Is the Rukmini Mata incarnation of the goddess Lakshmi like Seetha Mata?

 

Is the Rukmini Mata incarnation of the goddess Lakshmi like Seetha Mata?

Yes, see lord Krishna himself said this.

32-33. When the junction of Dvāpara and Kali comes to a close, for the sake of annihilation of Asuras who become burden to the earth, and for protecting righteous people, I, Kṛṣṇa, called Vāsudeva, will be born of Vasudeva and Devakī in the city of Mathurā. Similarly Saṅkarṣaṇa alias Balarāma, Pradyumna and Aniruddha (i.e. all the Vyūhas of the Pāñcarātras) will be born in the family of Yadu.

35. Lakṣmī will be born as the daughter of Bhīṣmaka by name Rukmiṇī. After defeating kings in a battle, I shall marry her.

~Skanda Mahapuran, Vasudeva mahatmya, chapter 18.

• See lord Shiv ji also said the same.

~Padma purana, uttar khanda

• Lord Vishnu also said the same.

या लक्ष्मीः सा रुक्मिणी श्रीरूपाऽऽसीद् दिव्यरूपिणी ।
नारायणः स वै कृष्ण आस श्रीपतिरेव सः ॥ ६६ ॥

The one who is Lakshmi is Rukmini, she is herself Sri rupa the devine form of goddess Sri. Narayana is that Krishna, who is the beloved consort of that goddess Sri (Rukmini).

~Lakshmi Narayana samhita,krita-yuga khanda, chapter 315.

• Mata Lakshmi herself said this to Indra Dev that when lord Vishnu incarnated as Krishna mata Lakshmi will be also incarnated as Rukmini.

~Lakshmi Tantra

• Agni Dev also said the same.

16-22. This is Lakṣmī herself, the mother of the world, who had sportingly assumed a human form. While a human being she has a human body. She adopts her body which is befitting to the form of Viṣṇu.

O Janārdana, O lord of Devas, O lord of the universe, whenever you take up incarnations, she too assists you. When you were Bhārgava Rāma, she had been Dharaṇī (Earth). Now she has become Jānakī and she will be born as Rukmiṇī. In other incarnations too she assists Viṣṇu.

~Skanda Mahapuran, setu-mahatmya, chapter 22.

• Sage parashar also said the same.

Thus when Hari was born as a dwarf, the son of Aditī, Lakṣmī appeared from a lotus (as Padmā, or Kamalā); when he was born as Rāma, of the race of Bhrigu (or Paraśurāma), she was Dharaṇī; when he was Rāghava (Rāmacandra), she was Sītā; and when he was Kṛṣṇa, she became Rukminī. In the other descents of Viṣṇu, she is his associate.

~Vishnu Mahapurana, book 1,chapter 9

• Suka Rishi also said the same.

Great was the exultation among the citizens of Dvārakā, Oh king, to see Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of goddess Śrī now married to Rukmiṇī who was no other than goddess Lakṣmī herself.

~Srimad Bhagavatam, book 10, chapter 54.

• Narad ji also said the same.

ङ्य लक्ष्मीः पराशक्तिर्विश्वानुग्रहरूपिणी ।

O Rukmini, you are Lakshmi! You are Parashakti ! You are the grace of this universe.

~ Gautamiya mahatantra

• Rishi vaishampayana also said the same

तां ददर्श तदा कृष्णो लक्ष्मीं साक्षादिव स्थिताम्‌।
रूपेणाग्रधेण सम्पन्नां देवतायतनान्तिके ॥ ३५

Lord Krishna saw Rukmini standing near the temple with a very beautiful appearance and looking like Goddess Lakshmi herself.

~Mahabharata, Harivamsa, Vishnu parva

• Rishi satanand also said the same.

Satananda said- O king(Bhismaka), you are well-versed in all the religious practices and the religious scriptures, I am going to narrate to you and old story of the Vedas which you kindly listen.Narayana himself has incarnated on earth in order to relieve her of the burden. O king, the son of Vasudeva complete in all respect, is the creator of Brahma, adored by Siva, Ananta and others, the form of eternal flame, the best of all, the one who takes to human form for the sake of his devotees, the soul of all the creatures, beyond Prakrti, unattached, uninvolved and the witness of all the deeds.O best of the kings, by offering your daughter to him you would go to Goloka together with hundreds of your ancestors. By giving away the daughter to him, you would achieve moksa after death, enjoying all the pleasures on earth. You give away RukminI, the form of MahalaksmI to him with the best of offering. O virtuous one, by doing so you will never have to be reborn on earth.

