“O king, the beauty of Rukmini was indeed unparalleled on this earth. The highly effulgent Vasudeva desired her simply by hearing about her. Indeed, through hearing Janardana was also desired by her. She thought, ‘As He is heroic, resplendent, and strong, He should become my husband.’” (Hari-vamsha, 87.14-15)

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रुक्मिणी त्व् अभवद् राजन् रूपेणासदृशी भुवि
चकमे वासुदेवस् तां श्रवाद् एव महाद्युतिः

स चाभिलषितस् तस्याः श्रवाद् एव जनार्दनः
तेजोवीर्यबलोपेतः स मे भर्ता भवेद् इति

rukmiṇī tv abhavad rājan rūpeṇāsadṛśī bhuvi
cakame vāsudevas tāṃ śravād eva mahādyutiḥ

sa cābhilaṣitas tasyāḥ śravād eva janārdanaḥ
tejovīryabalopetaḥ sa me bhartā bhaved iti

“What I am about to say is not intended to be confrontational. Please do not take it in that spirit. I am merely considering a different point of view, an alternate angle of vision, which appears to contradict the central principle. That principle is that we should hear. We can achieve everything through hearing, you see. That process of hearing is the first in the list of nine methods of bhakti-yoga revealed by Prahlada Maharaja. The child offered the explanation in response to a question from his father. The five-year old boy replied honestly about what he considered to be the most important instruction.

श्रीप्रह्राद उवाच
श्रवणं कीर्तनं विष्णो: स्मरणं पादसेवनम्
अर्चनं वन्दनं दास्यं सख्यमात्मनिवेदनम्

śrī-prahrāda uvāca
śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ
sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

“Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Vishnu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one’s best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words) – these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service.” (Prahlada Maharaja, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.23)

“I recently heard His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada humorously explaining a specific way not to find God. He said that we cannot look out across a room and ask the Supreme Lord to stand up. We are in no position to command God. Rather, we should qualify ourselves. We should first learn proper discernment. Bhakti-yoga, devotional service, sanatana-dharma – whatever the preferred term – is for reaching the standard of being able to identify for ourselves, through humble service, appropriate supplication, proper study, and diligent and faithful activity, devoid of personal interest.

“That is well and good, but just see how many relationships form from instinct. How many couples have you heard from where they just knew based on the initial meeting? They have a name for it: ‘Love at first sight.’ The descriptions of Krishna-lila can be considered in the same light. The people loved Krishna based on what they saw. Krishna is all-attractive, after all. One aspect to that attractiveness is the vision. That is one way we can be sure that God exists. Whatever it is that we find attractive, pleasant, pleasurable, or befitting, that is a representation of Divinity. We can look out the window and see the beautiful blue color displayed by the sky and its clouds. In this way, we can think of how God is the most beautiful person.

“Where does hearing fit into this picture, then? Shravanam is good. Shravanam helps. I am not denying the reality, but there must be something to the vision, as well. Am I wrong?”

With the pastimes of Krishna in the sacred farm community of Gokula-Vrindavana, validation of something special was also through sound. A young Krishna would tend to the calves. This was like His first job. The father, Nanda Maharaja, signed the virtual working papers. Krishna and His male friends of similar age would take the calves to the pasturing grounds. It is said that when the animals would scatter here and there, Krishna knew how to bring them back. All at once, at the same time, by scaling Govardhana Hill and playing His flute. That sound would get everyone’s attention. It is like Krishna was calling them home.

The sound produced by the ankle bells kindly placed on the transcendental body of a young Krishna would remind the people that their most precious family member was nearby. The damsels of Vraja, who were not otherwise recognized for artistic expression or scholarly discovery, were known to praise everything related to the flute played by Krishna. It is like they understood macroeconomics at the largest scale, in a mood of appreciation.

गोप्यः किम् आचरद् अयं कुशलं स्म वेणुर्
दामोदराधर-सुधाम् अपि गोपिकानाम्
भुङ्क्ते स्वयं यद् अवशिष्ट-रसं ह्रदिन्यो
हृष्यत्-त्वचो ’श्रु मुमुचुस् तरवो यथार्यः

gopyaḥ kim ācarad ayaṁ kuśalaṁ sma veṇur
dāmodarādhara-sudhām api gopikānām
bhuṅkte svayaṁ yad avaśiṣṭa-rasaṁ hradinyo
hṛṣyat-tvaco ’śru mumucus taravo yathāryaḥ

“My dear gopis, what auspicious activities must the flute have performed to enjoy the nectar of Krishna’s lips independently and leave only a taste for the gopis for whom that nectar is actually meant. The forefathers of the flute, the bamboo trees, shed tears of pleasure. His mother, the river, on whose bank the bamboo was born, feels jubilation, and therefore her blooming lotus flowers are standing like hair on her body.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.21.9)

In the case of the princess of Vidarbha, hearing was sufficient. She heard from proper authorities. She heard to the point that her mind was made up. Without years of practice, absent a semester at a yoga ashrama, and with no formal training in the discipline, Rukmini Devi had a vow that was firm. It was like the dridha-vrata described in Bhagavad-gita. She was ready to serve with determination, without outside interference, and without stopping.

सततं कीर्तयन्तो मां
यतन्तश् च दृढ-व्रताः
नमस्यन्तश् च मां भक्त्या
नित्य-युक्ता उपासते

satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ
yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ
namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā
nitya-yuktā upāsate

“Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.14)

The interesting part of the story is that the person she heard about also happened to be familiar with Rukmini. This person has similarly heard. That hearing was sufficient, to the extent that they were willing to accept the proposal. When Rukmini later sent a letter, asking to be rescued on the day of her imminent marriage to the prince named Shishupala, Krishna accepted. He agreed to appear on the scene and snatch Rukmini.

Indeed, that was her desire, as well. She had love at first sound, in hearing about the qualities of the Supreme Lord. She did not stop there. She suggested steps such that the desired relationship could live in truth, in reality, rather than a hope and a prayer. We can try a similar approach. We can act in ways that the real God will notice us. He will see our dedication and feel compelled to stay with us, in an eternal relationship.

In Closing:

Rather out of lineup to pick,
And with haughtiness to stick.

For meeting simply prepare,
Such that He will be aware.

Like Rukmini with her plan,
Helping all she can.

Of eleventh hour rescue proposed,
Of rival kings Krishna disposed.

Categories: questions

Tags: dailyprompt, god, hare krishna, love, poem, poems, poetry, rukmini