Devanagari
क्षत्रियाणामयं धर्म: प्रजापतिविनिर्मित: ।
भ्रातापि भ्रातरं हन्याद् येन घोरतमस्तत: ॥ ४० ॥
Verse text
kṣatriyāṇām ayaṁ dharmaḥ
prajāpati-vinirmitaḥ
bhrātāpi bhrātaraṁ hanyād
yena ghoratamas tataḥ
Synonyms
kṣatriyāṇām
—
of warriors
;
ayam
—
this
;
dharmaḥ
—
code of sacred duty
;
prajāpati
—
by the original progenitor, Lord Brahmā
;
vinirmitaḥ
—
established
;
bhrātā
—
a brother
;
api
—
even
;
bhrātaram
—
his brother
;
hanyāt
—
has to kill
;
yena
—
by which (code)
;
ghora
—
tamaḥ — most terrible
;
tataḥ
—
therefore .
Translation
[Turning to Rukmiṇī, Balarāma continued:] The code of sacred duty for warriors established by Lord Brahmā enjoins that one may have to kill even his own brother. That is indeed a most dreadful law.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
[Turning to Rukmiṇī, Balarāma continued:] The code of sacred duty for warriors established by Lord Brahmā enjoins that one may have to kill even his own brother. That is indeed a most dreadful law.
KB 10.54.40
Balarāma again turned toward Rukmiṇī and informed her that the current duty of the kṣatriya in human society is so fixed that, according to the principles of fighting, one’s own brother may become an enemy. Then a kṣatriya does not hesitate to kill his own brother. In other words, Lord Balarāma wanted to instruct Rukmiṇī that Rukmī and Kṛṣṇa were right in not showing mercy to each other in the fighting, despite the family consideration that they happened to be brothers-in-law.
Purport
Lord Balarāma, in the interest of fairness, is giving a complete analysis of the situation. Although one should not kill a relative, there are extenuating circumstances according to military codes. In the American Civil War, which took place in the 1860s, many families were divided between the army of the North and that of the South, and thus fratricidal killing unfortunately became a common affair. Such killing is certainly
ghoratama,
most dreadful. Yet such is the nature of the material world, where duty, honor and so-called justice often create conflict. Only on the spiritual platform, in pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness, can we transcend the unacceptable pain of material existence. Rukmī was maddened by pride and envy and thus could not understand anything about Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
He speaks again to Rukmini who was saying in her mind, "Your younger brother does not know this rule." "One should even kill ones brother. That is the rule of the scripture. What to speak then of a brother in law who is so vile?"
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Since she still did not give up her grief, he again tried to enlighten her by showing sva-dharma of kṣatriyas. This dharma of the kṣatriyas—obligatory action generated by karma- is that a brother must kill his brother in a just war. This is dharma because it has been created by Brahmā. This means it is directed by the Vedas. Therefore (tataḥ) this is a terrible rule since it involves killing a brother. Śrīdhara Svāmī agrees with this meaning.