Shloka 36
Chapter 54
कृष्णान्तिकमुपव्रज्य ददृशुस्तत्र रुक्मिणम् । तथा-भूतं हत-प्रायं दृष्ट्वा सङ्कर्षणो विभुः । विमुच्य बद्धं करुणो भगवान्कृष्णमब्रवीत् ॥
kṛṣṇāntikam upavrajya dadṛśus tatra rukmiṇam / tathā-bhūtaṃ hata-prāyaṃ dṛṣṭvā saṅkarṣaṇo vibhuḥ / vimucya baddhaṃ karuṇo bhagavān kṛṣṇam abravīt //
Mendekati Kṛṣṇa, mereka melihat Rukmī di sana dalam keadaan demikian—hampir mati. Melihatnya, Saṅkarṣaṇa yang perkasa kerana belas kasihan melepaskan orang yang terikat itu, lalu berkata kepada Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa.
After the battle, the scene shifts to Kṛṣṇa’s presence, where Rukmī lies bound and disgraced. The verse emphasizes Balarāma’s compassionate nature: although Rukmī is an offender, Balarāma does not delight in excessive punishment. He frees Rukmī from bondage and then addresses Kṛṣṇa, indicating that even in moments of conflict, the Lord’s associates act with deliberation, guided by higher principles rather than uncontrolled anger. This also highlights a crucial Bhagavata theme: justice is meant to correct and protect dharma, not to satisfy personal hatred. Balarāma’s intervention suggests a limit to retribution and a preference for mercy when the offender is already subdued. In devotional theology, such mercy reflects the Lord’s governance of the world—firm against adharma, yet compassionate when the threat has been neutralized. The narrative thereby teaches that strength should be paired with compassion, and that true nobility appears after victory, not merely during combat.
FAQs
Saṅkarṣaṇa (Balarāma) releases him out of compassion, showing that punishment should not become excessive once the offender is subdued.
It indicates deliberate, dharmic decision-making among the Lord’s associates and frames mercy as a conscious principle, not weakness.
When a conflict is already resolved, avoid needless harshness; combine firmness with compassion and let justice aim at correction rather than revenge.