Shloka 96

गदायुद्ध-समारम्भः

Commencement of the Mace-Duel Proceedings

Devanagari script

संध्याकार्याणि सर्वाणि निर्वत्यरुरुहेड्चलम्‌ । ऋषियोंका वचन सुनकर अपनी महिमासे कभी च्युत न होनेवाले बलरामजी उस आश्रममें गये। वहाँ हिमालयके पार्श्रभागमें उन ऋषियोंको प्रणाम करके संध्या-वन्दन आदि सब कार्य करनेके अनन्तर वे हिमालयपर चढ़ने लगे

Transliteration

sandhyākāryāṇi sarvāṇi nirvartyāruruhed acalam | ṛṣīṇāṁ vacanaṁ śrutvā svamahimnā kadācid acyutaḥ balarāmaḥ sa āśramaṁ jagāma | tatra himālayasya pārśvabhāge tān ṛṣīn praṇamya sandhyā-vandana-ādīni sarvakarmāṇi kṛtvā anantaram sa himālayam āruroha |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Having duly completed all the rites of twilight worship, Balarāma—unyielding from his own divine majesty—heeded the sages’ words and went to that hermitage. There, on the flank of the Himālaya, he bowed to those seers; and after performing the evening salutations (sandhyā-vandana) and the rest of the prescribed observances, he then began to ascend the Himālaya.

Word by Word

• संध्या: twilight worship (sandhyā)
• संध्या: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• कार्याणि: duties, rites, tasks
• कार्याणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• निर्वर्त्य: having completed
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√वृत् (वर्त्)
• Form: Absolutive (ktvā/lyap), Active

• अरुरुहे: he climbed / mounted
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√रुह्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अचलम्: the mountain
• अचलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Balarāma
• ṛṣis (sages)
• āśrama (hermitage)
• Himālaya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even a supremely powerful figure like Balarāma models dharma through disciplined daily rites (sandhyā-vandana) and humility before sages, showing that spiritual order and respect for guidance are integral to righteous conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

After completing twilight rituals, Balarāma listens to the sages, goes to their hermitage near the Himālaya, offers obeisance, performs the prescribed worship, and then proceeds to climb the Himālaya.