Krsna married Rukmini whose subtle essential form is Laksmi (sriyah matram), just as sound is the essence of ether (tan matra). As Krsna is svayam bhagavan, it is fitting that rukmini should be of the same quality as Laksmi.

Svayam Bhagavāṇ Kṛṣṇa, who is known as Govinda at this time, since he attained (vindati) or appeared on earth (go) in order to perform special pastimes, married Rukmiṇī, She is called śriyo mātrām: all wealth and qualities (śriyo) enter (māti) into her. Like the Lord she should appear in this world with a complete, perfect form. evaṁ yadā jagatsvāmī devadevo janārdanaḥ / avatāraṁ karotyeṣā tadā śrīs tat sahāyini // When Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of the devatās, master of the universe appears in this world, his consort also enters to assist him. Viṣṇu Purāṇa Therefore she will be described as sadṛśīm in verse 24.He brought her close (upayeme) for the marriage pastime. The word api indicates everything previously said about Kṛṣṇa. Or Govinda can mean the lord of Gokula, who was feeling pain in separation from the gopīs. Thus he shed pitiful tears and ordered Uddhava to go to Gokula. (SB 10.46.3) Kṛṣṇa will say after the pastimes are finished: tās tāḥ kṣapāḥ preṣṭhatamena nītā mayaiva vṛndāvana-gocareṇa kṣaṇārdha-vat tāḥ punar aṅga tāsāṁ hīnā mayā kalpa-samā babhūvuḥ All of those nights that the gopīs spent with me, their most dearly beloved, in the land of Vṛndāvana while I herded the cows, seemed to them to pass in less than a moment. Bereft of my association, however, the gopīs felt that those same nights were equal to a day of Brahmā. SB 11.12.11 Though he felt like this towards the gopīs, he married Rukmiṇī. Why? She was another form (mātrām) of the gopī Rādhā (śriyaḥ). The gopīs are called śrī as in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Śriyaḥ kāntāḥ kāntaḥ parama-puruṣaḥ kalpa-taravo: I worship this Goloka, where there are unlimited gopīs and their beloved Kṛṣṇa, the supreme form of God, where the trees fulfill all desires. The gopīs are superior to Lakṣmī. nāyaṁ śriyo ’ṅga u nitānta-rateḥ prasādaḥ svar-yoṣitāṁ nalina-gandha-rucāṁ kuto ’nyāḥ rāsotsave ’sya bhuja-daṇḍa-gṛhīta-kaṇṭha- labdhāśiṣāṁ ya udagād vraja-vallabhīnām When Kṛṣṇa was dancing with the gopīs in the rāsa-līlā, the gopīs were embraced by the arms of the Lord. This favor was never bestowed upon the goddess of fortune, though she was intensely attracted to him, or to other consorts in the spiritual world whose bodily luster and aroma resemble the lotus flower. And what to speak of worldly women? SB 10.47.60 As the Pāṇḍavas are the best among the Kurus, so the gopīs are the best among all the Lakṣmīs. They are called śrī because of non-difference of tattva. Or, śriyo mātrām can mean that Rukmiṇī is an expansion of Rādhā. yāta yūyaṁ vrajaṁn tāta vayaṁ ca sneha-duḥkhitān jṣātīn vo draṣṭum eṣyāmo vidhāya suhṛdāṁ sukham Now you should all return to Vraja, dear father. We shall come to see you, our dear relatives who suffer in separation from us, as soon as we have given some happiness to your well-wishing friends. SB 10.45.23 Thus Kṛṣṇa accepted marriage in order to give happiness to the Yādavas. The Kārttika-māhātmya section of the Padma Purāṇa states kaiśore gopa-kanyās tā yauvane rāja-kanyakāḥ: In childhood, Kṛṣṇa enjoyed with the daughters of cowherd men, and in his adolescence he enjoyed with the daughters of kings. Similarly, in the Skanda Purāṇa it is said rukmiṇī dvāravatyāṁ tu rādhā vṛndāvane vane: Rukmiṇī is in Dvārakā what Rādhā is in the forest of Vṛndāvana. Because he is Bhagavān he has a variety of manifestations of his śaktis. In Nārāyaṇa-kavaca it is said: mām keśavo gadayā prātar avyād govindaḥ āsaṅgavam ātta-venuḥ May Keśava protect me with his club in the first portion of the day, and may Govinda, who is always engaged in playing His flute, protect me in the second portion of the day. SB 6.8.20 Thus, as the eternal performer of pastimes he married Rukmiṇī. How did he do this? He is Bhagavān, who appears in Dvārakā and Vraja simultaneously by his acintya-śakti. Similarly he pacified the gopīs through the mouth