Srimad Bhagavatam · Canto 10 · Chapter 79
श्रीशुक उवाच तत: पर्वण्युपावृत्ते प्रचण्ड: पांशुवर्षण: । भीमो वायुरभूद् राजन्पूयगन्धस्तु सर्वश: ॥ १ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca tataḥ parvaṇy upāvṛtte pracaṇḍaḥ pāṁśu-varṣaṇaḥ bhīmo vāyur abhūd rājan pūya-gandhas tu sarvaśaḥ
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Then, on the new-moon day, O King, a fierce and frightening wind arose, scattering dust all about and spreading the smell of pus everywhere.
ततोऽमेध्यमयं वर्षं बल्वलेन विनिर्मितम् । अभवद् यज्ञशालायां सोऽन्वदृश्यत शूलधृक् ॥ २ ॥
tato ’medhya-mayaṁ varṣaṁ balvalena vinirmitam abhavad yajña-śālāyāṁ so ’nvadṛśyata śūla-dhṛk
Next, onto the sacrificial arena came a downpour of abominable things sent by Balvala, after which the demon himself appeared, trident in hand.
तं विलोक्य बृहत्कायं भिन्नाञ्जनचयोपमम् । तप्तताम्रशिखाश्मश्रुं दंष्ट्रोग्रभ्रुकुटीमुखम् ॥ ३ ॥ सस्मार मूषलं राम: परसैन्यविदारणम् । हलं च दैत्यदमनं ते तूर्णमुपतस्थतु: ॥ ४ ॥
taṁ vilokya bṛhat-kāyaṁ bhinnāñjana-cayopamam tapta-tāmra-śikhā-śmaśruṁ daṁṣṭrogra-bhru-kuṭī-mukham sasmāra mūṣalaṁ rāmaḥ para-sainya-vidāraṇam halaṁ ca daitya-damanaṁ te tūrṇam upatasthatuḥ
The immense demon resembled a mass of black carbon. His topknot and beard were like molten copper, and his face had horrible fangs and furrowed eyebrows. Upon seeing him, Lord Balarāma thought of His club, which tears to pieces His enemies’ armies, and His plow weapon, which punishes the demons. Thus summoned, His two weapons appeared before Him at once.
तमाकृष्य हलाग्रेण बल्वलं गगनेचरम् । मूषलेनाहनत्क्रुद्धो मूर्ध्नि ब्रह्मद्रुहं बल: ॥ ५ ॥
tam ākṛṣya halāgreṇa balvalaṁ gagane-caram mūṣalenāhanat kruddho mūrdhni brahma-druhaṁ balaḥ
With the tip of His plow Lord Balarāma caught hold of the demon Balvala as he flew through the sky, and with His club the Lord angrily struck that harasser of brāhmaṇas on the head.
सोऽपतद्भुवि निर्भिन्नललाटोऽसृक् समुत्सृजन् । मुञ्चन्नार्तस्वरं शैलो यथा वज्रहतोऽरुण: ॥ ६ ॥
so ’patad bhuvi nirbhinna- lalāṭo ’sṛk samutsṛjan muñcann ārta-svaraṁ śailo yathā vajra-hato ’ruṇaḥ
Balvala cried out in agony and fell to the ground, his forehead cracked open and gushing blood. He resembled a red mountain struck by a lightning bolt.
संस्तुत्य मुनयो रामं प्रयुज्यावितथाशिष: । अभ्यषिञ्चन् महाभागा वृत्रघ्नं विबुधा यथा ॥ ७ ॥
saṁstutya munayo rāmaṁ prayujyāvitathāśiṣaḥ abhyaṣiñcan mahā-bhāgā vṛtra-ghnaṁ vibudhā yathā
The exalted sages honored Lord Rāma with sincere prayers and awarded Him infallible blessings. Then they performed His ritual bath, just as the demigods had formally bathed Indra when he killed Vṛtra.