~Bramha vaivarta purana, Krishna janma khanda, chapter 105.

• Anirudh ji the grandchild of lord Krishna also said the same.

Rukmini the daughter of Bhishma is Mahalaksmi. She is very dear to Shri Krsna. She agreed to requests of Brahma and descended on earth from Vaikuntha to accompany Shri Krsna.

~Bramha vaivarta purana, Krishna janma khanda, chapter 116

• Even mother of mata Rukmini also know that mata Rukmini is Mahalaksmi herself.

the mother of RukminI embraced her daughter and then started crying in presence of her relatives and female friends. said- O daughter, where are you going leaving alone the queen mother? How can I disown you? And how can you disown me?. You are Mahalakshmi herself, You had been born as my daughter with the illusion of Mahalakshmi and you are leaving for the house of lord Krsna, becoming his chaste wife, leaving from my house, go to the Vasudeva.Thus speaking with her mind filled with grief, the mother soaked her daughters body with her tears. Bhismaka on the other hand with his eyes filled with tears entrusted her daughter to Krsna, begging forgiveness for any short coming, crying aloud at the same time. RukminI also started sobbing while Krsna too also followed suit.

~Bramha vaivarta purana, Krishna janma khanda, chapter 110

There are lots of scriptures which says mata Rukmini is the incarnation of mata Lakshmi. But don't know why people still ask such questions.

Jay RukminiShyam 🙏

What are the similarities and differences between Sita and Rukmini?

 Maa Sita and Maa Rukmini are fundamentally the same soul—Mahalakshmi. The way Lord Vishnu does not change His core divine essence whether He walks the forests as Rama or plays the flute in Mathura as Krishna, His eternal consort—Mahalakshmi—descends as Sita in the Treta Yuga and as Rukmini in the Dvapara Yuga.

Similarities:

1. Both are Para Lakshmi(Shri)/Para Shakti

एक एव परमा लक्ष्मी प्रमोदवनचन्द्रिका।

सहजानन्दानी साक्षाद् रमते रामसंगिनी।।

She(Sita) alone is the Supreme lakshmi—the cool, soothing moonlight illumination of the garden of supreme bliss(pramodvan) . Bestowing inherent divine joy, She directly revels as the eternal, inseparable companion of Lord Rama.

—Adi Ramayana, chapter 3

ङ्य लक्ष्मीः पराशक्तिर्विश्वानुग्रहरूपिणी ।

That Rukmini is Lakshmi, the supreme transcendental power (Para-shakti), whose very form is the embodiment of grace and compassion showered upon the entire universe.

—Gautamiya mahatantra

​2. Identify as the Primordial Nature (Mulaprakriti)

मूलप्रकृतिरूपत्वात्सा सीता प्रकृतिः स्मृता ।

Being the first cause(Mulprakriti), Sita is known as Prakriti.

—Sita Upanishad, Atharva Veda

कृष्णात्मिका जगत्कर्त्री मूलप्रकृती रुक्मिणी ॥

"Rukmini, the Queen of Sri Krishna is Krishnatmika (soul of lord Krishna), having Krishna as her essence, Rukmini is the basis of the material nature (Mulaprakriti) and the creator of the whole universe.

—Gopal Uttar-tapani upanishad, Atharva Veda

3.Personification of the Sacred Syllable Om (Pranava)

प्रणवप्रकृतिरूपत्वात्सा सीता प्रकृतिरुच्यते ।

Sita is known as Prakriti of Pranava, She is cause and so is named Prakriti.

—Sita Upanishad, Atharva Veda

प्रणवत्वेन प्रकृतित्वं वदन्ति ब्रह्मवादिनः ॥ १३॥

As a result of her association with Brahman, the Brahmavadins identify Krsna's Prakrti (Rukmini) with Pranava.

—Gopal Uttar-tapani upanishad, Atharva Veda

4. Both are considered as the Mul-Avtari Mahalakshmi herself who is the source of any other incarnations and accompanied lord Viṣṇu in every incarnations.

यदायदा जगत्स्वामिन्देवदेव जनार्द्दन ॥ १७ ॥
अवतारान्करोषि त्वं तदेयं त्वत्सहायिनी ।
यदा त्वं भार्गवो रामस्तदाभूद्धरणी त्वियम् ॥ १८ ॥
अधुना जानकी जाता भवित्री रुक्मिणी ततः ।
अन्येषु चावतारेषु विष्णोरेषा सहायिनी ॥ १९ ॥

O Janārdana, O lord of Devas, O lord of the universe, whenever you take up incarnations, she too assists you. When you were Bhārgava Rāma, she had been Dharaṇī (Earth). Now she has become Jānakī and she will be born as Rukmiṇī. In other incarnations too she assists Viṣṇu.

