Shloka 19
वंशवर्णनम्, अनिरुद्धविवाहः, तथा बलराम-रुक्मी द्यूतविवादः
अजयद् बलदेवस् तं प्राहोच्चैस् तं जितं मया मयेति रुक्मी प्राहोच्चैर् अलीकोक्तैर् अलं बल
ajayad baladevas taṃ prāhoccais taṃ jitaṃ mayā mayeti rukmī prāhoccair alīkoktair alaṃ bala
Baladeva defeated him. Yet Rukmī cried aloud with false words, “I have won—yes, I have won!” Then it was said, “Enough, O Bala.”
Sage Parashara (narrating to Maitreya)
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: To demonstrate dharma’s victory over deceit through Balarāma’s prowess and to expose falsehood as the seed of ruin.
Leela: Yuddha
Dharma Restored: Satya (truth) and nyāya (justice) in social assemblies; punishment of deceit
Concept: Even after being defeated, false speech seeks to rewrite reality; dharma requires truth to be publicly affirmed and deceit checked.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Do not normalize lies after clear outcomes; insist on transparent rules and accountability in disputes.
Vishishtadvaita: Truth is part of the Lord’s moral order; attempts to distort truth are adharma that invites corrective action within the divinely sustained world.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
FAQs
It highlights the destructive nature of kshatriya pride—defeat is compounded by untruth—contrasted with the Yadava hero’s strength and the narrative insistence on restraint after victory.
Parashara narrates that physical victory is not the final measure; the episode also stresses self-control—knowing when to stop—so that power remains aligned with dharma.
Even in martial episodes around Krishna’s lineage, the Purana implies a divinely governed moral order: ego and falsehood are shown as inferior to dharmic strength that acts without excess.