Shloka 17

वंशवर्णनम्, अनिरुद्धविवाहः, तथा बलराम-रुक्मी द्यूतविवादः

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा कलिङ्गराजानं प्रकाशदशनाननम् रुक्मिणं चापि दुर्वाक्यं कोपं चक्रे हलायुधः

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā kaliṅgarājānaṃ prakāśadaśanānanam rukmiṇaṃ cāpi durvākyaṃ kopaṃ cakre halāyudhaḥ

Translation

Seeing the king of Kaliṅga with his grim, bared-teeth visage, and hearing Rukmī’s harsh, insolent words, Halāyudha (Balarāma) was stirred into wrath.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभाव) = 'having seen'

• कलिङ्गराजानम्: the king of Kalinga
• कलिङ्गराजानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलिङ्ग + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कलिङ्गस्य राजा)

• प्रकाशदशनाननम्: with conspicuous teeth and face
• प्रकाशदशनाननम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रकाश + दशन + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः = 'having conspicuous teeth and face' (प्रकाशानि दशनानि, प्रकाशम् आननम्)

• रुक्मिणम्: Rukmī
• रुक्मिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्मिन्/रुक्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अपि=also)

• दुर्वाक्यम्: harsh words
• दुर्वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः = 'harsh speech/insult'

• कोपम्: anger
• कोपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• चक्रे: made, felt (became angry)
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• हलायुधः: Halāyudha (Baladeva)
• हलायुधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हल + आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः = 'he whose weapon is a plough' (Baladeva)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To uphold dharma through his divine family, where Balarāma acts as the protector of honor against adharmic insult.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Kṣatriya-dharma of protecting honor and punishing insolence that destabilizes social order

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Harsh speech and contempt ignite destructive anger, showing how adharma spreads through public dishonor.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Avoid humiliating speech; de-escalate conflict before anger becomes identity and action.

Vishishtadvaita: Moral order (dharma) is upheld through the Lord’s agents; violation of dharma triggers corrective force within the divinely governed world.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Balarama (Halayudha)
• Rukmi
• King of Kalinga (Kaliṅgarāja)

FAQs

What is the significance of Balarama’s anger (kopa) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

It marks the narrative turning point where insult and provocation against the Yadavas escalate into decisive action, framing Balarama as a guardian of royal dharma and order.

How does Sage Parāśara present the cause of conflict here?

Parāśara highlights two triggers—Kaliṅga’s king displaying open hostility and Rukmī speaking abusively—showing that the conflict arises from deliberate disrespect rather than mere accident.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu’s order in this context, even though Vishnu is not named in the verse?

Within Ansha 5, Krishna and his kin act as instruments of dharma; the restoration of balance among kings is understood as part of Vishnu’s overarching sovereignty that governs moral and political order.