incarnate are advanced in vain and he is ridiculed as being just a cowherd.  Against his better judgment her father acquiesces and arrangements for a wedding with Sisupala go forward.  Rukmini now takes the daring step of sending a message to Krishna, declaring her love and asking him to save her.  Krishna reads it with delight.  He at once leaves for Kundulpur, finding it gay with flags and banners, golden spires and wreaths of flowers.  Sisupala has arrived, but in addition, there is Krishna’s old enemy, Jarasandha, encamped with an army of demons.  Rukmini is in despair until she learns that Krishna also has arrived.  A little later Balarama reaches the scene, bringing with him an army.  Sisupala is dismayed at his arrival and both sides watch each other’s movements.  The wedding day now dawns and Rukmini, guarded by Sisupala’s soldiers, goes outside the city to worship at a shrine to Devi.[36] As she nears the shrine, Krishna suddenly appears.  Rukmini gazes with adoration at him.  He springs among the soldiers, lifts her into his chariot and rushes her away.

This summary abduction is more than Sisupala can bear.  Troops career after Krishna.  Armies engage.  A vast battle ensues.  As they fight, Rukmini looks timorously on.  At last, Balarama vanquishes the demon hosts, ’as a white elephant scatters lotuses.’  Sisupala and Jarasandha flee, but Rukmini’s evil brother, Rukma, returns to the fray, strives feverishly to kill Krishna, fails and is taken captive.  His life is spared at Rukmini’s behest, but he is led away, his hands tied behind his back and his moustaches shaven off.  Balarama intercedes and effects his release and Rukma goes away to brood on his discomfiture and plot revenge.  Krishna now returns to Dwarka in triumph, is given a rapturous welcome and a little later celebrates his marriage with full ritual.  ’Priests recited the Vedas, Krishna circled round with Rukmini.  Drums resounded.  The delighted gods rained down flowers; demi-gods, saints, bards and celestial musicians were all spectators from the sky.’

Having married Rukmini, Krishna has now the full status of a grown prince.  But he is nothing if not supernormal; and just as earlier in his career he has showered his affection on a host of cowgirls, he now acquires a whole succession of further wives.  The first is Jambhavati, the second Satyabhama.  Satyabhama’s father is a certain Sattrajit who has obtained from the sun the boon of a jewel.  The jewel flashes with light and Krishna advises him to surrender it to King Ugrasena.  The man refuses; whereupon his brother seizes it and goes away to the forest.  Here a lion pounces upon him, devours the man and his horse and hides the jewel.  The lion is then killed by a bear who centuries earlier had served with Vishnu’s earlier incarnation, Rama, during his campaign against the demon king of Lanka.[37] The bear carries away the jewel and gives it to its mate.  When Sattrajit hears that his brother is missing,