Krishna and Rukmini

Krishna is the great lover of Indian mythology. Yet the details of the women he had wooed, won and wed are surprisingly limited and perhaps should be confined to his conquest of Rukmini. Here is the unalloyed romantic tale of none but the brave deserving the fair. Krishna here is the romantic hero par excellence who recklessly carries away his ladylove under the very noses of his rivals. Rukmini is a perfect foil to Krishna in this idyllic tale. It is she who though coy, makes the first move by confidently revealing her heart to her lover. She plans the details of their escapade and proves how high the status of resourceful women was in ancient India. This story has been so popular all over India through the centuries that even today to most of us the word Swayamvara has specific reference to the story of Krishna and Rukmini. It is ironical that in the conventional sense it was hardly a Swayamvara.