Krishna's 16108 Wives

 
Inner Meaning

This Universe is made of precise mathematical calculations. Based on our own mathematics, we can see this is evident in creation. The numbers that we see repeats itself every where and many of them goes to infinity. The divine calculations and mathematics are different compared to us, but at least we are thinking in the mind of God and trying to unravel many nature’s secrets. We successfully discovered few and using them in today’s world in the form of science. The numbers mentioned in the scriptures have spiritual significance which must be understood.

The concept of Gokulam is spiritual fiction, which was brilliantly created and used to explain the God’s actions and mind. Everyone blessed by Krishna for spiritual journey is a born citizen fo Gokulam. Rishis, use this concept to explain their own experiences and miracles. Most of them had similar ones. These are experienced by the Yogi in everyday life as he understands and experiences them. By thinking that Krishna was born on earth and married 16108 woman is practically impossible and also doesn’t make sense.

Life is living in the details. Being grateful for the little things means you recognize that everything is a miracle, even the air you breathe each day. A healthy human being takes 17000 to 25000 breaths a day.

16108/144 DNA= 111.8611111111111...

16108/(24 hrs * 60 min) = 11.18611111111111... breaths/min

Breathing is key in meditation. The basic practice is Pranayama. Every day twice in the morning and evening you must practice control of breath. Inhale slowly, keep the air in the lungs for few seconds and slowly release it. Once you control your breath all will come in control.

A human must take minimum 16108 breaths in a day. Each averages around 5.36 seconds. The best accomplishment will be 3 breaths in 1 hr. In 24 hrs you take 72 which is a key number in creation. Double this 144.

So the Rishi who wrote Krishna Leela was saying that 16108 is the number of times a human breaths in a day. Every breath you take in a day is Krishnaaaa... each is attributed to a Gopika or seeker. The concept of Gopika is used to convey the eternal bond with Krishna. This life is him and his breaths are his. All 16108 are married to him after killing demons in the fight by feminine force.

Inner Meaning Wives

Our Universe is segregated by dimensions, each one have different conscience. The 14 Lokas is this concept and earth is the 8th Dimension. The 8 principal wives represents this concept. Each one of them has special character. Rukimini has the best qualities of patience and Bhakti. Sathyabhama means beautiful girl of truth. Jambu means like an eg shape which is key shape on earth and universe. Kalindi means sun, she is radiating like sun. Mitravinda is "Possessor of Friends”. Nagnajiti means naked eternal truth. Bhadra is hunting force. Lakshana means 'an auspicious mark', 'attribute' or 'quality'. In Tamil language, Lakshanam means "features". Sulakshana means good features. These 8 feminine forces are key for spiritual journey.

Krishna loves all his 8 wives equally because all of them have different attributes and characters. Demons steals sun, light or conscience and hides it. Aditi the mother of Adityas or Gods lamenting that their sons are possessed by demon Narakasura. She seeks help of Krishna to fight. Together Purusha and Prakrithi they fight demons. The most powerful force is Feminine Satyabhama who should be provoked to kill all demons. She does this when she turns furious and ferocious. Krishna faints in the war due to enemies attack. She becomes furious and kills all demons. Now the demonic clouds are cleared, the sun shines brightly, thus releasing Adityas to mother Aditi. A yogi attains enlightenment.

Sri Krishna had 8 principle wives known as Ashta-Bharyas:

They were: Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati, Nagnajiti, Kalindi, Mitravinda, Bhadra, and Lakshmana.

1. Rukmini: Rukmini, the chief queen, was in love with Krishna. Rukmini’s brother Rukmi fixed her marriage with his friend Shishupala. Rukmini sends a message to Krishna to rescue her. Krishna abducts Rukmini while her marriage preparations are going on. Krishna’s army commanded by his brother Balarama defeat Rukmi and the other kings, who follow Krishna and Rukmini.

2. Satyabhama: Satyabhama, the second wife, is considered the aspect of the earth goddess Bhudevi and Vishnu’s second wife. Through severe meditation and penance, Satyabhama sought shelter in Lord Vishnu abode i.e Vekuntha. Impressed by her extreme devotion, love, and care, Lord Vishnu granted her the boon of becoming his wife in his next incarnation.

3. Jambavati: Father of Jambavati, Jambavan – the devotee of Rama surrenders to Krishna and gifts his daughter to Krishna.

4. Kalindi: She was the well-keeper of River Yamuna & daughter of the Deity Sun. She went into a deep trance to fulfill her desire of marrying Lord Vishnu. Krishna fulfilled her desire seeing her true devotion.

