Viṣṇu Purāṇa | Book 5 - Chapter 26

Chapter XXVI

Kṛṣṇa carries off Rukmiṇī: the princes who come to rescue her repulsed by Balarāma. Rukmī overthrown, but spared by Kṛṣṇa, founds Bhojakaṭa. Pradyumna born of Rukmiṇī.

BHĪṢMAKA was king of Vidarbha, residing at Kuṇḍikā. He had a son named Rukmī, and a beautiful daughter termed Rukmiṇī. Kṛṣṇa fell in love with the latter, and solicited her in marriage; but her brother who hated Kṛṣṇa, would not assent to the espousals.

At the suggestion of Jarāsandha, and with the concurrence of his son, the powerful sovereign Bhīṣma affianced Rukmiṇī to Śiśupāla.

In order to celebrate the marriage, Jarāsandha and other princes, the friends of Śiśupāla, assembled in the capital of Vidarbha; and Kṛṣṇa, attended by Balabhadra and many other Yādavas, also went to Kuṇḍikā to witness the wedding.

When there, Hari contrived, on the eve of the marriage, to carry off the princess, leaving Rāma and his kinsmen to sustain the weight of his enemies.

Pauṇḍraka, the illustrious Dantavakra, Vidūratha, Śiśupāla, Jarāsandha, Śalya, and other kings, indignant at the insult, exerted themselves to kill Kṛṣṇa, but were repelled by Balarāma and the Yādavas.

Rukmī, vowing that he would never enter Kuṇḍikā again until he had slain Keśava in fight, pursued and overtook him.

In the combat that ensued, Kṛṣṇa destroyed with his discus, as if in sport, the host of Rukmī, with all its horse, and elephants, and foot, and chariots, and overthrew him,

and hurled him on the ground, and would have put him to death, but was withheld by the entreaties of Rukmiṇī:

"He is my only brother," she exclaimed, "and must not be slain by thee: restrain your wrath, O divine lord, and give me my brother in charity."

Thus addressed by her, Kṛṣṇa, whom no acts affect, spared Rukmī; and he (in pursuance of his vow) founded the city Bhojakaṭa, and ever afterwards dwelt therein.

After the defeat of Rukmī, Kṛṣṇa married Rukmiṇī in due form, having first made her his own by the Rākṣasa ritual.

She bore him the gallant Pradyumna, a portion of the deity of love. The demon Śambara carried him off, but he slew the demon.