FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.52.42

అన్త:పురాన్తరచరీమనిహత్య బన్ధూన్- త్వాముద్వహే కథమితి ప్రవదామ్యుపాయమ్ । పూర్వేద్యురస్తి మహతీ కులదేవయాత్రా యస్యాం బహిర్నవవధూర్గిరిజాముపేయాత్ ॥ ౪౨ ॥
antaḥ-purāntara-carīm anihatya bandhūn
[antah-puraantara-chareem anihatya bandhoon]
tvām udvahe katham iti pravadāmy upāyam
[tvaam udvahe katham iti pravadaamy upaayam]
pūrve-dyur asti mahatī kula-deva-yātrā
[poorve-dyur asti mahatee kula-deva-yaatraa]
yasyāṁ bahir nava-vadhūr girijām upeyāt
[yasyaam bahir nava-vadhoor girijaam upeyaat]
antaḥ - pura — the women’s quarters of the palace antara — within carīm — moving anihatya — without killing bandhūn — your relatives tvām — you udvahe — I shall carry away katham — how iti — saying such words pravadāmi — I shall explain upāyam — a means pūrve - dyuḥ — on the day before asti — there is mahatī — large kula — of the royal family deva — for the presiding deity yātrā — a ceremonial procession yasyām — in which bahiḥ — outside nava — new vadhūḥ — the bride girijām — goddess Girijā (Ambikā) upeyāt — approaches .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
antaḥ-purāntara-carīm anihatya bandhūn
antaḥ - pura
the women’s quarters of the palace
antara
within
carīm
moving
anihatya
without killing
bandhūn
your relatives
tvām udvahe katham iti pravadāmy upāyam
tvām
you
udvahe
I shall carry away
katham
how
iti
saying such words
pravadāmi
I shall explain
upāyam
a means
pūrve-dyur asti mahatī kula-deva-yātrā
pūrve - dyuḥ
on the day before
asti
there is
mahatī
large
kula
of the royal family
deva
for the presiding deity
yātrā
a ceremonial procession
yasyāṁ bahir nava-vadhūr girijām upeyāt
yasyām
in which
bahiḥ
outside
nava
new
vadhūḥ
the bride
girijām
goddess Girijā (Ambikā)
upeyāt
approaches .
  • antaḥ-pura-antara-carīm — (myself,) moving within the inner quarters of the palace
    Compound: antaḥ-pura (women's apartments) + antara (within) + cara (moving). Rukmiṇī states the obstacle as her own location — she is shut inside. The verse names the architectural confinement before naming the procession that breaks it open.
  • anihatya bandhūn — without killing (Your) relatives
    Phrase: a (not) + ni-√han (to kill) + bandhu (kinsman). Rukmiṇī foresees Kṛṣṇa's reluctance to slay her bandhus. Her ethical sensitivity is preserved through the letter — she wants the rescue, but not at the cost of needless slaughter.
  • kula-deva-yātrā — the procession to the royal family's presiding deity
    Compound: kula (family) + deva (deity) + yātrā (procession). Vedic dynastic protocol — the new bride visits the family kula-devatā the day before the wedding. Rukmiṇī uses standard Vedic procedure to engineer the rescue.
  • girijām upeyāt — (the bride) approaches Goddess Girijā
    Phrase: girijā (the mountain-born, Pārvatī) + upe-√i (approach). The procession's destination is Pārvatī's shrine outside the city — the only point where Rukmiṇī will be temporarily extractable. Gauḍīyas note the symmetry: Pārvatī, the model of pātivratā-bhakti, is the deity whose blessing presides over Rukmiṇī's wedding-bid.
Since I will be staying within the inner chambers of the palace, You may wonder, “How can I carry you away without killing some of your relatives?” But I shall tell You a way: On the day before the marriage there is a grand procession to honor the royal family’s deity, and in this procession the new bride goes outside the city to visit Goddess Girijā.

Clever Rukmiṇī anticipated a possible objection on the part of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He certainly would not object to subduing rascals like Śiśupāla and Jarāsandha, but He might be reluctant to injure or kill Rukmiṇī’s relatives, some of whom might block His way to the palace’s inner sanctum, where the women were protected. The procession to or from the temple of Girijā (Durgā) would provide the perfect opportunity for Kṛṣṇa to kidnap Rukmiṇī without harming her relatives.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Since I will be staying within the inner chambers of the palace, You may wonder, "How can I carry you away without killing some of your relatives?" But I shall tell You a way: On the day before the marriage there is a grand procession to honor the royal family's deity, and in this procession the new bride goes outside the city to visit Goddess Girijā.
Commentary

"Let Sisupala’s troops get killed. However, stealing you from within the city will certainly lead to killing your relatives." "How can my desire be fulfilled without killing? There is a temple of Durga outside the city. You can easily steal me from there, without killing my relatives."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

In great distress she further describes the events of the coming day and gives instructions. I stay within the inner chambers of the palace. There will be a procession to the temple of the family deity, tomorrow, the day before the marriage. She states that this will definitely happen. “At which moment will this happen? How would I know?” It will be very evident because there will be a huge festival (mahatī) with instrumental music. It is a custom that the new bride enters the temple of Durgā outside the city.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Bhakti (Devotion)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses

Rukmiṇī anticipates Kṛṣṇa's tactical worry — how to extract a bride from the antaḥpura without killing her kin — and answers it in advance. She offers the procession to Girijā as the natural opening: the bride going outside the city the day before the wedding is the only narrow window in the schedule. The letter is also a logistical plan; prema in Vidarbha includes blueprint.

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