The chief queen of श्री कृष्ण .

Birth

From the following पुराणिच् statements, it could be understood that रुक्मिणी was the incarnation of goddess लक्ष्मी .

श्री देवी ( लक्ष्मी ) by her portions, took birth in the earth as रुक्मिणी in the family of भीष्मक . [mh-1-67-156 ] Mahābhārata • Ādi parva .

Formerly लक्ष्मी देवी took birth as the daughter of भृगु by his wife ख्याति . Next she took birth from the sea of Milk at the time of the churning of it by the combined efforts of the देवस् and the असुरस् , to take अमृत (ambrosia). When विष्णु took birth as आदित्य , लक्ष्मी took birth from lotus. When विष्णु incarnated as परशुराम लक्ष्मी देवी became the earth-goddess. In the incarnation of श्री राम she became सीता and in that of श्री कृष्ण she was रुक्मिणी . (Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Aṃśa 1, Chapter 9)

It was in the kingdom of विदर्भ that लक्ष्मी देवी took birth as रुक्मिणी during the incarnation of श्री कृष्ण . To भीष्मक , the King of विदर्भ , five sons beginning with रुक्मी , were born. The sixth was a daughter who was named रुक्मिणी . She grew up into a beautiful damsel. (Bhāgavata, Skandha 10) .

Marriage

रुक्मिणी fell in love with श्री कृष्ण . Her parents agreed to her choice. But her brother रुक्मी was an enemy of श्री कृष्ण . रुक्मी desired to give his sister to शिशुपाल . The date of the marriage was fixed and the heart was burning within रुक्मिणी . She sent a ब्रह्मिन् as messenger to कृष्ण .

The time of marriage drew near. The kings of अङ्ग , कलिङ्ग , मालव , केकय , वङ्ग , मगध , कोसल , साल्व , चोल , पाण्ड्य , केरल and so on took their seats in the nuptial hall. श्री कृष्ण and बलभद्र came with their army. The army under the leadership of बलभद्र remained behind and श्री कृष्ण went alone to the nuptial hall. While preparations were being made to give रुक्मिणी to शिशुपाल , श्री कृष्ण took her in his chariot and quickly left the place. All the other kings who ran after श्री कृष्ण to fight had to confront with the mighty army of बलभद्र , who defeated the kings and returned to द्वारका . (Bhāgavata, Skandha 10)

It is mentioned in भागवत , स्कन्ध 10, that ten sons were born to श्री कृष्ण by रुक्मिणी . They were प्रद्युम्न , चारुदेष्ण , सुदेष्ण , चारुदेह , सुचारु , चारुगुप्त , भद्रचारु , चारुचन्द्र , चारुभद्र and चारु . But a slight difference is observed in the description of the sons of रूक्मिणी given in महाभारत , अनुशासन पर्व , Chapter 14, Stanzas 33 and 34.

Yoked to the chariot by दुर्वासस्

See under दुर्वासस् , Para 3.

अर्जुन

After the death of श्री कृष्ण , Arjuna visited द्वारका . Seeing the dilapidated city without rulers and the women without husbands, he cried aloud. रुक्मिणी देवी ran to him and consoled him and seated him on a golden chair. [mh-16-5-12 ] Mahābhārata • Mausala parva .

Death

After the death of श्री कृष्ण , रुक्मिणी , with the other wives of श्री कृष्ण jumped into a burning pyre and died.

शैब्या , रुक्मिणी , गान्धारी , हैमवती and जाम्बवती jumped into the fire. [mh-16-7-73 ] Mahābhārata • Mausala parva .

The Palace of रुक्मिणी

There is a statement in the महाभारत , दाक्षिणात्य पाठ , सभा पर्व , Chapter 28, about the palace of रुक्मिणी . " विश्वकर्मा built a palace for श्री कृष्ण at the instance of इन्द्र . The highest dome of it is covered with gold. So this dome dazzled as the peak of महामेरु . It was this dome that was set apart for his beloved wife रुक्मिणी by श्री कृष्ण ".