The popular Indian hero Krishna's marriage was as exciting an event as so many others in his life. It is a popular lovers' tale, rather unique in India. Marriages in India have traditionally been set by parents. However, princely families sometimes he

The river was in high tide and the footprints of the Yadavas were more or less washed away. Big waves came rushing to the shore and wiped away some more footprints Suddenly Rukmini discovered a familiar footprint and sat beside it . Her eyes brimmed over with tears . These were the footprints her hair locks drooped over when she knelt at her Lord's feet every morning . These were the footprints she worshipped with chandan . the footprints of her Lord of Sri Krishna ! They were deeply immersed in the sand. the impression engraved in the sand was filled with water. Rukmini's streaming tears were making an offering in the water-filled footprints. Daruk arrived and stood beside her . He looked startled. He could not believe how the footprints filled to the brim with water could contain Rukmini's tears without spilling over. What was further surprising was that not a single tear had dropped out of the carved footprint .

Krishna, the eternal lover, is believed to have charmed the heart of every woman he came across and his marriage with 16,100 women is the stuff of numerous ballads that have enthralled us over ages. But who amongst them all did Krishna love? Who ruled his heart and influenced his life?

The main story of Rukmini and the Turning of Time takes place before, during and after the Mahabharata War, an event that marked the ending of one era and the beginning of another – a time when spiritual knowledge was decreasing but material development increasing. The story begins in the ancient city of Dwarka, India and is told through the voice of a dancer of that time. It is a story about Rukmini, who is said to be the rebirth of Mata Sita, both of whom are avatars of the great deity Narayani. Although Rukmini is the consort of the much beloved Bhagavan Krishna, her story has been lost in time, but it is essential now to recall her as the energy and presence of the divine female incarnations is so critical for the healing and evolution of human society. As with all of Dena Merriam’s books, this story explores the complex and wondrous workings of cause and effect, the law of karma, as it guides and shapes our lives. But it is also a story of love, one that transcends time and place and that persists from one incarnation to the next. As we leave one form and take another through the laws of rebirth, we bring with us our love, the relationships that have left deep impressions and that have helped in our awakening. This tale follows the dancer of Dwarka through a series of rebirths, as she unknowingly carries with her the love and teachings of Rukmini, who patiently and silently guides her evolution. It is a story that applies to each one of us, because we all participate in this great cosmic dance of love as the illusion of time keeps turning.

Srimad Bhagavad Gita is now widely recognised as a scriptural text of worldwide importance. Sri Ramanuja is one of the noted commentators on the Vedanta Sutras of Badarayana and the Bhagavad Gita. This has brought him recognition as one of the greatest exponents of Vedanta from the Vaishnava point of view. Swami Adidevananda, one of the distinguished scholarly monks of the Ramakrishna Order who retained his inherent Sri Vaishnava heritage, has translated the original verses and Sri Ramanuja’s commentary into English. This book is of special importance because it is the only English translation now available with the original Sanskrit commentary as well. The book opens with meditation on the Gita followed by the Gitartha-sangraha of Sri Yamunacharya with English translation. Swami Tapasyananda, who was a scholarly monk with deep devotional temperament and one of the Vice-Presidents of the Ramakrishna Order, has written a scholarly introduction to this work.

In a flash, Krishna took out the Sudarshana Chakra from its holder near his waist and threw it at Shishupala. The Chakra took his head off and returned back to Krishna. Krishna Yogeshvara, the second volume in the Lord Krishna Trilogy, seamlessly weaves a mystical, awe-inspiring narrative of the leela of Krishna through the least explored aspect of his life-the years in between the killing of Kamsa and the start of the great war of Mahabharata. Krishna's favourite cousin, Uddhava, through his pristine narration, connects the episodes of how Krishna employs him to reconcile with Radha, leading to Krishna's growing-up years as a student and a warrior yogi. The book traces the evolution of Krishna from a precocious adolescent to a person fully in control of his consciousness-someone who is capable of offering the best solution using the stratagem of sama, dama, danda, bheda to every situation in accordance with Dharma. Krishna's understanding of Dharma is of the highest order, and his understanding transcends to that of the highest yogi. That is why he is revered as the Yogeshvara-one who fulfils Patanjali's definition of a yogi. The book explores the deep recesses of the minds of the various characters and how they interact with Krishna. The author intertwines the narrative of traditional Krishna stories with a touch of realism, using the technique of Uddhava's narration with his own. As the two paths converge, the villains and antagonists of the great epic also come to the fore and are vanquished strategically by Krishna's brilliance. Kutil Dharma, so brutal earlier, transmogrifies into a subtle but more devastating form; yet, he cannot escape the sharp eye of Krishna. The book ends with the Kaurava and the Pandava armies arrayed against each other, with Arjuna refusing to fight, setting the stage for the recital of Bhagavad Gita.