Rukminee Haran

Now Krishn is in Dwaarakaa; Dhritraashtra, Karn, Shakuni, Duryodhan are in Hastinaapur where in spite of their all efforts to appoint Duryodhan as Crown Prince, Yudhishthir was declared Crown prince. Bheem, Arjun, Nakul and Sahadev have gone for victory tour. All are very sad on this development.

Chedi Desh's king Damghosh was the husband of Vasudev's another sister Shrutshravaa. Their son was Shishupaal, thus Shishupaal was Krishn's another Buaa's son and Paandav's Mausee's son (Mother's sister's son). Chedi Desh's capital was Kundinpur. Vidarbh Desh's king was Bheeshmak. He had four sons and a daughter named Rukminee. She was ready for Swayamvar.

Magadh Desh's king was Jaraasandh. He was very angry at killing of Kans, because Krishn had made his two daughters widow. He could not have pardoned Yadu people but he alone could not attack Dwaarakaa. So he was thinking to establish strong relationship between Raajaa Damghosh and Raajaa Bheeshmak so that he could use Shishupaal and Bheeshmak's four sons in Dwaarakaa's battle.;

Thus both Shakuni in Hastinaapur and Jaraasandh in Magadh were planning for their next move. Shakuni's Gotee (by which the dice game is played) was Duryodhan, and Jaraasandh's Gotee was Shishupaal. He was thinking that if Rukminee were married to Shishupaal, then he could use her brother Rukmee to oppose Yadu Vanshee people. Jaraasandh was very good friend of Bheeshmak so he went to Vidarbh Desh.

When Raajaa Bheeshmak heard of Jaraasandh's coming to Vidarbh Desh, he sent his eldest son Rukmee to welcome Jaraasandh saying that he should bring him with great respect as he was his very good friend. On the other side Jaraasandh sent Eklavya to welcome Rukmee. Well, both came to Vidarbh Desh. Bheeshmak welcomed Jaraasandh. Jaraasandh started talking about Rukminee's marriage with Shishupaal.

Rukm, Bheeshmak's second son, said - "Our sister is not less than Paanchaalee in any way, therefore her husband should be like this who looks like Naaraayan in all human beings." Bheeshmak asked - "And who is he, my son?" Rukm said - "Vaasudev Shree Krishn." But Rukmee was not ready for this, he told him that he had insulted their guest by proposing His name and eventually insulted their own father also. And the second reason was this, that since Rukminee was a king's daughter her marriage could be fixed in a king's family only. And the third reason was this that who knew whose son Krishn was, Kans' slave's Nand's or Devakee's? Whose Vansh (lineage) was not known, they could not marry their sister to him. They could not marry her to a herd-man.

Damghosh said - "After this relationship, no power of Bhaarat can raise its eyes neither to Chedi Desh nor to Vidarbh Desh. So you may send the message of Rukminee's marriage to Prince Shishupaal on our behalf." Rukmee said - "It will be a great honor for us to have relationship with Shishupaal like brave man." Jaraasandh said - "Rukm, Your father and I are present that is why today's definitions are ours. You are future, so wait to become present, then the definitions will be yours."

Jaraasandh handed over a letter to Eklavya and sent him to Chedi Desh to invite Shishupaal and instructed him that he should hand over the letter to Shishupaal only. Eklavya did so. On asking about the Swayamvar of Rukminee, Eklavya said - "All brave people are invited there." Shishupaal asked - "What about Dwaarakaa people?" Eklavya said - "I don't know about that, but since only kings and princes are invited in this Swayamvar, and Dwaarakaa doesn't come under any kingdom, so the question to invite them doesn't arise." Shishupaal said - "Well, If Rukminee had put her Varmaalaa in my neck in front of Dwaarakaa people, I would have derived more pleasure."

Rukmee tried to convince Rukminee that she should put her Varmaalaa in Shishupaal's neck, but Rukminee loved somebody else - Krishn. So she sent a message to Krishn about this. Thus if Rukminee did not want to marry Shishupaal, then she would not be married to Shishupaal. Naaraayan Himself would intervene in this matter that the society had no right to snatch the right to choose the husband from a girl.

So Krishn started towards Kundinpur, Daaoo also followed Him with His army as He knew that Rukmee will surely follow Krishn to attack. Rukminee went to do Gauree Poojaan and from there Krishn took Rukminee on His chariot and started towards Dwaarakaa. He blew His conch before starting, saying that "coming without declaring was OK, but going from here without declaring will be cowardliness".

As Krishn blew His conch, its sound reached in Shishupaal and Rukmee's ears. Shishupaal recognized it as Krishn's conch. The then a gatekeeper came and told that Balraam had come up to the border of capital and Krishn had taken Rukminee away. So Rukmee said to Shishupaal - "You take care of Balraam, and I follow Krishn. Rukmee fought with Krishn, Krishn used his Chakra, broke his bows and tied him with a rope. Rukmee said - "Do not leave me at your mercy, better you kill me." Krishn said - "What have you done to me so that I should kill you? You came to take your sister, this was your duty, And I am giving you life back, this is my duty." And Krishn went away along with Rukminee.