Detailed Study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto 10: The Summum Bonum Chapter Fifty-Three: Kṛṣṇa Kidnaps Rukmiṇī
उद्वाहर्क्षं च विज्ञाय रुक्मिण्या मधुसूदन: ।
रथ: संयुज्यतामाशु दारुकेत्याह सारथिम् ॥ ४ ॥
udvāharkṣaṁ ca vijñāya
rukmiṇyā madhusūdanaḥ
rathaḥ saṁyujyatām āśu
dārukety āha sārathim
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; udvāha — of the wedding; ṛkṣam — the lunar asterism (the measurement that fixes the exact auspicious time); ca — and; vijñāya — knowing; rukmiṇyāḥ — of Rukmiṇī; madhusūdanaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa; rathaḥ — the chariot; saṁyujyatām — should be readied; āśu — immediately; dāruka — O Dāruka; iti — thus; āha — He said; sārathim — to His driver.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Lord Madhusūdana also understood the exact lunar time for Rukmiṇī’s wedding. Thus He told His driver, “Dāruka, ready My chariot immediately.”
Purport my MGDAS
Here we can see that Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is follwoing the moon calendar. For more info on the moon calendar please go to: The Glories of Purusottama Month (puruṣottama-māsa).
युक्तं रथमुपानीय तस्थौ प्राञ्जलिरग्रत: ॥ ५ ॥
meghapuṣpa-balāhakaiḥ
yuktaṁ ratham upānīya
tasthau prāñjalir agrataḥ
saḥ — he, Dāruka; ca — and; aśvaiḥ — with the horses; śaibya-sugrīva-meghapuṣpa-balāhakaiḥ — named Śaibya, Sugrīva, Meghapuṣpa and Balāhaka; yuktam — yoked; ratham — the chariot; upānīya — bringing; tasthau — stood; prāñjaliḥ — with palms joined in reverence; agrataḥ — in front.
Dāruka brought the Lord’s chariot, yoked with the horses named Śaibya, Sugrīva, Meghapuṣpa and Balāhaka. He then stood before Lord Kṛṣṇa with joined palms.
आनर्तादेकरात्रेण विदर्भानगमद्धयै: ॥ ६ ॥
dvijam āropya tūrṇa-gaiḥ
ānartād eka-rātreṇa
vidarbhān agamad dhayaiḥ
āruhya — mounting; syandanam — His chariot; śauriḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa; dvijam — the brāhmaṇa; āropya — placing (on the chariot); tūrṇa-gaiḥ — (who were) swift; ānartāt — from the district of Ānarta; eka — single; rātreṇa — in a night; vidarbhān — to the Vidarbha kingdom; agamat — went; hayaiḥ — with His horses.
Lord Śauri mounted His chariot and had the brāhmaṇa do likewise. Then the Lord’s swift horses took them from the Ānarta district to Vidarbha in a single night.
Purport by MGDAS
It is important to notice here that Dāruka did not mount the chariot of the Lord, yet prepared it nicely. Krsna went alone with the brāhmaṇa, who was asked by Rukmini to send her message to Krsna (ŚB 10.52.26), to travel to Dvaraka (ŚB 10.52.35). How exactly the brāhmaṇa messenger reached Dvaraka remains a mystery, which is acknowledged even by Lord Krsna: yatas tvam āgato durgaṁ nistīryeha - Whence have you come, crossing the impassable sea [?] (ŚB 10.52.35).
Furthermore the: ānartāt — from the district of Ānarta; is simply another name for Dvaraka as confirmed by Sukadeva Gosvami in ŚB 1.11.1. How Lord Krsna and the brāhmaṇa travelled such a huge distance in only one night is not at all surprising as the Lord can do anything He likes, however it should be noted that the chariot is not an ordinary chariot, with ordinary horses.
vipakṣīya nṛpodyamam
kṛṣṇaṁ caikaṁ gataṁ hartuṁ
kanyāṁ kalaha-śaṅkitaḥ
bhrātṛ-sneha-pariplutaḥ
tvaritaḥ kuṇḍinaṁ prāgād
gajāśva-ratha-pattibhiḥ
śrutvā — hearing; etat — this; bhagavān rāmaḥ — Lord Balarāma; vipakṣīya — inimical; nṛpa — of the kings; udyamam — the preparations; kṛṣṇam — Lord Kṛṣṇa; ca — and; ekam — alone; gatam — gone; hartum — to take away; kanyām — the bride; kalaha — a fight; śaṅkitaḥ — fearing; balena — a force; mahatā — mighty; sārdham — together with; bhrātṛ — for His brother; sneha — in affection; pariplutaḥ — immersed; tvaritaḥ — swiftly; kuṇḍinam — to Kuṇḍina; prāgāt — went; gaja — with elephants; aśva — horses; ratha — chariots; pattibhiḥ — and infantry.