वैजयन्तीं ददुर्मालां श्रीधामाम्लानपङ्कजाम् । रामाय वाससी दिव्ये दिव्यान्याभरणानि च ॥ ८ ॥
vaijayantīṁ dadur mālāṁ śrī-dhāmāmlāna-paṅkajāṁ rāmāya vāsasī divye divyāny ābharaṇāni ca
They gave Lord Balarāma a Vaijayantī garland of unfading lotuses in which resided the goddess of fortune, and they also gave Him a set of divine garments and jewelry.
अथ तैरभ्यनुज्ञात: कौशिकीमेत्य ब्राह्मणै: । स्नात्वा सरोवरमगाद् यत: सरयूरास्रवत् ॥ ९ ॥
atha tair abhyanujñātaḥ kauśikīm etya brāhmaṇaiḥ snātvā sarovaram agād yataḥ sarayūr āsravat
Then, given leave by the sages, the Lord went with a contingent of brāhmaṇas to the Kauśikī River, where He bathed. From there He went to the lake from which flows the river Sarayū.
अनुस्रोतेन सरयूं प्रयागमुपगम्य स: । स्नात्वा सन्तर्प्य देवादीन्जगाम पुलहाश्रमम् ॥ १० ॥
anu-srotena sarayūṁ prayāgam upagamya saḥ snātvā santarpya devādīn jagāma pulahāśramam
The Lord followed the course of the Sarayū until He came to Prayāga, where He bathed and then performed rituals to propitiate the demigods and other living beings. Next He went to the āśrama of Pulaha Ṛṣi.
गोमतीं गण्डकीं स्नात्वा विपाशां शोण आप्लुत: । गयां गत्वा पितृनिष्ट्वा गङ्गासागरसङ्गमे ॥ ११ ॥ उपस्पृश्य महेन्द्राद्रौ रामं दृष्ट्वाभिवाद्य च । सप्तगोदावरीं वेणां पम्पां भीमरथीं तत: ॥ १२ ॥ स्कन्दं दृष्ट्वा ययौ राम: श्रीशैलं गिरिशालयम् । द्रविडेषु महापुण्यं दृष्ट्वाद्रिं वेङ्कटं प्रभु: ॥ १३ ॥ कामकोष्णीं पुरीं काञ्चीं कावेरीं च सरिद्वराम् । श्रीरङ्गाख्यं महापुण्यं यत्र सन्निहितो हरि: ॥ १४ ॥ ऋषभाद्रिं हरे: क्षेत्रं दक्षिणां मथुरां तथा । सामुद्रं सेतुमगमत्महापातकनाशनम् ॥ १५ ॥
gomatīṁ gaṇḍakīṁ snātvā vipāśāṁ śoṇa āplutaḥ gayāṁ gatvā pitṝn iṣṭvā gaṅgā-sāgara-saṅgame upaspṛśya mahendrādrau rāmaṁ dṛṣṭvābhivādya ca sapta-godāvarīṁ veṇāṁ pampāṁ bhīmarathīṁ tataḥ skandaṁ dṛṣṭvā yayau rāmaḥ śrī-śailaṁ giriśālayam draviḍeṣu mahā-puṇyaṁ dṛṣṭvādriṁ veṅkaṭaṁ prabhuḥ kāma-koṣṇīṁ purīṁ kāñcīṁ kāverīṁ ca sarid-varām śrī-rangākhyaṁ mahā-puṇyaṁ yatra sannihito hariḥ ṛṣabhādriṁ hareḥ kṣetraṁ dakṣiṇāṁ mathurāṁ tathā sāmudraṁ setum agamat mahā-pātaka-nāśanam
Lord Balarāma bathed in the Gomatī, Gaṇḍakī and Vipāśā rivers, and also immersed Himself in the Śoṇa. He went to Gayā, where He worshiped His forefathers, and to the mouth of the Ganges, where He performed purifying ablutions. At Mount Mahendra He saw Lord Paraśurāma and offered Him prayers, and then He bathed in the seven branches of the Godāvarī River, and also in the rivers Veṇā, Pampā and Bhīmarathī. Then Lord Balarāma met Lord Skanda and visited Śrī-śaila, the abode of Lord Giriśa. In the southern provinces known as Draviḍa-deśa the Supreme Lord saw the sacred Veṅkaṭa Hill, as well as the cities of Kāmakoṣṇī and Kāñcī, the exalted Kāverī River and the most holy Śrī-raṅga, where Lord Kṛṣṇa has manifested Himself. From there He went to Ṛṣabha Mountain, where Lord Kṛṣṇa also lives, and to the southern Mathurā. Then He came to Setubandha, where the most grievous sins are destroyed.