of Uddhava. This was a svayaṁvara (the bride choosing her husband) according to the description in Hari-vaṁśa. Understanding that Śiśupāla had been chosen as her husband, she told Kṛṣṇa to abduct her through a message after her choice (svayamvare) of Kṛṣṇa had been denied. Or Rukmiṇī herself (svayam) chose (vare) Kṛṣṇa as her husband on sending the message through the son of the brāhmaṇa. He immediately defeated all the kings headed by Śālva. Though Jarāsandha was the chief warrior there, Śālva provoked the battle through his words, though there was agreement by all the kings to surrender to Kṛṣṇa in an assembly discussion before the abduction. This is made clear in Hari-vaṁśa (Viṣṇu-parva 52). These kings were the allies of Śiśupāla. This happened while all the others looked on, in disrespect. The possessive case indicates disrespect (paśyatām sarva-lokānāṁ). Since they were kings (rājṣaḥ) they were ashamed of their defeat. Tārkṣya means the son of Kaśyapa, Garuḍa.

Svayam Bhagavāṇ Kṛṣṇa, who is directly Nārāyaṇa, who is known as Govinda at this time, since he attained (vindati) or appeared on earth (go) in order to perform special pastimes, married Rukmiṇī, who also appeared at this time for this purpose. The word api indicates all the previously mentioned qualities of the Lord. Govinda can also mean the lord of Gokula. Though he was sadden by separation from the gopīs of Gokula, he married Rukmiṇī. Why? He was endowed with all qualities such as compassion for his devotees. yasyāṅghri-paṅkaja-rajaḥ-snapanaṁ mahānto vāṣchanty umā-patir ivātma-tamo-’pahatyai yarhy ambujākṣa na labheya bhavat-prasādaṁ jahyām asūn vrata-kṛśān śata-janmabhiḥ syāt O lotus-eyed one, great souls like Śiva 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. SB 10. 51.43 On hearing of her misery, he became compassionate and became controlled by her bhakti. He was famous for acting as the messenger, charioteer and guard for the Pāṇḍavas, best of the Kurus, grandfathers of Parikṣit. You know his compassion, being born in that family (kurudvaha). She was born in Vidarbha, endowed with good qualities like learning, the daughter of a great kṣatriya (bhīṣmaka-sutām). Being the daughter of a king and devotee, she was born into a good family. As well, she was Lakṣmī personified. Or her beauty could not be measured (amātrām śriyaḥ), being greater than Lakṁsī’s. As the Lord revealed his unlimited qualities, she also revealed unlimited qualities. The marriage is not described here, since it is discussed in detail in Hari-vaṁśa. Understanding that she would be married to Śiśupāla, she became filled with pain. Writing a letter to the Lord, she was then taken by him. Svayamvare can also mean “when she accepted Kṛsṇa as her husband through a messenger.” This indicates her devotion. Actually Śukadeva mentions this incident with lamentation, being angry out of affection for the Lord. Govinda means he is dependent on the people of Gokula. He promised to return. (SB 10.41.17) He promised to fulfill the gopīs’ desires. (SB 10.22.25) saṅkalpo viditaḥ sādhvyo bhavatīnāṁ mad-arcanam mayānumoditaḥ so ‘sau satyo bhavitum arhati O saintly girls, I understand that your real motive in this austerity has been to worship me. That intent of yours is approved by me and must come true. SB 10.22.25 How could he marry anyone else? But he did. Why? He is independent (bhagavān). Since he should not have done this, what use is his position as the controller? He conquered by destroying the troops. Sālva was Jarāsandha’s main supporter and inclined to fight, though all the kings agreed to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, so he is mentioned first. This is described in Hari-vaṁśa. For fear of lengthening the commentary the details are not mentioned here. He destroyed the supporters of Śiśupāla (caidya-gān or caidya-kān). All others looked on with distain, or simply looked (locative meaning). By abducting her amidst all the kings, his boldness and power are shown. Or in front of all people he defeated the kings. Thus their shame is indicated by saying all people looked on. Tārkṣa means Kaśyapa.