—Skanda Mahapuran, Brahma Khanda, Setu-Mahatmya, Chapter 22

राघवत्वेभवत्सीता रुक्मिणी कृष्णजन्मनि ।
अन्येष्वेवावतारेषु विष्णोरेषा सहायिनी ॥ १५ ॥

She was Sītā in (the lord’s) existence as Rāma, and now Rukmiṇī in his birth as Kṛṣṇa. She accompanied Viṣṇu in his other incarnations also.

—Padma Mahapuran 6.247

5. Tri-guna-atmika, the Embodiment of the sattva, rajas and tama guna and The threefold Creative Powers like creation sustenance and dissolution.

उद्भवस्थितिसंहारकारिणीं क्लेशहारिणीम् ।
सर्वश्रेयस्करीं सीतां नतोऽहं रामवल्लभाम् ॥ ५ ॥

I bow to Sita the beloved consort of Sri Rama, who is responsible for the creation, sustenance and dissolution (of the universe), removes afflictions and begets all bleneshess.

—Sri Ramacaritamanasa, Bala Kanda, Chapter1

देवो ह्यसौ परं ब्रह्म सदाऽनिर्विण्णमानसः ।
मायाशक्तिस्त्वमेतस्य सर्गस्थित्यन्तकारिणः ॥ २२ ॥

He (Lord Kṛṣṇa) is indeed the Supreme Brahman, whose mind is eternally blissful and free from sorrow. And You (Devī Rukmiṇī) are His Māyā-Śakti (divine cosmic creative power), through which the creation, preservation, and dissolution of the universe are brought about.

—Skanda Mahapuran 7.4.3

6. Both are considered as Bhagvati(the Saguna Brahman) who possesses all six attributes completely

सीता भगवती ज्ञेया मूलप्रकृतिसंज्ञिता ॥

Sita should be known as Bhagavati, who is designated as Mulaprakriti (the Primordial Cosmic Nature).

—Sita Upanishad, Atharva Veda

त्वं हि साक्षाद्भगवती कृष्णश्च पुरुषोत्तमः ।

You, Rukmini indeed the Supreme goddess Bhagavati herself and Lord Krishna the Supreme Puruṣottama.

—Skanda Mahapuran 7.4.3

7. Both are the Soul of Narayana

सीतारामत्मकं सर्व सर्वकारण कारणम् ।

All this is of the nature of Sita-Rama, the supreme cause of all causes.

—Brihad Vishnu Puran, Mithila Mahatmya, chapter 13

अद्याहमवगच्छामि सर्वथा सर्वशोभने।
आत्माऽद्वितीयः कृष्णस्य भोजे त्वमिति भामिनि॥ ४२

O beautiful and glorious daughter of Bhoja (Rukmini), I know you to-day as the soul of the peerless Krishna.

—Harivamsa, Vishnu parva, chapter 66

8. Being the Anapayini Shakti of lord both has Non-Dual Inseparability from the Supreme

अनन्या हि मया सीता भास्करेण प्रभा यथा॥

Indeed, Sita is inseparable from me, just as light is inseparable from the Sun.

—Valmiki Ramayana,6.118.19

त्वंविद्याऽहंपरब्रह्म त्वंमायाचेश्वरस्त्वहम् ।
त्वंबुद्धिरहंजीवो वियोगः कथमावयोः ॥ ६५ ॥

Lord Krishna said : O Rukmini, If you are wisdom, I am the supreme consciousness. I am the God, if you are illusion. As you are the wisdom, I am the living being. So how can there be separation between both of us.

—Skanda Mahapuran,Prabhas khanda, Dwaraka mahatmya, chapter 3

9. Both are the ultimate refuge of this entire universe

सद्यस्ते सिद्धिमायांति ये सीतापदचिंतकाः ॥ ३२ ॥
यस्याः संकल्पमात्रेण जन्मस्थितिलयादिकाः ।

Those who reflect upon Sītā’s feet, instantly attain perfection; by the mere thought about her, these divine functions of the worlds like origin, maintenance and destruction, take place.

—Padma Mahapuran 5.66

तां रूपिणीं श्रीयमनन्यगतिं निरीक्ष्य ।
या लीलया धृततनोरनुरूपरूपा ।

Looking upon Rukmini —the personification of Goddess Śrī, who is the refuge of all and whose form playfully matched His own—Lord Hari, feeling pleased and smiling.

