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Rukminee was Krishn's first wife among His eight chief wives - Rukminee, Jaambvatee, Satyabhaamaa, Kaalindee, Mitravrindaa, Bhadraa, Lakshmanaa, and Naagnjitee. All these eight Chief wives of Krishn had 10 sons each from Krishn. According to Bhaagvat Puraan, 10.61.8-9, Rukminee's 10 sons' names are - (1) Pradyumn, (2) Chaarudeshna, (3) Sudeshna, (4) Chaarudeh, (5) Suchaaru, (6) Chaarugupt, (7) Bhadrachaaru, (8) Chaaruchandra, (9) Vichaaru and (10) Chaaru, the tenth. Of them, Pradyumn was the crown prince of Dwaraka.

Rukminee was the daughter of Raajaa Bheeshmak of Vidarbh Desh. She had five brothers - Rukmee, Rukmarath, Rukmbaahu, Rukmesh and Rukmamaalee. The eldest one was Rukmee. Although her all brothers loved her very much but Rukmee had some special affection towards her.

Rukminee's Marriage to Krishn
After defeating Krishn 18 times, Jaraasandh was looking for some alliance to make his kingdom stronger. Raajaa Bheeshmak was his good friend, and so was the King of Chedi Desh Damghosh (Krishn's Mausaa - mother's sister's husband). Damghosh had a son named Shishupaal who was very powerful at that time. So Jaraasandh thought that if somehow he is able to marry Rukminee to Shishupaal, then all the three powers (Jaraasandh, Shishupaal, and Bheeshmak) will be one and invincible. So he went to Raajaa Bheeshmak and proposed the name of Shishupaal for Rukminee. Raajaa Bheeshmak had already declared Jaraasandh as his very good friend so he sent Rukmee to bring him from the border. So Rukmee, as an obedient son, also honored him very highly and when Jaraasandh proposed the name of Shishupaal for Rukminee, he also agreed to it, as his father did. Refusing the same he considered a kind of insult to both his father and his friend. So Jaraasandh sent an invitation to Shishupaal to come to Vidarbh Desh to marry Rukminee.

Shishupaal came and Rukminee was going to be married to Shishupaal, but Rukminee loved Krishn. So she immediately sent a message to Krishn of this matter. Krishn called her in a temple to worship and abducted her from there. At the same time Balaraam also arrived at the border of Vidarbh Desh with his army. When Rukmee heard this, he sent Shishupaal to stop Balaraam and he himself went to release his sister from Krishn. Krishn and Rukmee fought but soon Krishn tied him with His Chakra (Divine Disc) and left him there only. Rukmee didn't go back to his kingdom, rather he inhabited another city and made it his capital.

Krishn took Rukminee to Dwaarakaa and married her there. Later Rukmee married his daughter Rukmvatee to Krishn's son Pradyumn.

Rukminee and Raadhaa-Parable of Hot Milk
Once Rukminee asked Krishn whether he loved Raadhaa very much. Krishn said - "Yes" Rukminee said - "I  also wish to see her who has cast such a big spell on my husband that He does not forget her." Krishn said - "OK, Some day I will call her here. Then you can see her." Then once Krishn called Raadhaa in Dwaarakaa. She came there and lived there for some time.

When the night fell, Krishn said to Rukminee - "Raadhaa likes milk very much so give her some milk before she sleeps." After having dinner and before sleeping Rukminee prepared some milk for Raadhaa and went to give it to her. Raadhaa took the glass of milk and drank it. Rukminee took the empty glass from her, kept it in the kitchen and went to Her husband. She always used to massage Krishn's feet before sleeping. So on that day also when she started massaging His feet, She found that His feet's soles were full of blisters.

