Shloka 22
Balarāma Humbles the Kurus and Rescues Sāmba
यद् यूयं बहवस्त्वेकं जित्वाधर्मेण धार्मिकम् । अबध्नीताथ तन्मृष्ये बन्धूनामैक्यकाम्यया ॥ २२ ॥
yad yūyaṁ bahavas tv ekaṁ jitvādharmeṇa dhārmikam abadhnītātha tan mṛṣye bandhūnām aikya-kāmyayā
[乌格罗塞那之言：]纵然你们众人以非正法之手段战胜并捆缚了一位守法之士，我仍为亲族和合之愿而加以容忍。
Here Ugrasena implies that the Kurus should immediately bring Sāmba and present him to Lord Balarāma.
FAQs
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.
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.
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.