Kirti Jain
16,108 wives and Sri Krishna: A unique union of cosmic power and love
Lord Krishna, undoubtedly one of the most celebrated gods of Hindu mythology is credited for being a complex character. Of all of these, the wives have a special place as far as the establishment of relationships is concerned. Thus, marriages of Lord Krishna are not only stories of divine love but they have much more profound metaphysical and celestial significance.
Rukmini: The First Wife
Rukmini, the daughter of King Bhishmaka of Vidarbha, is regarded as one of Krishna’s foremost and principal wives. Her faith and loyalty is next to impossible in the world and she loves only one man named Krishna. Rukmini has heard the good things about Krishna and she has fallen for him and wants to marry him in spite of her brother Rukmi’s refusal and he extremely wanted his sister to marry Shishupal who was a prince from the Kaurava.
Being an ideal lover, Rukmini, despite the arrival of her father and the impending marriage forcefully imposed on her, was able to send Krishna a letter informing him of the situation and asking him to save her. In reply, Krishna planned to kidnap Rukmini at her swayamvara (a marriage selection event), and then kill Shishupala and Rukmi. It is a cherished tradition to commemorate this episode, reminding of the divine powers’ love and of valor and justice.
Krishna is described in legends to have been married to 16,108 women. Out of them, he has eight official wives or the Ashtabharya and the remaining 16100 women whom he actually liberated from the demon king Narakasura.
The Ashtabharya
The Ashtabharya are:
- Rukmini: Rukmini is also called Shree.
- Satyabhama: The dazzeling, strong willed and fear-less daughter of Satrajit.
- Jambavati: The wife of Krishna, whom he married burying the hatchet in their war over the ownership of the Syamantaka jewel that originally belonged to Jambavan, her father.
- Kalindi: Being the daughter of Surya, the Sun god, Swayamvara is a character who featured in interactions with Krishna when the latter was a resident of Indraprastha.
- Mitravinda: Being a princess of Avanti, she selected Krishna during her swayamvara.
- Nagnajiti: Also called Satya and the princess of the Kosala Kingdom, she is the daughter of King Nagnajit.
- Bhadra: A woman who was a cousin of Krishna being the daughter of Shrutakirti.
- Lakshmana: Primarily, it is regarding the princess of Madra, whom Krishna also selected during her swayamvara.
Krishna and the Wives
Even the story of Krishna guarding and marrying 16,100 wives who he had rescue from Narakasura is also a beautiful story of emancipation and dignity. These was women who were kidnaped and locked up by Narakasura. These women sought the honor or status of wives after the defeat of the demon by Krishna when he granted them the status. This aspect is a regular subject of discussion in terms of the portrayal of Krishna as a compassionate figure, who is the defender of the righteous path.
Krishna’s marriages are not mere love affairs that are described in the Mahabharata or the Bhagavata but spiritual lessons. Rukmini and Satyabhama are the first wives of Krishna: the former represents true love and compassion even if unconsummated, because Rukmini is what is known as ‘Divya Shringar,’ divine decoration or decoration of the Gods. A total of 16,108 wives are depicted in the text, and the women collectively represent the entirety of created forms as well as Krishna’s function as one who preserves and reestablishes dharma. Even today people listen and learn lessons of devotion, righteousness, and the relations between cosmic order and discipline within the stories. In his relationships, Krishna predicts the eternal dance of love encounter, the struggle of doing one’s duty as well as the force that sustains this universe.
Significance of the Number
The figure 16,108 holds a lot of meaning in this context. The Hindu numerology and cosmology also enlighten that numbers indicate something special in them. The number 16,108 can be broken down as follows:The number 16,108 can be broken down as follows:
16: This is the 16 fold manifestation of the Shakti or the feminine principle.
108: A Hindu number used to depict the universe and completeness. In a mala, the rosary used in chanting mantras, there are 108 beads, there are 108 Upanishads also there are 108 energy lines (nadis) which unite at the Anahata chakra or heart chakra.
Thus, the sixteen thousand and one hundred wives of Krishna from whom exceeding cosmic energy emerged represent the whole cosmos. All these wives are seen as forms of the same goddess, joined with Krishna, the god, who is the archetype of the masculine.
Swati Gupta
