FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.61.22

శ్రీశుక ఉవాచ వృత: స్వయంవరే సాక్షాదనఙ్గోఽఙ్గయుతస్తయా । రాజ్ఞ: సమేతాన్ నిర్జిత్య జహారైకరథో యుధి ॥ ౨౨ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca
[shree-shuka uvaacha]
vṛtaḥ svayaṁvare sākṣād
[vritah svayamvare saakshaad]
anaṇgo ’ṇga-yutas tayā
[anango ’nga-yutas tayaa]
rājñaḥ sametān nirjitya
[raajnah sametaan nirjitya]
jahāraika-ratho yudhi
[jahaaraika-ratho yudhi]
śrī - śukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī said vṛtaḥ — chosen svayaṁvare — in her svayaṁvara ceremony sākṣāt — manifest anaṅgaḥ — Cupid aṅga - yataḥ — incarnate tayā — by her rājñaḥ — the kings sametān — assembled nirjitya — defeating jahāra — He took her away eka - rathaḥ — having only one chariot yudhi — in battle .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-śuka uvāca
śrī - śukaḥ uvāca
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
vṛtaḥ svayaṁvare sākṣād
vṛtaḥ
chosen
svayaṁvare
in her svayaṁvara ceremony
sākṣāt
manifest
anaṇgo ’ṇga-yutas tayā
anaṅgaḥ
Cupid
rājñaḥ sametān nirjitya
aṅga - yataḥ
incarnate
tayā
by her
jahāraika-ratho yudhi
rājñaḥ
the kings
sametān
assembled
nirjitya
defeating
jahāra
He took her away
eka - rathaḥ
having only one chariot
yudhi
in battle .
  • svayaṁvare — in her svayaṁvara ceremony
    svayam (self) + vara (choosing). A kṣatriya rite in which the bride personally chooses her husband from assembled suitors. The Bhāgavata uses it as a recurring narrative device — Sītā, Draupadī, Rukmiṇī (interrupted), Lakṣmaṇā, Rukmavatī — and always Bhagavān is the actual chooser.
  • anaṅgaḥ — Cupid
    an + aṅga, 'without body.' Cupid burned by Śiva's third eye; here Pradyumna is sākṣāt anaṅgaḥ — Cupid manifest in body. Gauḍīyas distinguish this divine Cupid (Pradyumna, Madana-mohana) from the mundane lust-deity.
  • aṅga-yataḥ — incarnate
    aṅga + yata, 'whose body has come together.' Names the re-embodiment: Cupid lost his body at Śiva's stare, regained it as Kṛṣṇa's son. The verse compresses an entire restoration-līlā into a compound.
  • eka-rathaḥ — having only one chariot
    eka (one) + ratha (chariot). The same epithet applied to Kṛṣṇa at Rukmiṇī's elopement. Bhāgavata-style verbal echo: the Lord's family-līlās rhyme.
  • jahāra — He took her away
    From √hṛ, the same root as Hari ('the One who takes away'). The Lord-name Hari literally describes what He does to His devotees — and what His son does to his bride.
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: At her svayaṁvara ceremony, Rukmavatī herself chose Pradyumna, who was the re-embodiment of Cupid. Then, although He fought alone on a single chariot, Pradyumna defeated the assembled kings in battle and took her away.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: At her svayaṁ-vara ceremony, Rukmavatī herself chose Pradyumna, who was the re-embodiment of Cupid. Then, although He fought alone on a single chariot, Pradyumna defeated the assembled kings in battle and took her away.
Commentary

This verse describes how Rukmi held a svayamvara assemby for his daughter' marriage in order to escape the infamy at giving his daughter to his enemy’s son.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

When it was certain that she chose Pradyumna, a svayaṁ-vara was arranged in order to fool the intolerant competitors. The cause of choosing him was that he was elsewhere absorbed in the mood of Cupid and here was endowed with his full form (aṅga-yutaḥ). Though she chose him at the svayam-vara, he had to defeat kings who had gathered to fight with him out of envy. This showed his military prowess. After the marriage, to please Rukmī, his material uncle, he stayed a long time in Rukmī’s city. Or returning to Dvārakā he again returned to Rukmī’s city later, since Aniruddha was born in his city, mentioned already in verse 18.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

He was surrounded by the assembled kings who gathered to fight with him out of enmity, because they were foolish, though Pradyumna was chosen by her at the svayamvara. But he defeated them in battle. This shows his valor. After the marriage, to please his uncle he stayed a long time in his city. Or going to Dvārakā he again came to that city and Aniruddha was born there.

Related values
Dana (Charity / Generosity)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Yajña (Sacrifice / Spirit of Offering)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Santosha (Contentment)Discriminative Wisdom
Related verses
Concepts
Jiva

Like an arrow that needs no quiver — alone on a single chariot — Pradyumna, Cupid embodied, draws the bow that wins his bride against a forest of kings, the son demonstrating in miniature what his father did at Rukmiṇī's svayaṁvara.

Kṛṣṇa at Rukmiṇī's elopement

SB 10.53 — Rukmiṇī sent a brāhmaṇa letter to Kṛṣṇa naming the temple and hour she would visit before her forced marriage to Śiśupāla. Kṛṣṇa arrived alone on a single chariot, lifted her in, and outran the entire assembly of kings led by her brother Rukmī.

A generation later, Pradyumna repeats the exact pattern — eka-rathaḥ, on a single chariot, against assembled kings — and wins Rukmī's own daughter. The Bhāgavata is composing in fugue: the son's līlā quotes the father's, note for note.

📝 My note

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