Definition
Rukmiṇī: Vāsudeva Kṛṣṇa’s eldest and principal wife, a princess of Vidarbha.
Rukmiṇī: Queen of Dvārakā
Rukmiṇī is the eldest wife of Vāsudeva Kṛṣṇa and is often identified as an incarnation of the goddess of prosperity Śrī-Lakṣmī. The earliest sources that speak of her are the Mahābhārata (MBh) [14] and Harivaṃśa (HV) [16]. As a princess of Vidarbha (Eastern Maharashtra) and daughter of King Bhīṣmaka, she is abducted by Kṛṣṇa just moments before her unwanted marriage to Śiśupāla of Cedi and becomes Kṛṣṇa’s chief queen in Dvārakā, bearing him several sons, of whom the most important is Pradyumna. She is often cast in a discordant relationship with Satyabhāmā, a younger wife of Kṛṣṇa. Rukmiṇī’s importance in Hinduism is defined largely by the role she plays in the mythic accounts of Kṛṣṇa’s life, although she does have a significant presence in certain worship traditions such as at the temple of Viṭṭhal Kṛṣṇa in Paṇḍharpūr, Maharashtra.
Rukmiṇī’s...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Abbreviations
- BhP:
-
Bhāgavata Purāṇa
- HV:
-
Harivaṃśa
- MBh:
-
Mahābhārata
- ViP:
-
Viṣṇu Purāṇa
References
Austin C (2013) The fructification of the tale of a tree: the Pārijātaharaṇa in the Harivaṃśa and its appendices. J Am Orient Soc 133(2):249–268
Austin C (2014) The abduction of Śrī-Rukmiṇī: politics, genealogy and theology in Harivaṃśa 87–90. Relig Stud Theol 33(1):23–46
Brown CM (1982) The theology of Rādhā in the Purāṇas. In: Hawley JS, Wulff DM (eds) The divine consort: Rādhā and the goddesses of India. Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, pp 57–71
Coleman T (2003) The abduction of Rukmiṇī. J Vaishnava Stud 12(1):25–56
Jain PL (ed, trans) (2011) Harivaṃśa Purāṇa of Ācārya Jinasena with Hindi translation, introduction and appendices, 13th edn. Bharatiya Jnanpith, New Delhi
Kinjawadekar PR (ed) (1936) Harivanshaparvan with Bhārata Bhāwadeepa by Neelakantha. Shankar Narhar Joshi (Citrashala Press), Poona
Marglin F (1999) Time renewed: the place of the Daitās and Devadāsīs in the famous Ratha Jātrā festival of Puri. J Vaiṣṇava Stud 7(2):131–173
Novetzke CL (2005) A family affair: Krishna comes to Paṇḍharpūr and makes himself at home. In: Beck GL (ed) Alternative Krishnas: regional and vernacular variations on a Hindu deity. State University of New York Press, Albany, pp 113–138
Pathak MM (ed) (1997–1999) The critical edition of the Viṣṇupurāṇam, 2 vols. Oriental Institute, Vadodara
Pauwels H (2007) Stealing a willing bride: Women’s agency in the myth of Rukmiṇī’s elopement. J R Asiat Soc G B Irel 17:407–441
Pauwels H (2008) The goddess as role model: Sītā and Rādhā in scripture and on screen. Oxford University Press, New York
Shastri HG et al (eds) (1996–2002) The Bhāgavata [Śrīmad Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa], 1st edn, 4 vols. in 6 pts. B. J. Institute of Learning and Research, Ahmedabad
Shima I (1988) The Viṭhobā faith of Mahārāṣtra: the Viṭhobā temple of Paṇḍharpūr and its mythological structure. Jpn J Relig Stud 15(2-3):183–197
Sukthankar VS (ed) (1933–1966) The Mahābhārata, 19 vols. Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona
Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra of Hemacandra. var (eds) (1990–2012) Kalikālasarvajña Śrīhema-candrācāryaviracitaṃ Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritamahākāvyam, 5 vols. Kalikālasarvajña Śrīhemacandrācārya Navama Janmaśābdī Smṛti Śikṣaṇa-Saṃskāranidhi, Ahmedabad
Vaidya PL (ed) (1969–1971) The Harivaṃśa: Being the Khila, or supplement to the Mahābhārata, 2 vols. Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this entry
Cite this entry
Austin, C. (2018). Rukmiṇī. In: Jain, P., Sherma, R., Khanna, M. (eds) Hinduism and Tribal Religions. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_555-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_555-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-024-1036-5
Online ISBN: 978-94-024-1036-5
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Religion and PhilosophyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Humanities