Rukmini: Krishna’s Wife by Saiswaroopa Iyer
Genre: Mythological Retelling, Indian Historical Fiction
4 Stars
The title says it all, doesn’t it? The book is about
Rukmini, Krishna’s wife. She is the first woman he married and the queen of
Dwarka. When we look at our ancient scriptures, we realize there is little
about her life as Krishna’s wife. Sure, we know she is devoted, poised, and
none other than the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, who married her consort Prabhu
Vishnu in his Krishna avatar.
There are bits and pieces of information about
Rukmini in her married home. She has been shown as a docile spouse, while
Satyabhama is the feisty and outspoken one. The famous Thulabaram emphasizes
the difference between Rukmini and Satya and how they express their love for
Krishna.
It does seem surprising to see her so mellow,
especially since her marriage to Krishna was an elopement. Rukmini, the
Princess of Vidharba, sends a letter to Krishna asking him to take her away
right before her forced marriage with Sisupala, the prince of Chedi.
What if Rukmini is the same fiery woman who chose
her own fate? What if she held the fort in Dwaraka when Krishna was away saving
the world? Someone had to manage the kingdom. Maybe it was Rukmini who did it
all.
This book by Saiswaroopa Iyer is based on this
wonderful premise. It starts right at the end when Dwaraka is drowning and
moves straight to the time when Rukmini first hears about Krishna.
We see Rukmini as a determined and carefree
teenager. We see her asserting her opinions and values and fighting Rukma, her
brother, who was no more than a pawn of evil. We see her as Krishna’s lover and
wife, a girl growing into a woman. Her journey is not easy. Neither does the
political scenario make it simpler, nor does Krishna’s enigmatic personality.
Rukmini, in her transition phase, is vulnerable, confused, scared, and still
determined. She can be cold and aloof if the need arose.
In short, Rukmini is human. She’s not a Goddess who
makes no mistakes. Krishna, for all his elusiveness, is also a vulnerable man,
a King doing his best for his people and still being questioned and humiliated
for his actions.
Growing up in a traditional Telugu household, I know
the story of Rukmini Kalyanam, Thulabaram, and Mahabharatam almost by heart.
The knowledge comes from books, picture books, movies (Oh, who can forget the
great NTR as Krishna in not one but 17 movies!), and TV shows. Reading this
book was like watching the scenes play on screen.
My favorite show was Sri
Bhagavatam on ETV by Bapu garu and Ramana garu. There are very few
people who can do justice to these epics, and this duo is one of them. I was a
kid, probably a pre-teen, when the show was aired every Sunday. I would wake up
just before the show started and have milk watching it. This book brought forth
memories from those days. Though the faces are still blurry in my mind, I could
see the scenes of Rukmini Kalyanam from the show as I read the first part of
the book.
This episode introduces Rukmini, and we see how she
falls in love with Krishna. Of course, we see Rukmini in more tears than
necessary, but then, that’s how most movies and shows portrayed our great women.
https://www.etvwin.com/serials/sri-bhagavatam-1/season-1/epi-92
Back to the book, the subsequent parts show how
Rukmini becomes a part of Dwaraka and the Yadava clan. With Krishna’s increase
absence and marriages (& kids), Rukmini becomes the center point of holding
things in place. While I love how the author worked with Rukmini’s character, I
wanted more from the storyline.
The book covers a lot, and understandably, some of
it had to be edited. I’m curious why the author chose to leave out incidents
involving the Semantaka mani (the Vinakaya
Chaviti story), Krishna’s marriage to Satyabhama and Jambhavati,
Narakasura vadha, and Thulabaram. My guess is that she didn’t want these
incidents to take the focus away from Rukmini. Still, a passing reference would
have been enough.
Satyabhama is portrayed as a chirpy and smart girl and then a co-wife. The subtle waves of power conflict between Rukmini and Satya are not even hinted at. It seemed rather odd how Satya was willing to give Rukmini full control. Maybe it’s just that we grew up watching Satyabhama as a headstrong, courteous, and firebrand queen, and this almost reverse of roles was a little hard to get used to.
Veteran actress Jamuna aced her character as
Satyabhama to such an extent that the public cannot see the queen as anything
less impactful.
I was also surprised that Narada muni was
nowhere in the book. He was the catalyst who ensured that the acts on Earth
were in accordance with the plan of destiny. Was it because the author wanted
to keep the characters real, as humans and not as an incarnation of God? I’d
love to know her viewpoint on this.
Most of the conflict in the book is either internal
or between Krishna and Rukmini. While the entire backdrop is conflict-ridden,
the focus on the disturbances in the relationship of the couple. I rather liked
it. But I did wish that the co-wives weren’t so ready to agree with whatever
Rukmini decided. A bit of conflict there would have highlighted Rukmini even
more. Clearly, the author can show conflict without dramatizing it. I’m sure
she’d have presented the dynamic between the co-wives without turning the book
into a Bollywood set.
Also, a few sentences felt odd to read in part one
of the book. Not a big deal, just that I had to reread a couple of sentences to
make sure what was said and what I understood were the same.
All my minor complaints aside, this book is a lovely
read. With limited experience with mythological retellings made me wary of the
genre. But the author managed to balance between creative freedom and staying
true to the original. I’d say her love and devotion for Krishna and
Rukmini helped her achieve it. I’ll go back and pick up Draupadi now that
I’ve read this one and feel assured enough.
To conclude, the Rukmini in this book is as vibrant
and full of life as the beautiful yellow cover.
This review is posted as a part of the Thousand
Reviewers Club. Thank you, Indic Academy and Indic Book Club, for the review
copy.
Leaving you with the title track of the Sri
Bhagavatam serial.
NTR is so beloved and treated as real Lord Krishna. I have seen tourist busses stop in front of NTR home in Chennai and the tourists get down and do camphor (soodam) haarthi and pray for blessings from Lord Krishna.
ReplyDeleteHa... true that. I heard of this. He always had such a larger than life persona, and playing the mythological characters made him even popular.
DeleteMy knowledge of mythology is very basic. Sounds like an interesting book. Maybe I should check this out.
ReplyDeleteO yes, NTR as mythological characters was a superhit. That also ensure his future as a politician.
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It is quite good compared to some over-hyped retellings.
DeleteHe totally owned the characters. And yeah, his popularity touched the sky.