5. Mitravinda: Mitravinda is described as the daughter of King Jayasena of the kingdom of Avanti, by his wife Rajadhidevi, the sister of Krishna’s father Vasudeva. She is thus a first cousin of Krishna, being the daughter of his father’s sister.

6. Nagnajiti: She was the daughter of the King Nagnajita, of Kosala. Krishna competed in the swayamvara arranged by her father, and as per set rules he brought under control seven ferocious bulls by putting a noose around each of them and thus won Nagnajiti as his wife.

7. Bhadra: Bhadra is a god of the hunt and one of Shiva’s Gana and the daughter of King Bhadrasen. It is also an epithet of Mount Meru.

8. Lakshana: The Bhagavata Purana mentions Lakshana, who is endowed with good qualities, as the daughter of an unnamed ruler of the kingdom of Madra.

Satyabhama, Aditi, and the War

Satyabhama is said to be a relative of Aditi, the mother of the Devas. As she sat alone in the royal palace gardens, she was visited by Aditi. She broke down in tears on seeing Satyabhama and told her of the austerity of Narakasura. Enraged, Satyahama decided to take matters into her own hand and went to seek Krishna. It was decided they would go into a war with Narakasura.

Soon Stayabhama gathered her weapons and was seated on Garuda and headed towards Pragjyotishyapur. The battle between the army of Narakasura and Krishna was ridiculously ensured. Krishna and Garuda helped Satyabhama, destroyed the army in no time at all. Narakasura saw all this from inside his palace and was furious. Even his general Mura had succumbed to the war. When Narakasura saw Mura die on the battlefield, he yelled and ran out and threw his Sataghini [a thunderbolt] at Krishna. Garuda dived, and the weapon missed Krishna altogether.

Narakasura was able to neutralize all of their weapons, and soon he furiously pulled out ‘Shakti,’ a powerful weapon, and hurled it at Krishna. Satyabhama watched in horror as the weapon hit Krishna in the chest.

Satyabhama furiously pulled out a powerful weapon of her own and hurled it at Narakasura. Her shock at seeing her Krishna fall gave her the strength to hurl the weapon exactly at Narakasura’s chest. Narakasura swayed on the spot and looked as Krishna woke up without a single scratch on his body! Satyabhama also looked surprised. Krishna smiled as they both got down from Garuda and came towards Narakasura.

Narakasura was surprised as to how his boon failed him at this point but, in the end, was guilty of the choices he had made under Banasur’s guidance.

Narakasura soon repented his ways and asked for forgiveness. Krishna said. ‘Narakasura! This is Satyabhama, who is actually an incarnation of Bhumadevi….’ Both Satyabhama and Narakasura looked at Krishna with surprise as Krishna continued, ‘She incarnated with the special purpose of defeating you…I could never have defeated you…Only Satyabhama could…so I pretended to fall unconscious, and she did the rest.” Satyabhama held him in her lap as she questioned his ways and choices.

Narakasura looked around at the end of the day and said, ‘I have seen light today, my Lord…I wish that people would celebrate this day as the day of victory of light over darkness’ to Shri Krishna.

Even to this day, Narakasura’s death is celebrated as the victory of light over darkness…It comes on the second day of Diwali as ‘Naraka Chaturdashi.’

Krishna killed Narakasura’s general Mura. For this reason, he is known as ‘Murari’ ( the killer of Mura).

Satyabhama took Aditi’s earrings and handed them over to Aditi.

After killing Naraka, Krishna released 16,100 women that Narakasura had in captivity. When Krishna asked them to return to their houses, they refused.  When Krishna asked them what they wanted to do, they all wanted Krishna to marry them.

• Some stories say that each of 16,100 women were rishis from the past who wanted to be part of Lord's incarnation on earth. Who wanted to live closer to him and witness his life. Upon their prayer to lord vishnu he granted them the boon to be his wives in his next incarnation on earth.

• Some stories say 16100 women were Gopis, who did not want to marry any one else but krishna, who thus remained unmarried throughout their lives.

• Another theory relates the Krishna, who plays the flute and the lover of music, and his 16,000 wives to the 16,000 ragas or musical modes or passions or affections of the mind in Indian classical music, and their wives - the raginis (female raga). The raginis selected one of these ragas to which to modulate her strains for affecting and securing the heart of Krishna, the amorous and harmonious deity. Krishna who was devoted to music received and enjoyed every variety of modulation, multiplied to the number of 16,000, fancifully personified in the form of the women derived from Bhauma (a name of Narakasura), a five-stringed musical instrument