Shloka 11
Balarāma Slays Balvala and Visits Sacred Tīrthas; He Attempts to Stop Bhīma–Duryodhana
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
Lord Balarāma bathed in the Gomatī, Gaṇḍakī, and Vipāśā rivers, and also immersed Himself in the Śoṇa. He went to Gayā to worship the forefathers, and to the meeting of the Gaṅgā and the ocean for purifying ablutions. At Mount Mahendra He beheld Lord Paraśurāma and offered reverent salutations; then He bathed in the seven branches of the Godāvarī, and also in the Veṇā, Pampā, and Bhīmarathī rivers. Next, after meeting Lord Skanda, Balarāma went to Śrī-śaila, the abode of Lord Giriśa. In Draviḍa-deśa the Supreme Lord saw the sacred Veṅkaṭa Hill, the cities of Kāmakoṣṇī and Kāñcī, the exalted Kāverī River, and the supremely holy Śrī-raṅga, where Hari is manifest. From there He visited Ṛṣabhādri, the Lord’s holy kṣetra, and southern Mathurā, and finally reached Setubandha by the sea, where the gravest sins are destroyed.
Usually one goes to Gayā to worship deceased forefathers. But as Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains, although Lord Balarāma’s father and grandfather were still alive, it was on His father’s order that He carefully worshiped His forefathers at Gayā. Drawing insight from the Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī, the ācārya further explains that although Lord Balarāma was in the immediate proximity of Jagannātha Purī, He did not go there, since He wanted to avoid the embarrassment of having to worship Himself among the forms of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Balabhadra and Subhadrā.