Devanagari
एतावदुक्त्वा भगवान् निवृत्तोऽसद्वधादपि ।
भावित्वात् तं कुशाग्रेण करस्थेनाहनत् प्रभु: ॥ २८ ॥
Verse text
etāvad uktvā bhagavān
nivṛtto ’sad-vadhād api
bhāvitvāt taṁ kuśāgreṇa
kara-sthenāhanat prabhuḥ
Synonyms
etāvat
—
this much
;
uktvā
—
saying
;
bhagavān
—
the Personality of Godhead
;
nivṛttaḥ
—
stopped
;
asat
—
the impious
;
vadhāt
—
from killing
;
api
—
although
;
bhāvitvāt
—
because it was inevitable
;
tam
—
him, Romaharṣaṇa
;
kuśa
—
of kuśa grass
;
agreṇa
—
with the tip of a blade
;
kara
—
in His hand
;
sthena
—
held
;
ahanat
—
killed
;
prabhuḥ
—
the Lord .
Translation
[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] Although Lord Balarāma had stopped killing the impious, Romaharṣaṇa’s death was inevitable. Thus, having spoken, the Lord killed him by picking up a blade of kuśa grass and touching him with its tip.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] Although Lord Balarāma had stopped killing the impious, Romaharṣaṇa's death was inevitable. Thus, having spoken, the Lord killed him by picking up a blade of kuśa grass and touching him with its tip.
KB 10.78.28
Lord Balarāma had avoided taking part in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, and yet because of His position as an incarnation, the reestablishment of religious principles was His prime duty. Considering these points, He killed Romaharṣaṇa Sūta simply by striking him with a kuśa straw, which was nothing but a blade of grass. If someone questions how Lord Balarāma could kill Romaharṣaṇa Sūta simply by striking him with a blade of kuśa grass, the answer is given in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by the use of the word prabhu (“master”). The Lord’s position is always transcendental, and because He is omnipotent He can act as He likes, without being obliged to follow the material laws and principles. Thus it was possible for Him to kill Romaharṣaṇa Sūta simply by striking him with a blade of kuśa grass.
Purport
Śrīla Prabhupāda writes: “Lord Balarāma had avoided taking part in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, and yet because of His position as an incarnation, the reestablishment of religious principles was His prime duty. Considering these points, He killed Romaharṣaṇa Sūta simply by striking him with a
kuśa
straw, which was nothing but a blade of grass. If someone questions how Lord Balarāma could kill Romaharṣaṇa Sūta simply by striking him with a blade of
kuśa
grass, the answer is given in the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
by the use of the word
prabhu,
‘master.’ The Lord’s position is always transcendental, and because He is omnipotent He can act as He likes without being obliged to follow the material laws and principles. Thus it was possible for Him to kill Romaharṣaṇa Sūta simply by striking him with a blade of
kuśa
grass.”
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Because there was no means of preventing his death (bhavitvat), he killed him with a piece of kusa grass.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
He acted quickly because the sages might forbid killing Romaharṣaṇa. Even though Balarāma had given up killing while he was on pilgrimage, he killed him since his death was inevitable. He killed with a piece of kuśa that he held in his hand while he acted as a brahmacārī while going on pilgrimage. How could touching him with a tip of kuśa kill him? Balarāma was capable of everything (prabhuḥ).