When Lord Balarāma heard about these preparations of the inimical kings and how Lord Kṛṣṇa had set off alone to steal the bride, He feared that a fight would ensue. Immersed in affection for His brother, He hurried to Kuṇḍina with a mighty army consisting of infantry and of soldiers riding on elephants, horses and chariots.
Purport by MGDAS
The preparations mentioned here are described in ŚB 10.53.18-19: "[...] “If Kṛṣṇa comes here with Balarāma and the other Yadus to steal the bride, we shall band together and fight Him.” Thus those envious kings went to the wedding with their entire armies and a full complement of military conveyances." Thus Lord Balarama also came to the planned wedding.
sa eva dvija-sattamaḥ
antaḥpura-carīṁ devīṁ
rāja-putrīm dadarśa ha
atha — then; kṛṣṇa-vinirdiṣṭaḥ — ordered by Lord Kṛṣṇa; saḥ — that; eva — very; dvija — of learned brāhmaṇas; sat-tamaḥ — the most pure; antaḥ-pura — within the inner palace; carīm — staying; devīm — the goddess, Rukmiṇī; rāja — of the king; putrīm — the daughter; dadarśa ha — saw.
Just then the purest of learned brāhmaṇas, following Kṛṣṇa’s order, came to see the divine Princess Rukmiṇī within the inner chambers of the palace.
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, Śrī Kṛṣṇa had reached the gardens outside the city, and out of concern for Rukmiṇī He had instructed the brāhmaṇa to tell her of His arrival.
Purport by MGDAS
Here it is confirmed by Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī that the brāhmaṇa in this verse is the same messenger that was send by Rukmini as confirmed by sa eva dvija-sattamaḥ - saḥ — that; eva — very; dvija — of learned brāhmaṇas; sat-tamaḥ — the most pure - that very same most pure of learned brāhmaṇas. This is important to note as it means that Lord Krsna was now alone driving His transcendental chariot.
राजन्यचक्रं परिभूय माधव: ।
ततो ययौ रामपुरोगम: शनै:
शृगालमध्यादिव भागहृद्धरि: ॥ ५६ ॥
rājanya-cakraṁ paribhūya mādhavaḥ
tato yayau rāma-purogamaḥ śanaiḥ
śṛgāla-madhyād iva bhāga-hṛd dhariḥ
ratham — onto His chariot; samāropya — lifting her; suparṇa — Garuḍa; lakṣaṇam — whose mark; rājanya — of kings; cakram — the circle; paribhūya — defeating; mādhavaḥ — Kṛṣṇa; tataḥ — from there; yayau — went; rāma — by Rāma; puraḥ-gamaḥ — preceded; śanaiḥ — slowly; śṛgāla — of jackals; madhyāt — from the midst; iva — as; bhāga — his portion; hṛt — removing; hariḥ — a lion.
Lifting the princess onto His chariot, whose flag bore the emblem of Garuḍa, Lord Mādhava drove back the circle of kings. With Balarāma in the lead, He slowly exited, like a lion removing his prey from the midst of jackals.
Purport by MGDAS
Here Srila Prabhupada explains, although not explicitly expressed in this verse, that Rukmini was driving the chariot. As we pointed out Daruka did not come with Krsna as Krsna was bringing the brāhmaṇa...
"A few days later some devotees from Los Angeles came and they were doing a play about Krishna kidnapping Rukmini. They had an issue because Rukmini was not Krishna's wife in real life. The script said that Krishna was supposed to pick Rukmini up by the hand to bring her up on His chariot. They were concerned that, "How could this man touch her hand if they were not married to each other?" When they asked Srila Prabhupada if it was okay, he gave an interesting response. He said, "Rukmini was no weak woman. She got on the chariot by herself and she was driving it while Krishna was shooting arrows off the back." That was his answer." From: Memories Anecdotes of a Modern Day Saint - Volume 4 by Siddhanta Dasa - You can hear a similar version of this story about Rukmini, as told by Rupa Vilasa Dasa on: Following Srila Prabhupada | DVD 7: timestamp: 1:34:02
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