"You become unhappy with my services such as fanning, but derive pleasure when I give up those services and use angry words against you. You are not pleased to see my smiling face but are pleased to see my frightening face with moving eyebrows discolored by anger and disfigured with sorrow. Is this your nature?" He answers with this verse. "Householders derive the greatest pleasure from joking like this."

I have done this because (hi) this is the happiness (lābhaḥ) of householders who are present in their houses. This excludes happiness from husbands who are absent. One prahara (yāmaḥ) should be spent with the beloved. Since you are most beloved of all my consorts, it is proper to spend such time with you. O fearful one, you are worried because of your dākṣina nature endowed with fear, not because of intelligent analysis of the situation. O beautiful woman (bhāmini)! Now, giving up your angry portion, understand that I spoke in order to have fun. His words “Do not hate me Vaidārbī” were also spoken in jest. He thought as follows. Rukmiṇī has most sincere prema, which was most profound. Therefore anger in love that I desired or special words and symptoms revealed because of prema do not appear in you distinctly. In the absence of generating anger, I will attempt to make her utter some special words. Whatever happens will be very amusing. Disfiguring her brother caused her to become angry and was not fitting as far as she was concerned. But the happiness of not being separated from me is her very life. She will possibly become angry if I defeat this pride. But even then, if she does not show anger, because of fear of separation, she will reveal strong prema through her words along with special transformations even now, as she did before meeting me. When Kṛṣṇa mentioned that the other kings desired her (verse 10), his words were affectionate and joking. In verse 9 he was described that he smiled, pleased with her. This also indicates his joking nature. In verse 25 he then saw her sincere love and that she could not understand his joking which was filled with boldness (prauḍhi). This means that he thought, “I must agitate her, though she has sincere, deep prema.” She did not understand because she lacked crookedness in her love. She was bewildered by his proud joking (verse 28). This indicates again his desire to see her become angry by his joking. Then in three verses (29-31) he spoke. His desire to see her strong prema transform was revealed in those previous words such verse 25. Then he revealed the same by his own words in verse 29. “I desired to see hear your words.” In verse 40 she finally reveals her agitation with injury to her pride. Defeating her pride in not being separated from him was stated by Śukadeva’s verse 21. In verse 56 the Lord rejects other causes of his joking by stating that because of fear of separation she did not speak.

This certainly is the greatest happiness (lābhaḥ) in the houses for householders initiated into the dharma of the house with five sacrifices etc. This happens in the house. If the husband is away, the happiness would depend on other factors. Or it should happen privately in the house not in an assembly. One cannot derive such happiness immediately from other types of enjoyment. One can enjoy one prahara (yāmaḥ) in this way. You are dearer to me than anyone else (priyayā). Therefore it is proper to joke with you in this way. O timid one! You become alarmed because a chaste woman has a timid nature. The quality does not manifest by thinking. It is appropriate that you show anger in love, O angry woman (bhāmini), but should not show suffering.