Rukmini: Krishna's Wife- Book Review

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.