Shloka 22

Balarāma Humbles the Kurus and Rescues Sāmba

Devanagari script

यद् यूयं बहवस्त्वेकं जित्वाधर्मेण धार्मिकम् । अबध्नीताथ तन्मृष्ये बन्धूनामैक्यकाम्यया ॥ २२ ॥

Transliteration

yad yūyaṁ bahavas tv ekaṁ jitvādharmeṇa dhārmikam abadhnītātha tan mṛṣye bandhūnām aikya-kāmyayā

Translation

[พระอุครเสนตรัส:] แม้พวกท่านหลายคนจะชนะผู้เดียวผู้ตั้งมั่นในธรรมด้วยวิธีอธรรม แล้วจับมัดไว้ก็ตาม เราก็ยังอดทนต่อสิ่งนั้นเพื่อความสามัคคีของวงศ์ญาติ

Synonyms

यत्that (which)

यूयम्you (all)

बहवःmany

तुbut

एकम्one (person)

जित्वाhaving conquered/overpowered

अधर्मेणby unrighteous means

धार्मिकम्righteous/virtuous

अबध्नीतyou bound (tied up)

अथthen/and

तत्that

मृष्येI forgive/endure

बन्धूनाम्of (my/our) kinsmen

ऐक्य-काम्ययाfor the sake of desiring unity

Purport

Here Ugrasena implies that the Kurus should immediately bring Sāmba and present him to Lord Balarāma.

Characters & Entities

Śrī Kṛṣṇa

King Aniruddha (implied as the righteous one)

Bāṇa (implied captor)

Śiva (context of the episode)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about forgiving adharma for the sake of unity?

In this verse, Śrī Kṛṣṇa says He tolerates the wrong done—conquering and binding a righteous person by unrighteous means—because He desires harmony among His relatives, showing forgiveness aimed at restoring unity.

Why did Krishna say this even though the act was adharmic?

Kṛṣṇa acknowledges the injustice but chooses forbearance to prevent deeper rupture among allied families and kinsmen, demonstrating that His leadership seeks reconciliation and protection of the larger dharmic order.

How can this teaching be applied in modern life?

When conflicts arise, one can uphold truth about what was wrong while still practicing forgiveness and restraint to preserve essential relationships and social harmony, especially when reconciliation serves a higher good.