—Srimad Bhagavatam 10.60

Can you tell me the abduction of Rukmini by Lord Krishna in details?

 Lord Sri Krishna is the paripoornavathar of Lord Vishnu. Rukmini devi is the incarnation of Goddess Sri Mahalakshmi.

Goddess Lakshmi and Vishnu represents Prakrithi and Purush.

As Rukmini devi is the incarnation of Lord’s wife, she must marry him in this incarnation also. We must also keep in mind that she took that form to serve her Lord who took birth on this Earth for the sake of devotees. So, from childhood of Rukmini devi, she fixed Lord Krishna as her husband.

Rukmini devi’s father is Bhishmaka (not Bhishma). He had 6 children. Rukmini is the younger than her 5 brothers. 1st son named Rukmi where all others names also start with “Rukma”.

Rukmini from childhood thought Lord Krishna as her husband.

But, her elder brother “Rukmi” want Rukmini devi to marry Sisupal. So, by knowing this she felt very sad because even marriage date was fixed without informing her.

Then she decided to send any person to Lord Krishna to come and take her away. She sent Brahman named AGNIDHYOTHA to Lord Sri Krishna.

He went to Dwaraaka and security informed it to Lord Krishna. By listening it, Krishna went to receive Agnidhyotha, took his blessings, invited for lunch and after eating he asked “Who are you? Where do you come from? Is your kingdom wealthy and safe?” by doing service to him. ( Here he shows us how to respect elders ). The Brahmin tells that everything this good.

And gives the letter given by Rukmini to Sri Krishna. Lord Krishna starts reading it:

Oh Lord! you are not only a human but, you are the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. I know that. So, I decided to marry you but, my brother doesn’t like it. So, he fixed my marriage with Sisupal which is impossible. I’m in the condition in which there is no freedom for me to reach you.

So, I request you to come and take me with you. I wish to come with you. It is not a wrong thing and I’m not the first to ask you to marry. Goddess Sri Lakshmi, when she came out of the KSHEERSAGAR, married you. Can any women reject you? You are the Lord of everything, merciful, and what not. So, there is no chance to marry a person other than you.

A fox is trying to take the food of Lion. Will Lion spare it? No. Not at all. So, in the same way you marry me.

Oh Purushotham! I want to chant and think only about you and do your services. So, please come.

You may think that how to come into the palace and it will be too difficult. I’ll tell you an idea. My father sends me to the temple of Parvathi and Parameshwar in the morning. At that time, if you come to the temple without any problem you can take me away.

If you don’t come also, I will not marry Sisupal. I will do penance for you till I become your wife. So, please come.”

After reading this, Lord Krishna smiled and said Agnidhyotha that we shall start to Kundina ( name of the city where Rukmini devi resided ).

By knowing that Sri Krishna was on the way to Kundina and the whole story Balaram also started with soldiers.

They reached very fast. Bhishmaka invited Lord Sri Krishna and Balaram. People there by seeing Lord Sri Krishna thought that only Rukmini and Sri Krishna are the best pair.

While Rukmini devi was feeling sad that will Krishna come or not, at that time, Agnidhyotha informed her that Lord Sri Krishna entered Kundina city. Then, Goddess said thanks and put namaskar with the hands which rule this world.

Happily she started to temple. Prayed the Goddess there sincerely. She was waiting for Lord Krishna and he came on rath and took her away.

Then, all the kings there who came to the marriage said this to Jarasandh and Sisupal. They came to fight with Krishna.

Balaram and Krishna defeated them and they came back finally.

But, Rukmi (brother of Rukmini) scolded Sri Krishna in many ways by which he got angry and thought to kill him. Rukmini devi stopped Sri Krishna and requested “ Hey Lord! please leave my brother by seeing at least my face. I don’t say that he did correct. But, my parents were happy now because Srimannarayan became their son-in-law. They will feel sad that their son was not there. So, please leave him.”

Lord Krishna left him by cutting half hair, half mustache.

They started to Dwaraka and very grandly Lord Sri Krishna married Rukmini devi who is Lakshmi devi. After their marriage, all the people of Dwaraka were more happy than before because God and Goddess were directly ruling that city.

This is a great story. And if any unmarried girls read or do or listen Sri Rukmini Kalyanam, they will get married to a good person who his suitable for her.

I don’t mean that only unmarried must read this. It develops all age groups people (may be girl or a boy) devotionally also.

Thanks for asking this beautiful question because I love Rukmini Kalyanam a lot &lot.

After that Rukmi was killed by Balaram.

Hare Krishna!!!