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 Hero and God When the beautiful Rukmini, no older than sixteen, emerged from her pre-marital rites at the temple, she dazzled the surrounding crowds with her sublime smile and bashful glances. Her fiancé's soldiers were spellbound; they dropped their weapons and fell senseless to the ground. At that moment, she rushed toward Krishna's chariot and he swept her into it. He turned the chariot and fearlessly departed. It was an action "like a lion seizing its own share of prey from the midst of a pack of jackals." It did not take long for the assembled kings and the shocked fiancé to mount their horses and pursue the bold thief, but they were beaten back by Krishna's forces headed by his brother Balarama. They returned believing it was not the right moment for vengeance. Rukmini's brother Rukmin, however, was not to be deterred. His hatred for Krishna had led him to prevent his sister from marrying Krishna in the first place, and now he was outwitted.
He overtook Krishna, and showered him with arrows. But Krishna brought down Rukmin's horses and his charioteer. Then, as seen here, Rukmin (in white robes) jumped from his chariot and rushed toward Krishna "like a moth to flame." Krishna was about to kill Rukmin, when he observed Rukmini, fallen at his feet, begging him not to kill her brother. He granted his consort's wishes and spared Rukmin's life. The heat of battle is vividly captured in the blood-red ground and the headlong rush of Rukmin. The moment chosen by the painter is decisive, as Krishna's energy is checked by the sight of his beseeching bride. Continue to the story of Krishna as warrior and leader For more information on our South Asian Collection, please visit our online catalogue.
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