तत्रायुतमदाद् धेनूर्ब्राह्मणेभ्यो हलायुध: । कृतमालां ताम्रपर्णीं मलयं च कुलाचलम् ॥ १६ ॥ तत्रागस्त्यं समासीनं नमस्कृत्याभिवाद्य च । योजितस्तेन चाशीर्भिरनुज्ञातो गतोऽर्णवम् । दक्षिणं तत्र कन्याख्यां दुर्गां देवीं ददर्श स: ॥ १७ ॥
tatrāyutam adād dhenūr brāhmaṇebhyo halāyudhaḥ kṛtamālāṁ tāmraparṇīṁ malayaṁ ca kulācalam tatrāgastyaṁ samāsīnaṁ namaskṛtyābhivādya ca yojitas tena cāśīrbhir anujñāto gato ’rṇavam dakṣiṇaṁ tatra kanyākhyāṁ durgāṁ devīṁ dadarśa saḥ
There at Setubandha [Rāmeśvaram] Lord Halāyudha gave brāhmaṇas ten thousand cows in charity. He then visited the Kṛtamālā and Tāmraparṇī rivers and the great Malaya Mountains. In the Malaya range Lord Balarāma found Agastya Ṛṣi sitting in meditation. After bowing down to the sage, the Lord offered him prayers and then received blessings from him. Taking leave from Agastya, He proceeded to the shore of the southern ocean, where He saw Goddess Durgā in her form of Kanyā-kumārī.
तत: फाल्गुनमासाद्य पञ्चाप्सरसमुत्तमम् । विष्णु: सन्निहितो यत्र स्नात्वास्पर्शद् गवायुतम् ॥ १८ ॥
tataḥ phālgunam āsādya pañcāpsarasam uttamam viṣṇuḥ sannihito yatra snātvāsparśad gavāyutam
Next He went to Phālguna-tīrtha and bathed in the sacred Pañcāpsarā Lake, where Lord Viṣṇu had directly manifested Himself. At this place He gave away another ten thousand cows.
ततोऽभिव्रज्य भगवान् केरलांस्तु त्रिगर्तकान् । गोकर्णाख्यं शिवक्षेत्रं सान्निध्यं यत्र धूर्जटे: ॥ १९ ॥ आर्यां द्वैपायनीं दृष्ट्वा शूर्पारकमगाद् बल: । तापीं पयोष्णीं निर्विन्ध्यामुपस्पृश्याथ दण्डकम् ॥ २० ॥ प्रविश्य रेवामगमद् यत्र माहिष्मती पुरी । मनुतीर्थमुपस्पृश्य प्रभासं पुनरागमत् ॥ २१ ॥
tato ’bhivrajya bhagavān keralāṁs tu trigartakān gokarṇākhyaṁ śiva-kṣetraṁ sānnidhyaṁ yatra dhūrjaṭeḥ āryāṁ dvaipāyanīṁ dṛṣṭvā śūrpārakam agād balaḥ tāpīṁ payoṣṇīṁ nirvindhyām upaspṛśyātha daṇḍakam praviśya revām agamad yatra māhiṣmatī purī manu-tīrtham upaspṛśya prabhāsaṁ punar āgamat
The Supreme Lord then traveled through the kingdoms of Kerala and Trigarta, visiting Lord Śiva’s sacred city of Gokarṇa, where Lord Dhūrjaṭi [Śiva] directly manifests himself. After also visiting Goddess Pārvatī, who dwells on an island, Lord Balarāma went to the holy district of Śūrpāraka and bathed in the Tāpī, Payoṣṇī and Nirvindhyā rivers. He next entered the Daṇḍaka forest and went to the river Revā, along which the city of Māhiṣmatī is found. Then He bathed at Manu-tīrtha and finally returned to Prabhāsa.
