Arjuna and Draupadi, considering the grief of the wife of Dronacarya… There were many instances like that. Not that “The person is criminal,” but “What will be the effect of killing him?” That is to be considered. “If I kill Asvatthama — it is right, I should kill him — but the effect would go to his mother. His mother, she is innocent, and in the absence of her husband, our guru, it is our duty to look after her comforts. Now, if I kill Asvatthama, then she will suffer in old age.” Therefore na aicchad dhantum guru-sutam. Although Krsna advised him “You kill him,” he did not like it. Guru-sutam. This is consciousness. Even there is duty, we have to see what will be the effect of the duty. Not everything should be done very blindly. This is devotee. Devotee means he’s not blind. Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah. Bhagavad-bhakta means he will act in such a way that all qualified, nobody can criticize him. That is bhagavad-bhakta. Sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah. A Vaisnava, twenty-six qualifications. One of the qualifications is daksa: he must be very expert in doing things very nicely. Not that because one is Vaisnava he’ll be callous in the worldly things.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on SB 1.7.40 Vrndavana, October 1, 1976