When to severe.

 In the Hindu tradition, especially in the epics and the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Vishnu (through his incarnations, especially Krishna and Rama) teaches that relationships are sacred—but Dharma is more sacred still. A bond is to be preserved as long as it supports righteousness. When it becomes destructive to Dharma, one may have to let it go.

Here are a few examples:

Krishna and Arjuna (Bhagavad Gita) Krishna asks Arjuna to fight against his own grandsire Bhishma, his teacher Drona, cousins, and relatives. Arjuna's attachment to family clouded his understanding. Krishna reminds him that when affection opposes Dharma, one must choose Dharma.

"Better to perform one's own duty imperfectly than another's perfectly." (Bhagavad Gita 3.35)

Prahlada and Hiranyakashipu Prahlada never hated his father, but he refused to obey him when the command opposed devotion to Vishnu. Blood relationship did not override the higher relationship with the Divine. Vishnu appeared as Narasimha to protect Prahlada.

Vibhishana leaving Ravana Though Ravana was his elder brother, Vibhishana repeatedly advised him to return Sita. When Ravana rejected Dharma, Vibhishana left Lanka and surrendered to Rama. Rama accepted him immediately, showing that standing with righteousness is never betrayal.

Bali and Vamana When King Bali's guru, Shukracharya, advised him to break his promise to Vamana, Bali refused because truth and Dharma were higher than personal gain or even obedience to one's teacher.

The principle emerging from these stories is subtle:

Do not sever a bond because of hurt, anger, pride, or inconvenience.

Do not abandon people simply because they disagree with you.

But if maintaining the relationship requires abandoning truth, justice, compassion, or devotion to God, then Dharma comes first.

Even when a bond must end, it should end without hatred. Krishna never teaches revenge; he teaches detachment with compassion.

A beautiful way to express it is:

Love the person. Reject the adharma. If the two cannot coexist, step away from the adharma without bitterness toward the person.

This reflects Krishna's own life. He loved many who opposed him, gave them repeated opportunities to change, and only when every path of reconciliation had failed did he permit separation or confrontation. Dharma was never sacrificed to preserve appearances or relationships.