Queen Lakṣmaṇā Speaks – Rejection of Demigods and the Victory of Kṛṣṇa

This article presents a thematic survey of Queen Lakṣmaṇā's personal narrative regarding her marriage to Lord Kṛṣṇa. It organizes the verses found in the Vanisource category Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Verses Spoken by Queen Lakṣmaṇā.

Queen Lakṣmaṇā is one of the eight principal queens of Lord Kṛṣṇa in Dvārakā. Her story is unique because it parallels Draupadī's own marriage contest but with a higher degree of difficulty. Narrated during a reunion of family and friends at Kurukṣetra, her words express deep humility and an unshakeable conviction in Kṛṣṇa's superiority as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Attachment Through Hearing

Queen Lakṣmaṇā begins her story by explaining how she developed an attachment to Lord Kṛṣṇa. She emphasizes that her love was cultivated by listening to the narrations of the sage Nārada, leading her to reject all other potential husbands, including the powerful demigods.

The Glory of Acyuta

Queen Lakṣmaṇā states that hearing Nārada Muni glorify the Lord captured her heart, a path similar to that of the Goddess of Fortune herself.

  • "Śrī Lakṣmaṇā said: O Queen, I repeatedly heard Nārada Muni glorify the appearances and activities of Acyuta, and thus my heart also became attached to that Lord, Mukunda. Indeed, even Goddess Padmahastā chose Him as her husband after careful consideration, rejecting the great demigods who rule various planets."
  • "My father, Bṛhatsena, was by nature compassionate to his daughter, and knowing how I felt, O saintly lady, he arranged to fulfill my desire."

The Svayaṁ-vara Ceremony (The Archery Contest)

To find a husband worthy of his daughter, King Bṛhatsena arranged a svayaṁ-vara ceremony with a specific challenge. Queen Lakṣmaṇā describes the intricate nature of the target, comparing it to the one used in Draupadī's own wedding.


The Concealed Fish

Queen Lakṣmaṇā explains that the target was a fish, but unlike Draupadī's target, this one was hidden and could only be aimed at by looking at its reflection in water.

  • "Just as a fish was used as a target in your svayaṁ-vara ceremony, O Queen, to assure that you would obtain Arjuna as your husband, so a fish was also used in my ceremony. In my case, however, it was concealed on all sides, and only its reflection could be seen in a pot of water below."
  • "Hearing of this, thousands of kings expert in shooting arrows and in wielding other weapons converged from all directions on my father's city, accompanied by their military teachers."
  • "My father properly honored each king according to his strength and seniority. Then those whose minds were fixed on me took up the bow and arrow and one by one tried to pierce the target in the midst of the assembly."

The Failure of the Kings

Queen Lakṣmaṇā narrates how many famous kings failed miserably. Some could not even string the bow, while others were knocked down by its tension.

  • "Some of them picked up the bow but could not string it, and so they threw it aside in frustration. Some managed to pull the bowstring toward the tip of the bow, only to have the bow spring back and knock them to the ground."
  • "A few heroes—namely Jarāsandha, Śiśupāla, Bhīma, Duryodhana, Karṇa and the King of Ambaṣṭha—succeeded in stringing the bow, but none of them could find the target."

Arjuna's Attempt

Queen Lakṣmaṇā notes that even the great archer Arjuna, who won Draupadī, could not fully succeed in this contest, though he came closer than anyone else.

  • "Then Arjuna looked at the reflection of the fish in the water and determined its position. When he carefully shot his arrow at it, however, he did not pierce the target but merely grazed it."

The Victory of Kṛṣṇa

After all the proud kings had failed, the Supreme Personality of Godhead stepped forward. Queen Lakṣmaṇā describes the ease with which Lord Kṛṣṇa handled the bow and pierced the target, to the delight of the demigods and the people.

Piercing the Target

Queen Lakṣmaṇā describes the moment of victory, which occurred when the sun was in the auspicious Abhijit constellation.

  • "After all the arrogant kings had given up, their pride broken, the Supreme Personality of Godhead picked up the bow, easily strung it and then fixed His arrow upon it. As the sun stood in the constellation Abhijit, He looked at the fish in the water only once and then pierced it with the arrow, knocking it to the ground."
  • "Kettledrums resounded in the sky, and on the earth people shouted Jaya! Jaya! Overjoyed, demigods showered flowers."

Choosing the Lord

Queen Lakṣmaṇā then entered the arena and publicly chose Kṛṣṇa as her husband by placing the victory garland on Him.

  • "Just then I walked onto the ceremonial ground, the ankle bells on my feet gently tinkling. I was wearing new garments of the finest silk, tied with a belt, and I carried a brilliant necklace fashioned of gold and jewels. There was a shy smile on my face and a wreath of flowers in my hair."
  • "I lifted my face, which was encircled by my abundant locks and effulgent from the glow of my earrings reflected from my cheeks. Smiling coolly, I glanced about. Then, looking around at all the kings, I slowly placed the necklace on the shoulder of Murāri, who had captured my heart."
  • "Just then there were loud sounds of conchshells and mṛdaṅga, paṭaha, bherī and ānaka drums, as well as other instruments. Men and women began to dance, and singers began to sing."

The Battle and Departure

The rejected kings, burning with lust and anger, tried to stop the marriage. Queen Lakṣmaṇā describes the ensuing battle where Lord Kṛṣṇa, alone on His chariot, defeated the combined forces of the kings.

Lions vs. Dogs

Queen Lakṣmaṇā uses a powerful metaphor to describe the futility of the kings' attack against the Supreme Lord.

  • "The leading kings there could not tolerate my having chosen the Supreme Personality of Godhead, O Draupadī. Burning with lust, they became quarrelsome."
  • "The Lord then placed me on His chariot, drawn by four most excellent horses. Donning His armor and readying His bow Śārṅga, He stood on the chariot, and there on the battleground He manifested His four arms."
  • "Dāruka drove the Lord's gold-trimmed chariot as the kings looked on, O Queen, like small animals helplessly watching a lion."
  • "The kings pursued the Lord like village dogs chasing a lion. Some kings, raising their bows, stationed themselves on the road to stop Him as He passed by."

Defeat of the Kings

Queen Lakṣmaṇā narrates how the Lord mutilated the attacking warriors with His arrows, forcing the survivors to flee.

  • "These warriors were deluged by arrows shot from the Lord's bow, Śārṅga. Some of the kings fell on the battlefield with severed arms, legs and necks; the rest gave up the fight and fled."
  • "The Lord of the Yadus then entered His capital city, Kuśasthalī [Dvārakā], which is glorified in heaven and on earth. The city was elaborately decorated with flagpoles carrying banners that blocked the sun, and also with splendid archways. As Lord Kṛṣṇa entered, He appeared like the sun-god entering his abode."

Conclusion: The Mood of Service

Queen Lakṣmaṇā concludes her narration by describing the dowry given by her father and affirming her position as a humble maidservant of the Lord.

  • "My father honored his friends, family and in-laws with priceless clothing and jewelry and with royal beds, thrones and other furnishings."
  • "With devotion he presented the perfectly complete Lord with a number of maidservants bedecked with precious ornaments. Accompanying these maidservants were guards walking on foot and others riding elephants, chariots and horses. He also gave the Lord extremely valuable weapons."
  • "Thus, by renouncing all material association and practicing austere penances, we queens have all become personal maidservants of the self-satisfied Supreme Lord."

Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani

This article is a thematic compilation of the teachings presented in the Vaniquotes category Bhagavatam Verses Spoken by Queen Laksmana. We invite you to visit the link to read the complete collection of verses presented in alphabetical order.

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