Rukminee got surprised to see them like this, She asked - "What happened to your feet?" Krishn said - "It seems that you have given very hot milk to Raadhaa. She did drank the hot milk but my soles are burnt from its heat." Rukminee still could not make out what was the connection between the very hot milk Raadhaa drank and the blisters on Krishn's soles. She asked Krishn humbly - "My Lord, What is the relationship between the hot milk given to her and the blisters on your soles?" Krishn said - "Rukminee, Since Raadhaa keeps my Charan (feet) in her heart, when you gave her the hot milk, she did drink it, but since my feet were there in her heart my soles were burnt from that hot milk."

Rukminee got very surprised to hear this explanation but was impressed to see Raadhaa's love towards Krishn.

Rukminee and Raadhaa-Parable of Charanaamrit
Krishn was very fond of food and if it was tasty, nothing to be told. One day after meals in Rukminee's palace, Krishn was relaxing. He could not get a nap, instead He was feeling stomach pain. As minutes advanced, pain started increasing. Krishn called Rukmlnee and told the matter. He said to Rukminee - "Rukminee I feel severe stomach pain. If I get Charanaamrit of any woman to drink, I will get relief, I am sure."

Krishn told this holding His stomach with pain. Rukminee came out. She said to herself - "I cannot wash my feet and offer that water to my husband. Let me give some Gangaa water to Him, it might give Him some relief." But another minute, she had the brightest idea. She called coming to the compound near the spot where Krishn planted Paarijaat tree, and shouted in a loud hurried voice - "Satyabhaamaa, come quickly this side." Satyabhaamaa slowed down the oven in which she was preparing sweet pudding (Kheer) for Krishn for the the evening snack as Krishn had scheduled to take evening snack with her, and came out of her palace. She rushed to Rukminee and asked her - "You seem to be worried, Rukminee, what happened?"

Rukminee told her the matter. Satyabhaamaa said - For me too He is  my husband. How can I give my Charanaamrit to Him. I do not want to commit any sin. let us try some other woman for this." To cut short, no body was ready to offer Charanaamrit to Krishn, the God, at Dwaarakaa. As the time was passing, Krishn was still rolling in the bed, called both of His Chief wives - "What happened?" Both simultaneously expressed their inability to get Charanaamrit for Him. Krishn then advised them to check the possibility from any woman from Vrindaa Van.

Captains immediately rushed to Vrindaa Van. Seeing army people, Gopikaa called Raadhaa - "Raadhaa, come quickly. See this military has come." Raadhaa came to the scene sweating. She enquired the matter - "What has brought you here?" The captain explained the matter that Krishn has stomach pain and is rolling in the bed and there is nobody to give Him her Charanaamrit at Dwaaarakaa, so He has asked to get it from any woman from Vrindaa Van.

Hearing this Raadhaa smiled for a moment and said- "You have come here only for this small matter? If this Charanaamrit can cure Krishn's stomach pain, take this soon and give it to Him." She asked them to wait for a minute. She asked one of her friends to bring a pot of water. Raadhaa immediately stood in that pot and made that water as Charanaamrit. She poured that water back in another pot and gave to the captain. Captain did not know Raadhaa or any Krishn Raadhaa stories. So he asked - "After giving Charanaamrit, I have to give the name of the person who offered this Charanaamrit." Raadhaa again smiled. Her friend told the Captain that tell Him that her name was Raadhaa.

Soon the Charanaamrit reached Dwaarakaa. Krishn took a handful of that Charanaamrit and drank it. Stomach pain? Who had it? Krishn got fully relieved after drinking it. He started his activities as usual. Seeing that Charanaamrit working so soon and effectively, Rukminee enquired about the person who offered Charanaamrit so quickly to the captain. Satyabhaamaa was also curious to her name. Captain informed the woman's name was Raadhaa. Both rushed to Krishn, and said, it was Raadhaa who offered Him her Charanaamrit. "How could she do it?" Krishn smiled and said - "For her, my problem was her problem, and not that who I was. My treatment was more important to her. You hesitated and she did not. That is the difference between you and her."

Rukminee and Satyabhaamaa-Parable of Tulaa Bhaar
Read their story A Parable about Satyabhaamaa : Tulaa Baaram

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