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MARRIAGE OF KRṢŅA WITH RUKMIŅI AND OTHERS 183
down a row of palm trees like a row of lotus-stalks with one blow with a crescent-shaped arrow. By the pressure of his thumb and finger, he split the diamond of his ring as easily as a piece of a cooked bean.
Rukmini felt great joy at her husband's strength, like a lotus blooming at the light of the sun at dawn. Govinda said to Rāma: "Take the bride, brother, and go. I will kill these people, Rukmin and others, who are pursuing." Rāma said,
You go. I shall kill them." Rukmiņi, terrified, said, “My brother must be saved." Rāma agreed to that with Kṛṣṇa's approval and halted right there to fight, but Janardana went on. Then Bala, not slow in battle, his pestle raised, churned the enemy-army that had come, like Manthācala (Mt. Mandara) churning the ocean. Elephants and chariots turned into fine dust, like fragments of water-jars, from its iron tip, like mountains from the thunderbolt. Rukmin's army fled with Siśupāla himself, but Rukmin, thinking himself a hero, said
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to Balabhadra:
"Ho! You have been seen, cowherd. Stand! Stand in front of me. I shall take away your pride produced by drinking milk." Remembering his promise, Rāma abandoned the pestle and destroyed his chariot with arrows and killed the chariot-horses, piercing the armor. Rama cut off Rukmin's hair with a sharp-edged arrow and, laughing, said to Rukmin who had joined the category of enemies: "You are not to be killed because you are the brother of my sister-in-law. Go, villain. Though you are bald, by our favor divert yourself with your wives."
Released with this speech, from shame Rukmin did not go to Kundina, but stayed and founded a city, Bhojakata, on that spot.
Kṛṣṇa said to Rukmiņi, as he entered the city Dvārakā: Queen, this city of mine was made of jewels by the gods. You will sport with me in its gardens composed of wishingtrees, with uninterrupted happiness, like a goddess. Rukmini said to Kṛṣṇa: "Your wives are magnificent, given by their
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