Rukmini

Indian mythology · queen · devotion, chosen love

Princess of Vidarbha and chief queen of Krishna, who wrote asking him to carry her off on the eve of her forced wedding. Regarded as an incarnation of Lakshmi.

Stories

Sudama's Handful of Rice

A destitute brahmin walks to Dwarka to see the friend of his schooldays, ashamed of the handful of beaten rice he carries as a gift. Krishna washes his feet, eats the rice with delight, and sends him home unasked to find his hut a palace; between friends, the gift was never the point.