श्रुत्वा द्विजै: कथ्यमानं कुरुपाण्डवसंयुगे । सर्वराजन्यनिधनं भारं मेने हृतं भुव: ॥ २२ ॥
śrutvā dvijaiḥ kathyamānaṁ kuru-pāṇḍava-saṁyuge sarva-rājanya-nidhanaṁ bhāraṁ mene hṛtaṁ bhuvaḥ
The Lord heard from some brāhmaṇas how all the kings involved in the battle between the Kurus and Pāṇḍavas had been killed. From this He concluded that the earth was now relieved of her burden.
स भीमदुर्योधनयोर्गदाभ्यां युध्यतोर्मृधे । वारयिष्यन् विनशनं जगाम यदुनन्दन: ॥ २३ ॥
sa bhīma-duryodhanayor gadābhyāṁ yudhyator mṛdhe vārayiṣyan vinaśanaṁ jagāma yadu-nandanaḥ
Wanting to stop the club fight then raging between Bhīma and Duryodhana on the battlefield, Lord Balarāma went to Kurukṣetra.
युधिष्ठिरस्तु तं दृष्ट्वा यमौ कृष्णार्जुनावपि । अभिवाद्याभवंस्तुष्णीं किं विवक्षुरिहागत: ॥ २४ ॥
yudhiṣṭhiras tu taṁ dṛṣṭvā yamau kṛṣṇārjunāv api abhivādyābhavaṁs tuṣṇīṁ kiṁ vivakṣur ihāgataḥ
When Yudhiṣṭhira, Lord Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna and the twin brothers Nakula and Sahadeva saw Lord Balarāma, they offered Him respectful obeisances but said nothing, thinking “What has He come here to tell us?”
गदापाणी उभौ दृष्ट्वा संरब्धौ विजयैषिणौ । मण्डलानि विचित्राणि चरन्ताविदमब्रवीत् ॥ २५ ॥
gadā-pāṇī ubhau dṛṣṭvā saṁrabdhau vijayaiṣiṇau maṇḍalāni vicitrāṇi carantāv idam abravīt
Lord Balarāma found Duryodhana and Bhīma with clubs in their hands, each furiously striving for victory over the other as they circled about skillfully. The Lord addressed them as follows.
युवां तुल्यबलौ वीरौ हे राजन् हे वृकोदर । एकं प्राणाधिकं मन्ये उतैकं शिक्षयाधिकम् ॥ २६ ॥
yuvāṁ tulya-balau vīrau he rājan he vṛkodara ekaṁ prāṇādhikaṁ manye utaikaṁ śikṣayādhikam
[Lord Balarāma said:] King Duryodhana! And Bhīma! Listen! You two warriors are equal in fighting prowess. I know that one of you has greater physical power, while the other is better trained in technique.
तस्मादेकतरस्येह युवयो: समवीर्ययो: । न लक्ष्यते जयोऽन्यो वा विरमत्वफलो रण: ॥ २७ ॥
tasmād ekatarasyeha yuvayoḥ sama-vīryayoḥ na lakṣyate jayo ’nyo vā viramatv aphalo raṇaḥ
Since you are so evenly matched in fighting prowess, I do not see how either of you can win or lose this duel. Therefore please stop this useless battle.
