Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.54.37
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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asādhu
—
improperly
A- (not) + sādhu (good). Sādhu is also the noun for a saintly person; asādhu is then the opposite — un-saintly conduct. Balarāma uses the strongest dharma-word to comfort Rukmiṇī, who fears precisely such transgression.
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jugupsitam
—
terrible / despicable
From jugupsā, 'aversion.' One of the named feelings in Bharata's catalog (jugupsā-rasa or bībhatsa). Balarāma's vocabulary deliberately escalates — He overstates the wrong precisely so that Rukmiṇī sees her brother already 'avenged.'
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śmaśru-keśānām
—
of the mustache and hair
Genitive plural. The dharma-śāstras (Manu 8.379, Yājñavalkya) treat shaving as a social punishment graver than fines. Balarāma names the specific transgression to make the case look complete; then He moves to mitigate.
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vairūpyam
—
the disfigurement
Vi + rūpa (form). Same root as vyarūpayat (v. 35). The Bhāgavatam keeps repeating the root rūpa — the chapter is about who has the right to give form to whom. Kṛṣṇa formed Rukmiṇī as bride; He un-formed Rukmī as warrior.
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suhṛdaḥ
—
of a family member / well-wisher
Sat (good) + hṛd (heart). One whose heart is good toward another. In Gauḍīya understanding, the highest suhṛt is Kṛṣṇa Himself ('suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām,' BG 5.29). Balarāma reminds us that even Rukmī, as Rukmiṇī's brother, qualifies for suhṛt-status under social dharma.
Omniscient Balarāma knew that Rukmī was the guilty party, but to encourage the lamenting Rukmiṇī He decided to gently reproach Śrī Kṛṣṇa
"It would have been better to kill him. Shaving him with a sword has made his face ghastly." To console the lamenting Rukmini, Balarama in this way engaged in an appearance of scolding Krsna. However, internally he was thinking, "O most clever brother, you have done what is proper." Becoming satisfied, he then scolded Krsna. Suhrt in this verse refers to Rukmi as a friend, relative, a brother in law. Factually however he is and enemy, not a friend. Therefore the word is used to mean the opposite in sarcasm.
Balarāma addressed Kṛṣṇa by his principal name because of the arousal of affection as his elder brother. It is not proper for the Vṛṣṇis, who are most famous, with you as its crowning achievement, to do condemned action. What was that action? Out of shame Balarāma did not mention it in the beginning. He then mentions it in the last line. You shaved his head, but it is not a small punishment for you disfigured him also. He criticized Kṛṣṇa to pacify Rukmiṇī. He thought, “He can be criticized because he is related to me.” Rukmiṇī then became ashamed for by scolding Kṛṣṇa, she also became scolded. He did this to teach Kṛṣṇa. This was his mercy. That is understood in later verses as well.
O giver of all happiness (kṛṣṇa)! It is wrong for us to do this criticized act. Balarāma includes himself in this act (asmat). Others can do this, but not us. Or it is an act for which others will criticize us. Out of shame he does not mention the act in the beginning, but later mentions it. This disfiguring him is not a small punishment, but death.
Like an elder brother gently calling out the younger before the in-laws, Balarāma reproaches Kṛṣṇa not because Kṛṣṇa was wrong but to give Rukmiṇī room to recover. The Bhāgavatam's note (Viśvanātha) makes the līlā's mechanics visible: Balarāma's 'reproach' is theatrical kindness.
My note
Source: vedabase.io