Madhava Madhura Charitam

Ashtabharya

His morning always began with the sound of her anklets chiming together. The sign of her. The smell of lotus flowers reaches him before she does. The way his heart swells with happiness is a telltale sign of Rukmini making her way.

The door to his chambers is opened by the maids standing to the side. He opens his eyes to see her. Her hand over her hand and the other holding the tray. She moves her hands from her eyes and sees him. The first thing her eyes see in the morning is him. She gives a sweet smile seeing him.

The maids stay outside his chambers. The first person who is allowed to see him is Rukmini. In her cheerful spirit, Rukmini lights up a few diyas in the chambers. He sits up on the swing he was lying in and Rukmini touches his feet. Her finger is under his chin and she looks at his face. Touching her finger over her eyes, she applies the kohl behind his ears.

He smiles at her. No one enters Dwarkadheesh's chamber before he sees Dwarkeshwari. Everyone has days when they wake up blissful and days when they wake in annoyance. No one would dare to be the first one in the latter case. Who else can make his morning instantly lovely than his beloved Queen? Dwarkadheesh is always delighted after he sees Shri Rukmini.

She then moves the curtains and offers her greeting to Surya Dev. Then offers water to Surya Dev.

Krishna watches her with a smile. "I hope your night was comfortable."

She smiles back at him, "I don't remember whether the night was comfortable or not when I see you in the morning."

Krishna laughs. He holds her hand and makes her sit on the swing. Leaning back on the swing, he looks at her. "I suppose your night was comfortable as well." Rukmini smiled.

"I see you the last thing before I sleep and the first thing I see when I wake up. What do you think?"

Rukmini smiles at him. The maids satisfied that Dwarkadish must have seen her to his satisfaction, enter the room and spread the dhoop around the room.

The sound from the door makes Krishna grin. A stable sound of fast-paced walking with chaotic jingling of jewelry behind. Satyabhama makes her maids run at the pace she walks towards Krishna's chamber.

She always greets him with the freshness of a chirpy bird in the morning. "Suprabhat, Yadavesha." she greets him.

"Suprabhat, Bhama."

She quickly goes through his trunks and selects his clothes. From the tray, her maid carries, she selects the bathing scent for the day, and his perfume. Krishna watches her being picky with his clothes and carefully looking through each of his pitambari and matching them with specific trays.

"Suprabhat, Sakhi." She finally greets Rukmini.

"Suprabhat, Bhama."

"Now... The important question." Her maids show Rukmini four trays with jewelry for Krishna. "Quickly pick on the tray. Don't change the ornaments from one to another like yesterday. I've painfully matched them to perfection."

While Rukmini looks at the jewelry, Satyabhama holds Krishna's face and sees him to her heart's content. Her eyes sparkle with admiration for the beauty that her husband is. "May Maa Devaki be praised for making you so beautiful." Then she touches his feet.

It always makes him laugh.

He loves the morning in Dwarka. He is always met with Rukmini and Satyabhama first in the morning. Both of them are his beloved Queens.

Once ready after having a bath, he is met by Jambavati, Kalindi, and Mitravrinda at his chambers. He smiles at the three of them.

"Suprabhat, Jambavati, Kalindi, Mitravrinda."

"Suprabhat, Prabhu."

Jambavati fixes his clothes with jewelry and Kalindi applies the tilaka on his forehead and then makes sure the perfume is setting well on him. Kalindi always smells the perfume before spraying it on him to make sure it isn't too extreme. Mitravrinda hands him his shoes and pushes that one lock of hair behind his ears. The three follow behind Krishna as he moves to meet with his parents.

Satya meets Krishna with the flowers for his morning pooja.

"Suprabhat, Swami." She greets him.

"Suprabhat, Satya." He affectionately touches her cheek taking the flower basket from her.

Bhadra and Lakshmana are already at Vasudeva and Devaki's chambers respectively helping them out in the morning.

Having been the one to wake them first in the morning, Revati goes ahead to get things ready for Balarama.

"Suprabhat, Pitashree, Maa." He greets them respectively in their chambers and takes their blessings. The two bless him cheerfully.

"Suprabhat, Bhadra, Lakshmana." he greets them.

By the time Krishna reaches his temple room, everything is set down for him by Satya. When his puja is finished, he reaches the breakfast table.

The eight of them are in a conversation about the food they might need to quickly make more and about the dishes they shouldn't have prepared seeing the age of Vasudeva, Rohini, and Devaki.

Within that interval, Rohini, Vasudev, Devaki, Balarama, and Revati arrive at the breakfast table.

"Suprabhat, Kanha." Balarama pats him on the shoulder.

"Suprabhat, Dau."

Krishna finishes eating with Devaki, Vasudeva, Rohini, and Balarama. When he is done eating, he gets up from the table.

He spends a bit of the morning chatting with Balarama. After a few minutes, he comes back to the breakfast table and sees the eight of his wives sitting at the table together and eating. Rukmini, Jambavati, Mitravrinda, and Bhadra on one side. Satyabhama, Kalindi, Satya, and Lakshmana are on the opposite side.

Rukmini and Satyabhama talk about the events in Yadava Sabha. Jambavati, Kalindi, Mitravrinda, and Lakshmana talk about the special events that have to be done on the day. Bhadra and Satya talk about other political events going on in Aryavarta.

A smile always arrives on his lips seeing them all together. He finds himself happy watching the eight of them together.

His mornings are always quite cheerful because the eight of his Queens always take extra measures to make sure everything is perfect. They have their own quirks and sometimes can be chivalrous but at the end of the day, they somehow know how to work things out between themselves. He usually knows that each of them has their favorite co-wife but they still play nice with each other. Especially to make sure that Krishna doesn't have to be in a difficult spot. Satyabhama and Rukmini have their own rivalry moments but it has never come to a point where Krishna has to break a fight between them. They're usually careful about how much they push each other. 

Yet, when it counts, they all stand by each other.