न तद्वाक्यं जगृहतुर्बद्धवैरौ नृपार्थवत् । अनुस्मरन्तावन्योन्यं दुरुक्तं दुष्कृतानि च ॥ २८ ॥
na tad-vākyaṁ jagṛhatur baddha-vairau nṛpārthavat anusmarantāv anyonyaṁ duruktaṁ duṣkṛtāni ca
[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] They did not accept Lord Balarāma’s request, O King, although it was logical, for their mutual enmity was irrevocable. Each of them constantly remembered the insults and injuries he had suffered from the other.
दिष्टं तदनुमन्वानो रामो द्वारवतीं ययौ । उग्रसेनादिभि: प्रीतैर्ज्ञातिभि: समुपागत: ॥ २९ ॥
diṣṭaṁ tad anumanvāno rāmo dvāravatīṁ yayau ugrasenādibhiḥ prītair jñātibhiḥ samupāgataḥ
Concluding that the battle was the arrangement of fate, Lord Balarāma went back to Dvārakā. There He was greeted by Ugrasena and His other relatives, who were all delighted to see Him.
तं पुनर्नैमिषं प्राप्तमृषयोऽयाजयन् मुदा । क्रत्वङ्गं क्रतुभि: सर्वैर्निवृत्ताखिलविग्रहम् ॥ ३० ॥
taṁ punar naimiṣaṁ prāptam ṛṣayo ’yājayan mudā kratv-aṅgaṁ kratubhiḥ sarvair nivṛttākhila-vigraham
Later Lord Balarāma returned to Naimiṣāraṇya, where the sages joyfully engaged Him, the embodiment of all sacrifice, in performing various kinds of Vedic sacrifice. Lord Balarāma was now retired from warfare.
तेभ्यो विशुद्धं विज्ञानं भगवान् व्यतरद् विभु: । येनैवात्मन्यदो विश्वमात्मानं विश्वगं विदु: ॥ ३१ ॥
tebhyo viśuddhaṁ vijñānaṁ bhagavān vyatarad vibhuḥ yenaivātmany ado viśvam ātmānaṁ viśva-gaṁ viduḥ
The all-powerful Lord Balarāma bestowed upon the sages pure spiritual knowledge, by which they could see the whole universe within Him and also see Him pervading everything.
स्वपत्यावभृथस्नातो ज्ञातिबन्धुसुहृद् वृत: । रेजे स्वज्योत्स्नयेवेन्दु: सुवासा: सुष्ठ्वलङ्कृत: ॥ ३२ ॥
sva-patyāvabhṛtha-snāto jñāti-bandhu-suhṛd-vṛtaḥ reje sva-jyotsnayevenduḥ su-vāsāḥ suṣṭhv alaṅkṛtaḥ
After executing with His wife the avabhṛtha ablutions, the beautifully dressed and ornamented Lord Balarāma, encircled by His immediate family and other relatives and friends, looked as splendid as the moon surrounded by its effulgent rays.
ईदृग्विधान्यसङ्ख्यानि बलस्य बलशालिन: । अनन्तस्याप्रमेयस्य मायामर्त्यस्य सन्ति हि ॥ ३३ ॥
īdṛg-vidhāny asaṅkhyāni balasya bala-śālinaḥ anantasyāprameyasya māyā-martyasya santi hi
Countless other such pastimes were performed by mighty Balarāma, the unlimited and immeasurable Supreme Lord, whose mystic Yoga-māyā power makes Him appear to be a human being.
योऽनुस्मरेत रामस्य कर्माण्यद्भुतकर्मण: । सायं प्रातरनन्तस्य विष्णो: स दयितो भवेत् ॥ ३४ ॥
yo ’nusmareta rāmasya karmāṇy adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ sāyaṁ prātar anantasya viṣṇoḥ sa dayito bhavet
All the activities of the unlimited Lord Balarāma are amazing. Anyone who regularly remembers them at dawn and dusk will become very dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Viṣṇu.
