मत्पूर्वां रुक्मिणीं कृष्ण संसत्सु परिकीर्तयन् ॥
विशेषतः पार्थिवेषु व्रीडां न कुरुषे कथम् ॥
मन्यमानो हि कः सत्सु पुरुषः परिकीर्तयेत् ॥
अन्यपूर्वां स्त्रियं जातु त्वद् अन्यो मधुसूदन ॥
क्षम वा यदि ते श्रद्धा मा वा कृष्ण मम क्षम ॥
क्रुद्धाद् वापि प्रसन्नाद् वा किं मे त्वत्तो भविष्यति ॥
matpūrvāṃ rukmiṇīṃ kṛṣṇa saṃsatsu parikīrtayan ||
viśeṣataḥ pārthiveṣu vrīḍāṃ na kuruṣe katham ||
manyamāno hi kaḥ satsu puruṣaḥ parikīrtayet ||
anyapūrvāṃ striyaṃ jātu tvad anyo madhusūdana ||
kṣama vā yadi te śraddhā mā vā kṛṣṇa mama kṣama ||
kruddhād vāpi prasannād vā kiṃ me tvatto bhaviṣyati ||
"Proclaiming in assemblies, especially before kings, Rukmini — mine before, O Krishna — how do you feel no shame? For what self-respecting man among the good would ever proclaim a woman who previously belonged to another — other than you, O Madhusudana? Forgive me, if you have such an inclination, or do not forgive me, O Krishna; from the angry or from the gracious — what will come to me from you?"
701388b0916a · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:49:21 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Shishupala's last words are the height of insolence: he throws at the Lord "what will come to me from you?", imagining himself untouchable. It is telling that the doomed one is most fearless precisely on the threshold of ruin: darkening of mind strips fear from him who should tremble. The verse teaches that a self-assured "it makes no difference to me whether you are angry or gracious" is not strength of spirit but blindness to one's own condition. And the taunt "forgive or do not forgive" itself exhausts forgiveness: by mockingly rejecting mercy, Shishupala chooses judgment for himself. He who says to the Lord "what will you do to me?" will be answered by the deed — and it is already appointed.