Parikshit, some time ago that under the commands of Brahma, Rivata bestowed the hand of his daughter Ravati on Balarama. Afterwards, Krishna married the sweet-scented Rukmini, an incarnation of Lakshmi and the danghter of Bhishmake, after gaining a victory over Salva and others who came to aid Sisupala, as Garutmanta took possession of the nectar, overthrowing Indra in days of yore.
Then, Parikshit questioned Süka, the narrator of the story, to furnish him with a satisfactory explanation of the state of affairs which lead Křishna, who came to Bhishmaka's court on account of a swayamvara, to carry off Rukmini and marry her in the r 1kshasa form, after overthrowing a host of powerful kings single-handed.1
"Exalted Brahman, Súka, a person who bears the stories of Vishņa, the bearing of which is the best road to salvation, would not be satisfied even after a certain stage is attained, As hearing them afresh imparts fresh pleasure to the hearer. . As these stories appear fresh every time they are beard, kindly barrate to me the Rukmini Kalyanam, as my mind is at present bent upon hearing it. Osage, the words which narrate the characteristics of Vishnu are ornaments to the ears of the hearers, are pleasure-giving to the pandite, are destroyers of sins committed in various lives and contain soul-stirring words."
After hearing these words from the king, Sûka spoke thus: -"O Parikshit, there lived a king, Bhishmaka by Dame, ruler of Kundina in Vidarbha. He had five sons, of which the eldest, Rukmi by name, was a spotless person. The last and most beloved of the lot was a daughter Rukmini by name.
“The house of Bhishmaka glowed with the growth of his daughter Rukmini, as the western horizon glows with the rising of the moon. She, growing day by day, indulged herself in
1 There are eight different sorts of marriage (1) brahmya, in which a girl of noble descent is married to one of the same order wbo is also a good Vedic scholar, after adorning the girl in the best jewels possible; (2) daitam, in which a girl adorned with the most fashionable and valuable jewele possible ia married to a ritvika at the beginning of a yagna, or sacrifice, after worshipping bim; (8) arsham, in which a girl in married to one after accepting from him the gift of a cow for the propagation of dharma; (4) prajapatyam, in which a girl is given to a person after telling him that they should jointly propagate dharma; (5) rákshana, where the girl is carried off by force without the consent of the girl's party ; (6) gandharvam, where olandestine marriage is done by mutual consent; (7) asuram, where money is paid for the girl for marriage; and (8) pisacha, where a person marries a girl who is not able to maintain her virtue on 8000unt of administering to herself soporific drugs. There is yet another kind of marriage called atra, where the parents roarry the two people after noticing strong signs of love in both.
? The five excrementitioua products: (1) A davamals - where Satyaguna preponderstes, although at times the thought of "I am Brabml" is presented to the mind to be soon forgotten. (2) Karmikamala - in which a person gives a deaf ear to the Vedantic teachings of his best guros. (8) Mayikamala-in which the thought about BrahmA does not strike the mind at all. (4) Mayayamala - where the mind is led to the performance of sinful deeds of whatever kind. (5) Tirotanamala- in which a person after krowing all about ParabrahmA is led to the belief that there is something other than that Being and in consequence suffers eternal damnation and undergoes & series of rebirths.
