Shloka 30
Balarāma Slays Balvala and Visits Sacred Tīrthas; He Attempts to Stop Bhīma–Duryodhana
तं पुनर्नैमिषं प्राप्तमृषयोऽयाजयन् मुदा । क्रत्वङ्गं क्रतुभि: सर्वैर्निवृत्ताखिलविग्रहम् ॥ ३० ॥
taṁ punar naimiṣaṁ prāptam ṛṣayo ’yājayan mudā kratv-aṅgaṁ kratubhiḥ sarvair nivṛttākhila-vigraham
Later, when He returned to Naimiṣāraṇya, the sages joyfully engaged Him—the very embodiment of all sacrifice—in performing various Vedic sacrifices. Lord Balarāma had then withdrawn from warfare.
Śrīla Prabhupāda writes: “[When Lord Balarāma] went to the holy place of pilgrimage at Naimiṣāraṇya,… the sages, saintly persons and brāhmaṇas all stood up to receive Him. They understood that Lord Balarāma, although a kṣatriya, was now retired from the fighting business. The brāhmaṇas and the sages, who were always for peace and tranquillity, were very pleased at this. All of them embraced Balarāma with great affection and induced Him to perform various kinds of sacrifices in that sacred spot of Naimiṣāraṇya. Actually Lord Balarāma had no business performing the sacrifices recommended for ordinary human beings; He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore He Himself is the enjoyer of all such sacrifices. As such, His exemplary action in performing sacrifices was only to give a lesson to the common man to show how one should abide by the injunctions of the Vedas. ”
FAQs
This verse describes Him as kratvaṅga—one whose very body is sacrifice—showing that all yajñas ultimately find their meaning and fulfillment in the Supreme Lord.
Because His presence sanctifies all ritual acts, and the sages, delighted by His return, honored Him by arranging all kinds of Vedic sacrifices as an offering of reverence and devotion.
Offer daily work and worship as an offering to the Lord—making devotion the heart of “sacrifice,” rather than mere external ritual.