Can someone quote this statement of Krishna from Mahabharata where it is implied that Krishna had multiple wives?

Question

Krishna mentioned in Mahabharata this -

My wives, my kinsmen, my relatives, none amongst these is dearer to me than Arjuna. O Daruka, I shall not be able to cast my eyes, even for a single moment, on the earth bereft of Arjuna” said Krishna to his charioteer Daruka, as he was preparing for the upcoming battle of the 14th day of Kurukshetra war

Here the word mentioned is "wives" implying that he had multiple wives. But Mahabharata tells us that Krishna had only one wife-Rukmini. If this statement is actually in Mahabharata where he used the word "wives" , then the stories of Puranas about him having multiple wives must be historical .

Can someone quote this statement of Krishna from Mahabharata with Parva name and verse number ?

Answer 1

This quote clearly mentions Kr̥ṣṇa preparing for the 14th day of war, this information is helpful because it narrows down our search in Mahābhārata. On the 13th day, Abhimanyu (son of Arjuna) died in the battlefield. Due to this, Arjuna was in grief and vowed to kill Jayādratha, which if he fails to, he swore to commit suicide. As a result, Kr̥ṣṇa was heavily affected by the vow of Arjuna.

The quote is from Section LXXIX, Abhimanyu badha Parva in Book 7: Droṇa Parva

In the middle of the night, Janārdana, having awakened, remembered Pārtha’s vow, and addressing (his charioteer) Dāruka, said, "Arjuna, in grief for the death of his son, has vowed. O Dāruka, that before tomorrow’s sun goes down he will slay Jayādratha. Hearing of this, Duryodhana will assuredly take counsel with his counsellors, about how Pārtha may fail to achieve his object. His several Akṣauhiṇīs of troops will protect Jayādratha. Fully conversant with the ways of applying all weapons, Droṇa also, with his son, will protect him. That matchless hero, the Thousand-eyed (Indra himself), that crusher of the pride of Daityas and Dānavas cannot venture to slay him in battle who is protected by Droṇa. I, therefore, will do that tomorrow by which Arjuna, the son of Kuntī, may slay Jayādratha before the sun sets. My wives, my kinsmen, my relatives, none amongst these is dearer to me than Arjuna. O Dāruka, I shall not be able to cast my eyes, even for a single moment, on the earth bereft of Arjuna. I tell you, the earth shall not be reft to Arjuna. Myself vanquishing them all with their steeds and elephants by putting forth my strength for the sake of Arjuna, I will slay them with Karṇa and Duryodhana. Let the three worlds tomorrow behold my prowess in great battle, when I put forth my valour, O Dāruka, for Dhanañjaya's sake.

In Mahābhārata, the marriages of Kr̥ṣṇa aren't mentioned except for his with Rukmiṇī. But he has consorts other than Rukmiṇī as well. There are many references to that.

Section VII from Book 16: Mausala Parva, mentions, Rukmiṇī, Satyabhāmā, Jāmbavatī, Haimavatī, Śaivyā and other wives of Kr̥ṣṇa.

The rule of Indraprastha was given to Vajra. The widows of Akrūra then desired to retire into the woods. Vajra asked them repeatedly to desist, but they did not listen to him. Rukmiṇī, the princess of Gāndhāra, Śaivyā, Haimavatī, and queen Jāmvabatī ascended the funeral pyre. Satyabhāmā and other dear wives of Kr̥ṣṇa entered the woods, O king, resolved to set themselves to the practice of penances. They began to live on fruits and roots and pass their time in the contemplation of Hari. Going beyond the Himāvata, they took up their abode in a place called Kalpa.

In Section IX, Pāṇḍava Praveśa Parva from Book 4: Virāṭa Parva, Draupadī tells Sudeṣṇā that she served Satyabhāmā, the favorite queen of Kr̥ṣṇa.

Draupadī replied to Sudeṣṇā,"O auspicious lady, I am neither a goddess nor a > Gāndharvī, nor a Yakṣī, nor a Rakṣasī. I am a maid-servant of the Sairindhrī class. I tell you this truly. I know to dress the hair to pound (fragrant substances) for preparing unguents, and also to make beautiful and variegated garlands. O beauteous lady, of jasmines and lotuses and blue lilies and Champakas. Formerly I served Kr̥ṣṇa’s favorite queen Satyabhāmā, and also Draupadī, the wife of the Pāṇḍavas and the foremost beauty of the Kuru race."

In Section CCXXXI- CCXXXII, Draupadī- Satyabhāmā Saṁvāda (Book 3: Vana Parva), Draupadī and Satyabhāmā meet and converse with each other, soon striking friendship. Satyabhāmā had arrived with Kr̥ṣṇa and is clearly described as his wife.

Vaiśampāyana said, "After those Brāhmaṇas and the illustrious sons of Pāṇḍu had taken their seats, Draupadī and Satyabhāmā entered the hermitage. And with hearts full of joy the two ladies laughed merrily and seated themselves at their ease. And, O king, those ladies, who always spoke sweetly to each other, having met after a long time, began to talk upon various delightful topics arising out of the stories of the Kurus and the Yadus. And the slender-waisted Satyabhāmā, the favorite wife of Kr̥ṣṇa and the daughter of Satrājit, then asked Draupadī in private...

So, I hope the queries are clear now. Although the marriage of Kr̥ṣṇa with his wives other than Rukmiṇī is not mentioned in Mahābhārata, but his wives are still explicitly mentioned in many chapters of Mahābhārata, especially Satyabhāmā.

Reference

Ganguli, K. M. (Trans.). (1883-1896). The Mahābhārata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa. https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-mahabharata-mohan

Answer 2

There are many such verses, one of them are the following.:

“yasmāt priyataro nāsti mamānyaḥ puruṣo bhuvi | nādeyaṃ yasya me kiṃ cid api dārāḥ sutās tathā |” (MBH 10:12:27).

“Other than Phalguna I have no dearer friend on earth, that friend to whom there is nothing that I cannot give including my very wives and children…”

I hope this clarifies all your queries. Prd..