SB 10.54.40
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Please note: The synonyms, translation and purport of this verse were composed by disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda
TEXT 40
- 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 and purport composed by disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda
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.
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 1860's, 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.