Shloka 24
Chapter 54
धनुर् विकृष्य सु-दृढं जघ्ने कृष्णं त्रिभिः शरैः ।
आह चात्र क्षणं तिष्ठ यादूनां कुल-पांसन ॥
dhanur vikṛṣya su-dṛḍhaṃ jaghne kṛṣṇaṃ tribhiḥ śaraiḥ / āha cātra kṣaṇaṃ tiṣṭha yadūnāṃ kula-pāṃsana //
Drawing his bow back powerfully, he struck Kṛṣṇa with three arrows. Then he said, “Stay here for a moment, you disgrace to the Yadu dynasty!”
Rukmī not only attacks Śrī Kṛṣṇa but also insults Him with harsh words—“kula-pāṁsana,” ‘the defiler/disgrace of the dynasty.’ In Bhagavata theology, such speech reveals a deeper ignorance: the Lord is the purifier of all dynasties and worlds, and His actions are always auspicious, even when they appear unconventional to material vision. The verse illustrates how envy distorts perception. Because Kṛṣṇa has taken Rukmiṇī according to dharma and her own heartfelt choice, Rukmī reframes the Lord’s righteous act as wrongdoing. This is a common pattern in worldly life: when one’s desire is thwarted, the mind manufactures blame and insults. Spiritually, the shloka teaches that offenses in speech and mentality (aparādha) arise from ego and can accelerate one’s downfall. The Lord may tolerate an attacker’s weapons, but offensive pride invites corrective consequences—especially when directed at Bhagavān or His devotees. For devotees, the lesson is to remain steady when criticized, trusting that the Lord’s dharma-protecting purpose will prevail.
FAQs
This verse shows how envy leads to offensive speech; such insults arise from ignorance of the Lord’s purity and tend to bring swift correction and suffering to the offender.
Because his pride and frustration over losing Rukmiṇī distorted his judgment, he mislabeled Krishna’s dharmic act as dishonor, revealing deep misunderstanding of Bhagavān’s nature.
When anger rises, avoid harsh labels and insults; pause, speak truthfully, and remember that envy clouds perception and creates lasting karmic and relational harm.