tam deva-mayam iva dhira-mohinim

 su-madhyamam kundala-manditananam

syamam nitambarpita-ratna-mekhalam

 vyañjat-stanim kuntala-sankiteksanam

 

suci-smitam bimba-phaladhara-dyuti-

 sonayamana-dvija-kunda-kudmalam

pada calantim kala-hamsa-gaminim

 siñjat-kala-nupura-dhama-sobhina

 

vilokya vira mumuhuh samagata

 yasasvinas tat-krta-hrc-chayarditah

yam viksya te nrpatayas tad udara-hasa-

 vridavaloka-hrta-cetasa ujjhitastrah

 

petuh ksitau gaja-rathasva-gata vimudha

 yatra-cchalena haraye ’rpayatim sva-sobham

saivam sanais calayati cala-padma-kosau

 praptim tada bhagavatah prasamiksamana

 

utsarya vama-karajair alakan apangaih

 praptan hriyaiksata nrpan dadrse ’cyutam ca

tam raja-kanyam ratham aruraksatim

 jahara krsno dvisatam samiksatam

 

Translation: 

 

Rukmini appeared as enchanting as the Lord’s illusory potency, who enchants even the sober and grave. Thus the kings gazed upon her virgin beauty, her shapely waist, and her lovely face adorned with earrings. Her hips were graced with a jewel-studded belt, her breasts were just budding, and her eyes seemed apprehensive of her encroaching locks of hair. She smiled sweetly, her jasmine-bud teeth reflecting the glow of her bimba-red lips. As she walked with the motions of a royal swan, the effulgence of her tinkling ankle bells beautified her feet. Seeing her, the assembled heroes were totally bewildered. Lust tore at their hearts. Indeed, when the kings saw her broad smile and shy glance, they became stupefied, dropped their weapons and fell unconscious to the ground from their elephants, chariots and horses. On the pretext of the procession, Rukmini displayed her beauty for Krsna alone. Slowly she advanced the two moving lotus-whorls of her feet, awaiting the arrival of the Supreme Lord. With the fingernails of her left hand she pushed some strands of hair away from her face and shyly looked from the corners of her eyes at the kings standing before her. At that moment she saw Krsna. Then, while His enemies looked on, the Lord seized the princess, who was eager to mount His chariot.

 

Purport: 

 

According to Srila Jiva Gosvami, Rukmini was anxious that her locks of hair might impede her vision, since she was most eager to see her beloved Krsna. The nondevotees, or demons, are bewildered at seeing the opulences of the Lord and think that His potency is meant for their gross sense gratification. But Rukmini, an expansion of Krsna’s internal pleasure potency, was meant for the Lord alone.

 

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti quotes the following verse to describe the kind of woman known as syama:

 

sita-kale bhaved usno

 usna-kale tu sitala

stanau su-kathinau yasyah

 sa syama parikirtita

 

“A woman is called syama when her breasts are very firm and when someone in her presence feels warm in the winter and cool in the summer.”

 

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti further points out that since the beautiful form of Rukmini is a manifestation of the Lord’s internal energy, the nondevotees cannot perceive her. Thus the heroic kings assembled in Vidarbha were agitated with lust upon seeing the Lord’s illusory potency, an expansion of Rukmini. In other words, no one can lust after the Lord’s eternal consort, since as soon as one’s mind is contaminated with lust, the covering of Maya separates one from the pristine beauty of the spiritual world and its inhabitants.

 

Finally, Srimati Rukmini-devi felt shy as she looked from the corners of her eyes at the other kings, for she did not want to meet the glances of those inferior men.