Srimad Bhagavatam 10.79.16-24 - Principles of Ideal Pilgrimage (dowload mp3)
by Radhika Vallabha Prabhu at ISKCON Chowpatty
www.iskcondesiretree.com
SB 10.79.16-17
tatrayutam adad dhenur
brahmanebhyo halayudhah
krtamalam tamraparnim
malayam ca kulacalam
tatragastyam samasinam
namaskrtyabhivadya ca
yojitas tena casirbhir
anujñato gato ’rnavam
daksinam tatra kanyakhyam
durgam devim dadarsa sah
Translation:
There at Setubandha [Ramesvaram] Lord Halayudha gave brahmanas ten thousand cows in charity. He then visited the Krtamala and Tamraparni rivers and the great Malaya Mountains. In the Malaya range Lord Balarama found Agastya Rsi 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 Durga in her form of Kanya-kumari.
SB 10.79.18
tatah phalgunam asadya
pañcapsarasam uttamam
visnuh sannihito yatra
snatvasparsad gavayutam
Translation:
Next He went to Phalguna-tirtha and bathed in the sacred Pañcapsara Lake, where Lord Visnu had directly manifested Himself. At this place He gave away another ten thousand cows.
SB 10.79.19-21
tato ’bhivrajya bhagavan
keralams tu trigartakan
gokarnakhyam siva-ksetram
sannidhyam yatra dhurjateh
aryam dvaipayanim drstva
surparakam agad balah
tapim payosnim nirvindhyam
upasprsyatha dandakam
pravisya revam agamad
yatra mahismati puri
manu-tirtham upasprsya
prabhasam punar agamat
Translation:
The Supreme Lord then traveled through the kingdoms of Kerala and Trigarta, visiting Lord Siva’s sacred city of Gokarna, where Lord Dhurjati [Siva] directly manifests himself. After also visiting Goddess Parvati, who dwells on an island, Lord Balarama went to the holy district of Surparaka and bathed in the Tapi, Payosni and Nirvindhya rivers. He next entered the Dandaka forest and went to the river Reva, along which the city of Mahismati is found. Then He bathed at Manu-tirtha and finally returned to Prabhasa.
SB 10.79.22
srutva dvijaih kathyamanam
kuru-pandava-samyuge
sarva-rajanya-nidhanam
bharam mene hrtam bhuvah
Translation:
The Lord heard from some brahmanas how all the kings involved in the battle between the Kurus and Pandavas had been killed. From this He concluded that the earth was now relieved of her burden.
SB 10.79.23
sa bhima-duryodhanayor
gadabhyam yudhyator mrdhe
varayisyan vinasanam
jagama yadu-nandanah
Translation:
Wanting to stop the club fight then raging between Bhima and Duryodhana on the battlefield, Lord Balarama went to Kuruksetra.
SB 10.79.24
yudhisthiras tu tam drstva
yamau krsnarjunav api
abhivadyabhavams tusnim
kim vivaksur ihagatah
Translation:
When Yudhisthira, Lord Krsna, Arjuna and the twin brothers Nakula and Sahadeva saw Lord Balarama, they offered Him respectful obeisances but said nothing, thinking “What has He come here to tell us?”
Purport:
Srila Prabhupada writes: “The reason they were silent was that Lord Balarama was somewhat affectionate toward Duryodhana, who had learned from Balaramaji the art of fighting with a club. Thus, when the fighting was going on, King Yudhisthira and the others thought that Balarama might have come there to say something in favor of Duryodhana, and therefore they remained silent.”
