Text 39
bandhur vadhārha-doṣo ’pi
na bandhor vadham arhati
tyājyaḥ svenaiva doṣeṇa
hataḥ kiṁ hanyate punaḥ
bandhuḥ — a relative; vadha — being killed; arha — which merits; doṣaḥ — whose wrong-doing; api — even though; na — not; bandhoḥ — from a relative; vadham — being killed; arhati — deserves; tyājyaḥ — to be cast out; svena eva — by his own; doṣeṇa — fault; hataḥ — killed; kim — why; hanyate — is to be killed; punaḥ — again.
[Again addressing Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma said:] A relative should not be killed even if his wrongdoing warrants capital punishment. Rather, he should be thrown out of the family. Since he has already been killed by his own sin, why kill him again?
To further encourage Lady Rukmiṇī, Balarāma again emphasizes that Kṛṣṇa should not humiliate Rukmī.