Shloka 1

Balarāma Visits Vraja: Consoling the Gopīs and Dragging the Yamunā

Devanagari script

श्रीशुक उवाच बलभद्र: कुरुश्रेष्ठ भगवान् रथमास्थित: । सुहृद्दिद‍ृक्षुरुत्कण्ठ: प्रययौ नन्दगोकुलम् ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

śrī-śuka uvāca balabhadraḥ kuru-śreṣṭha bhagavān ratham āsthitaḥ suhṛd-didṛkṣur utkaṇṭhaḥ prayayau nanda-gokulam

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O best of the Kurus, Lord Balarāma, eager to see His well-wishing friends, mounted His chariot and set out for Nanda Gokula.

Synonyms

• śrī-śukaḥ: Śrī Śuka
• śrī-śukaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī + śuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (honorific + name); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• balabhadraḥ: Balabhadra
• balabhadraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: balabhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kuru-śreṣṭha: O best of the Kurus
• kuru-śreṣṭha: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuru + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: 'कुरूणां श्रेष्ठ'); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• bhagavān: the Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; apposition to Balabhadraḥ

• ratham: chariot
• ratham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• āsthitaḥ: mounted
• āsthitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√sthā > āsthita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of Balabhadraḥ): 'having mounted'

• suhṛt-didṛkṣuḥ: desiring to see (his) friends
• suhṛt-didṛkṣuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: suhṛt + didṛkṣu (प्रातिपदिक; desiderative adj. from √dṛś)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्म: 'सुहृदः दिदृक्षुः' = wishing to see friends); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• utkaṇṭhaḥ: eager, longing
• utkaṇṭhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: utkaṇṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (eager/longing)

• prayayau: went forth
• prayayau: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• nanda-gokulam: Nanda’s Gokula
• nanda-gokulam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nanda + gokula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: 'नन्दस्य गोकुलम्'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Purport

As Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī points out, Lord Balarāma’s journey to Śrī Vṛndāvana is also described in the Hari-vaṁśa ( Viṣṇu-parva 46.10):

Characters & Entities

• Śukadeva Gosvāmī
• Parīkṣit Mahārāja
• Balabhadra (Balarāma)
• Nanda Mahārāja

FAQs

Why did Balarama go to Nanda Gokula in Srimad Bhagavatam?

This verse says He went out of intense longing to see His dear friends and well-wishers in Nanda’s Gokula, showing His deep affection for Vraja.

Who is speaking this verse in Bhagavatam 10.65.1?

Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks this verse to King Parīkṣit, addressed here as “best of the Kurus.”

How can the mood of utkaṇṭhā (spiritual longing) be applied in modern life?

Cultivate sincere eagerness to remember and meet the Lord and His devotees—by regular sādhana, seeking saintly association, and returning the mind to sacred places, teachings, and service.