Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 9

Balarāma Slays the Ape Dvivida

Dvivida-vadha

Devanagari script

तत्रापश्यद् यदुपतिं रामं पुष्करमालिनम् । सुदर्शनीयसर्वाङ्गं ललनायूथमध्यगम् ॥ ९ ॥ गायन्तं वारुणीं पीत्वा मदविह्वललोचनम् । विभ्राजमानं वपुषा प्रभिन्नमिव वारणम् ॥ १० ॥

Transliteration

tatrāpaśyad yadu-patiṁ rāmaṁ puṣkara-mālinam sudarśanīya-sarvāṅgaṁ lalanā-yūtha-madhya-gam

Translation

There he saw Śrī Balarāma, the Lord of the Yadus, adorned with a garland of lotuses and appearing most attractive in every limb. He was singing amidst a crowd of young women, and since He had drunk vāruṇī liquor, His eyes rolled as if He were intoxicated. His body shone brilliantly as He behaved like an elephant in rut.

Synonyms

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अपश्यत्: he saw
• अपश्यत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• यदु-पतिम्: lord of the Yadus
• यदु-पतिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यदु (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• रामम्: Rama (Balarama)
• रामम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुष्कर-मालिनम्: wearing a lotus-garland
• पुष्कर-मालिनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक) + मालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying) रामम्

• सुदर्शनीय-सर्वाङ्गम्: whose whole body was very beautiful
• सुदर्शनीय-सर्वाङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-दर्शनीय (प्रातिपदिक) + सर्व-अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—यस्यानि सर्वाण्यङ्गानि सुदर्शनीयानि सः

• ललना-यूथ-मध्य-गम्: situated in the midst of a group of women
• ललना-यूथ-मध्य-गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ललना (प्रातिपदिक) + यूथ (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (कृदन्त/गम्-धातु से)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying) रामम्

• गायन्तम्: singing
• गायन्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणवत् (qualifying) रामम्

• वारुणीम्: Vāruṇī liquor
• वारुणीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारुणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पीत्वा: having drunk
• पीत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• मद-विह्वल-लोचनम्: whose eyes were unsteady from intoxication
• मद-विह्वल-लोचनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद (प्रातिपदिक) + विह्वल (प्रातिपदिक) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—यस्य लोचने मदेन विह्वले स्तः

• विभ्राजमानम्: shining
• विभ्राजमानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-भ्राज् (धातु)
• Form: शानच्/मान-प्रत्यय (Present middle participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणवत् (qualifying) रामम्

• वपुषा: with (his) body/beauty
• वपुषा: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रभिन्नम्: in rut / excited
• प्रभिन्नम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-भिद् (धातु) से प्रभिन्न (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; उपमेय-विशेषणम् (qualifying) वारणम्

• इव: like
• इव: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (simile marker)

• वारणम्: an elephant
• वारणम्: Upameya (उपमेय/Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Characters & Entities

• Balarama (Rama)
• Yadus
• young women (lalanas)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Lord Balarama’s beauty and presence?

This verse describes Balarāma as Yadupati, adorned with a lotus garland, with all limbs supremely beautiful, standing among a group of young women—highlighting His divine attractiveness and royal stature.

Who is speaking this description of Balarama in Bhagavatam Canto 10?

Śukadeva Gosvāmī narrates this scene while recounting the events and personalities in Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma’s līlā to King Parīkṣit.

Practical application: what can a devotee learn from this verse?

A devotee can practice seeing the Lord’s beauty as spiritually purifying—training the mind to remember divine qualities rather than chasing merely worldly attraction.