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Krṣṇa,  the Supreme Personality of Godhead
strength of the Yadus broke up Rukmī's forces. Yet when the commanders of the Yadu dynasty came back to see Krṣṇa, they were all surprised to see the condition of Rukmī. Lord Balarāma became especially compassionate for His sister-in-law, who was newly married to His brother. In order to please Rukmiṇī, Balarāma personally untied Rukmī, and in order to further please her, Balarāma, as the elder brother of Krṣṇa, spoke some words of chastisement. "Krṣṇa, Your action is not at all satisfactory," He said. "This is an abomination very much contrary to our family tradition! To cut someone's hair and shave his moustache and beard is almost comparable to killing him. Whatever Rukmī might have been, he is now our brother-in-law, a relative of our family, and You should not have put him in such a condition."
After this, in order to pacify her, Lord Balarāma said to Rukmiṇī, "You should not be sorry because your brother has been made very odd-looking. Everyone suffers or enjoys the results of his own actions." Lord Balarāma wanted to impress upon Rukmiṇī that she should not have been sorry for the consequences suffered by her brother due to his actions. There was no need of being too affectionate toward such a brother. Lord Balarāma again turned toward Krṣṇa and said, "My dear Krṣṇa, a relative, even though he commits such a blunder and deserves to be killed, should be excused. For when such a relative is conscious of his own fault, that consciousness itself is like death. Therefore, there is no need in killing him." He again turned toward Rukmiṇī and informed her that the current duty of the  kṣatriya  in the human society is so fixed that, according to the principles of fighting, one's own brother may become an enemy on the opposite side. A  kṣatriya  does not hesitate to kill his own brother. In other words, Lord Balarāma wanted to instruct Rukmiṇī that Rukmī and Krṣṇa were right in not showing mercy to each other in the fighting, despite the family consideration that they happened to be brothers-in-law. Śrī Balarāma continued to inform Rukmiṇī that  kṣatriyas  are typical emblems of the materialistic way of life; they become puffed-up whenever there is a question of material acquisition. Therefore, when there is a fight between two belligerent  kṣatriyas  on account of kingdom, land, wealth, women, prestige or power, they try to put one another into the most abominable condition. Balarāma instructed Rukmiṇī that her affection toward her brother Rukmī, who had created enmity with so many persons, was a perverse consideration befitting an ordinary materialistic person. Her brother's character was not at all adorable, considering his treatment toward other friends, and yet Rukmiṇī, as an ordinary woman, was so affectionate toward him. He was not fit to be her brother, and still Rukmiṇī was lenient toward him.