Rukmini Sandesham is the message that Rukmini sent to her beloved Krishna, calling out to Him to somehow take her with Him just before her impending wedding with Shishupala. She starts her letter with how she fell in love with the Lord, just by hearing about His valour and strength and has set her eyes on marrying Him. A messenger takes this letter across to Krishna and their love story is complete with Him fulfilling her wishes.
In philosophy, these verses, though romantic at the outset, signify the desire of each of us to unite with the Supreme, which is possible only through pure and selfless devotion, just as Rukmini feels here.
This piece has been set to tune by Anahita, in 7 different Ragas, each for one stanza - Shahana, Mayamalavagowla, Hamsadhwani, Poorvikalyani, Hindolam, Simhendramadhyamam and Shurutti
Meaning for Rukmini Sandesham
Shri Rukmini said:
(1) O beauty of the worlds, having heard of Your qualities, which enter the ears of those who hear and remove their bodily distress, and having also heard of Your beauty, which fulfills all the visual desires of those who see, I have fixed my shameless mind upon You, O Krshna.
(2) O Mukunda, You are equal only to Yourself in lineage, character, beauty, knowledge, youthfulness, wealth and influence. O lion among men, You delight the minds of all mankind. What aristocratic, sober-minded and marriageable girl of a good family would not choose You as her husband when the proper time has come?
(3) Therefore, my dear Lord, I have chosen You as my husband, and I surrender myself to You. Please come swiftly, O almighty one, and make me Your wife. My dear lotus-eyed Lord, let Sisupala never touch the hero's portion like a jackal stealing the property of a lion.
(4) If I have sufficiently worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead by pious works, sacrifices, charity, rituals and vows, and also by worshiping the demigods, brahmanas and gurus, then may Gadagraja come and take my hand, and not Damaghosa's son or anyone else.
(5) O unconquerable one, tomorrow when my marriage ceremony is about to begin, You should arrive unseen in Vidarbha and surround Yourself with the leaders of Your army. Then crush the forces of Chaidya and Magadhendra and marry me in the Rakshasa style, winning me with Your valor.
(6) Since I will be staying within the inner chambers of the palace, You may wonder, "How can I carry you away without killing some of your relatives?" But I shall tell You a way: On the day before the marriage there is a grand procession to honor the royal family's deity, and in this procession the new bride goes outside the city to visit Goddess Girija.
(7) O lotus-eyed one, great souls like Lord Siva hanker to bathe in the dust of Your lotus feet and thereby destroy their ignorance. If I cannot obtain Your mercy, I shall simply give up my vital force, which will have become weak from the severe penances I will perform. Then, after hundreds of lifetimes of endeavor, I may obtain Your mercy.
You can find the lyrics here:
श्रुत्वा गुणान् भुवनसुन्दर शृण्वतां ते
निर्विश्य कर्णविवरैर्हरतोऽङ्गतापम् ।
रूपं दृशां दृशिमतामखिलार्थलाभं
त्वय्यच्युताविशति चित्तमपत्रपं मे ॥ ३७॥
का त्वा मुकुन्द महती कुलशीलरूप-
विद्यावयोद्रविणधामभिरात्मतुल्यम् ।
धीरा पतिं कुलवती न वृणीत कन्या
काले नृसिंह नरलोकमनोऽभिरामम् ॥ ३८॥
तन्मे भवान् खलु वृतः पतिरङ्ग जाया-
मात्मार्पितश्च भवतोऽत्र विभो विधेहि ।
मा वीरभागमभिमर्शतु चैद्य आराद्-
गोमायुवन्मृगपतेर्बलिमम्बुजाक्ष ॥ ३९॥
पूर्तेष्टदत्तनियमव्रतदेवविप्र-
गुर्वर्चनादिभिरलं भगवान् परेशः ।
आराधितो यदि गदाग्रज एत्य पाणिं
गृह्णातु मे न दमघोषसुतादयोऽन्ये ॥ ४०॥
श्वोभाविनि त्वमजितोद्वहने विदर्भान्
गुप्तः समेत्य पृतनापतिभिः परीतः ।
निर्मथ्य चैद्यमगधेन्द्रबलं प्रसह्य
मां राक्षसेनविधिनोद्वह वीर्यशुल्काम् ॥ ४१॥
अन्तःपुरान्तरचरीमनिहत्य बन्धून्
त्वामुद्वहे कथमिति प्रवदाम्युपायम् ।
पूर्वेद्युरस्ति महती कुलदेवियात्रा
यस्यां बहिर्नववधूर्गिरिजामुपेयात् ॥ ४२॥
यस्याङ्घ्रिपङ्कजरजःस्नपनं महान्तो
वाञ्छन्त्युमापतिरिवात्मतमोऽपहत्यै ।
यर्ह्यम्बुजाक्ष न लभेय भवत्प्रसादं
जह्यामसून् व्रतकृशान् शतजन्मभिः स्यात् ॥ ४३॥
ब्राह्मण उवाच
इत्येते गुह्यसन्देशा यदुदेव मयाहृताः ।
विमृश्य कर्तुं यच्चात्र क्रियतां तदनन्तरम् ॥ ४४॥
इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां
संहितायां दशमस्कन्धे उत्तरार्धे रुक्मिण्युद्वाह-
प्रस्तावे द्विपञ्चाशत्तमोऽध्यायः ॥ ५२॥
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