Shloka 52

कुब्जानुग्रहः, धनुर्भङ्गः, कुवलयापीडवधः, मल्लयुद्धं, कंसवधः, स्तुतयः

Devanagari script

बलभद्रो ऽपि चास्फोट्य ववल्ग ललितं यदा पदे पदे तदा भूमिर् यन् न शीर्णा तद् अद्भुतम्

Transliteration

balabhadro 'pi cāsphoṭya vavalga lalitaṃ yadā pade pade tadā bhūmir yan na śīrṇā tad adbhutam

Translation

Balabhadra too, cracking his limbs in sportive flourish, leapt about with playful grace; yet at every step it was a wonder indeed that the earth itself did not split apart.

Word by Word

• बलभद्रः: Balabhadra (Balarāma)
• बलभद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलभद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-अव्यय — particle ‘also/even’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय — conjunction ‘and’

• आस्फोट्य: having clapped (his arms)
• आस्फोट्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+स्फुट्/स्फोट् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (तुमुन्-न), अव्ययभावः — Gerund/absolutive ‘having clapped/snapped’

• ववल्ग: leapt, sprang
• ववल्ग: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वल्ग् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्ण), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person singular

• ललितम्: gracefully
• ललितम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ललित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण द्वितीया-एकवचन-नपुंसक (अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगः) — accusative used adverbially

• यदा: when
• यदा: Sambandha (Temporal linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय — temporal conjunction ‘when’

• पदे: at (each) step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन — Locative singular

• पदे: at every step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन — Locative singular (reduplication for distributive sense)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Temporal correlate/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय — ‘then’

• भूमिः: the earth
• भूमिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• यत्: that (which)
• यत्: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (यत् = ‘that/which’) — relative particle

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय — negation

• शीर्णा: shattered, broken
• शीर्णा: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शॄ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/भूतभावे), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन — past participle ‘shattered’ agreeing with भूमिः

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता) / द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन — here Nominative singular (predicate)

• अद्भुतम्: wonderful, astonishing
• अद्भुतम्: Visheshana (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन — Nominative singular (as predicate adjective)

Speaker

Sage Parashara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Balarāma (as Krishna’s divine counterpart) displays superhuman vigor in the arena, supporting the impending destruction of Kaṃsa’s demonic forces.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Assurance of divine protection and the inevitability of adharma’s collapse.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s associates and manifestations can appear playful, yet their power sustains and can shake the very earth—inviting awe-filled devotion.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Let ‘wonder’ (adbhuta) mature into steady devotion: remember divine power even amid life’s playful surfaces.

Vishishtadvaita: Pancharātra resonance: Balabhadra aligns with Saṅkarṣaṇa—divine power embodied, immanent within the world while surpassing it.

Vaishnava Theology

Vyuha Form: Sankarshana

Characters & Entities

• Balabhadra (Balarama)

FAQs

What is the significance of Balarama’s ‘playful leaping’ in the Vishnu Purana?

It presents divine power as līlā—strength displayed effortlessly—while highlighting that the cosmos remains upheld by higher order, so the earth does not break despite such might.

How does Sage Parashara explain the wonder of the earth not splitting?

By framing it as ‘adbhuta’ (astonishing), Parashara underscores the contrast between avataric force and cosmic stability—suggesting that divine energy is present but restrained to protect the world.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu in this context?

Even when the Lord’s manifestations (such as Balabhadra) act with immense power, the universe remains governed and preserved—reflecting Vishnu’s role as the sustaining Supreme Reality who upholds order while engaging in līlā.