Lakshaṇā Kṛshṇa Vivāha

The Brahma Khaṇḍa of the Garuḍa Purāṇa tells how Lakshaṇā married Bhagavān Kṛshṇa. She is one of the eight chief wives of Bhagavān Kṛshṇa. In an earlier birth she was a daughter of Agni who chose Bhagavān Kṛshṇa as her husband. She was reborn as the daughter of the king of Madra, and Bhagavān Kṛshṇa won her at her svayaṃvara (the ceremony where a bride chooses her husband).

The earlier birth

In her earlier birth Lakshaṇā was the daughter of Agni Deva. She was born with all the auspicious signs (sarvaśubha-lakshaṇa). For this reason she was named Sulakshaṇa, or Sulakshmaṇa.

She reasoned: “The one who has all good qualities in full is Mahāvishṇu alone. And his form in this world is Śrī Kṛshṇa.” So she began to offer pūjā to Bhagavān Kṛshṇa as her husband.

Her teaching on giving

When her father spoke of marriage, she taught him how to give with the thought of Bhagavān Vishṇu in every act:

“Whatever good act is done, such as dāna (gifts and charity), must be meant for Bhagavān Vishṇu alone. With devotion and the many offerings (upacāra), one must try to please that Devadeva. He lives within everyone. Mādhava himself comes and accepts when one gives to another. Honour the one who receives a gift as if Mādhava has come to receive it. That Vāsudeva is the deva who lives in our home and in our body, the inner lamp. I am a devotee of that Mādhava. I cannot think of anyone else as my lord.”

She prayed: “May Kṛshṇa alone come as my husband.” After some time she gave up her life, holding to this resolve (saṅkalpa).

The next birth and the svayaṃvara

In her next birth Lakshaṇā was born as the daughter of the king of Madra. He was a great warrior. He declared that only the man who could pierce the matsya-yantra, a revolving mechanical fish-target, would receive his daughter in marriage.

Bhagavān Kṛshṇa went to the land of Madra. He fulfilled her wish from the earlier birth by piercing the matsya-yantra, and he married her. In this way the wish she made in her earlier birth was completed.

Sources

• Garuḍa Purāṇa (Garuḍa Mahā Purāṇa), Brahma Khaṇḍa, Chapter 22