Shloka 54
Balarāma Humbles the Kurus and Rescues Sāmba
अद्यापि च पुरं ह्येतत् सूचयद् रामविक्रमम् । समुन्नतं दक्षिणतो गङ्गायामनुदृश्यते ॥ ५४ ॥
adyāpi ca puraṁ hy etat sūcayad rāma-vikramam samunnataṁ dakṣiṇato gaṅgāyām anudṛśyate
Noch heute ist die Stadt Hastināpura am Ganges auf ihrer Südseite sichtbar erhöht; so zeigt sie die Zeichen der Macht des Herrn Balarāma.
Śrīla Prabhupāda writes as follows: “For the most part it was the practice of the kṣatriya kings to inaugurate some kind of fighting between the parties of the bride and bridegroom before the marriage. When Sāmba forcibly took away Lakṣmaṇa, the elderly members of the Kuru dynasty were pleased to see that he was actually the suitable match for her. In order to see his personal strength, however, they fought with him, and without any respect for the regulations of fighting, they all arrested him. When the Yadu dynasty decided to release Sāmba from the confinement of the Kurus, Lord Balarāma came personally to settle the matter, and, as a powerful kṣatriya, He ordered them to free Sāmba immediately. The Kauravas became superficially insulted by this order, so they challenged Lord Balarāma’s power. They simply wanted to see Him exhibit His inconceivable strength. Thus with great pleasure they handed over their daughter to Sāmba, and the whole matter was settled. Duryodhana, being affectionate toward his daughter Lakṣmaṇā, had her married to Sāmba in great pomp.… Balarāma was very satisfied after His great reception from the side of the Kurus, and accompanied by the newly married couple, He started toward His capital city of Dvārakā.
FAQs
This verse says that a city visible even today by the Gaṅgā stands as a lasting marker of Lord Balarāma’s heroic prowess.
He highlights how the Lord’s pastimes leave tangible traces in sacred geography—strengthening faith by connecting divine history with places known in the world.
By recalling the Lord’s deeds and their remembered places, one steadies devotion, gains inspiration for courage and dharma, and keeps spiritual memory alive through hearing and remembrance.