Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.54.37
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyGentle Words to Comfort Rukmiṇī
“[Lord Balarāma said:] My dear Kṛṣṇa, You have acted improperly! This deed will bring shame on Us, for to disfigure a close relative by shaving off his mustache and hair is as good as killing him.”
What the purport teaches
- Balarāma said that disfiguring a close relative by shaving his mustache and hair was as good as killing him.
- Omniscient Balarāma knew that Rukmī was the guilty party.
- He nevertheless chose to gently reproach Śrī Kṛṣṇa to encourage the lamenting Rukmiṇī.
Try this today
In one difficult conversation today, choose gentle words that take the listener’s feelings into account.
Ask yourself
Do I consider the sorrow of those listening when I speak about wrongdoing?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.