Shloka 23

वंशवर्णनम्, अनिरुद्धविवाहः, तथा बलराम-रुक्मी द्यूतविवादः

Devanagari script

ततो बलः समुत्थाय कोपसंरक्तलोचनः जघानाष्टापदेनैव रुक्मिणं स महाबलः

Transliteration

tato balaḥ samutthāya kopasaṃraktalocanaḥ jaghānāṣṭāpadenaiva rukmiṇaṃ sa mahābalaḥ

Translation

Then Balarāma rose, his eyes reddened with wrath, and that mighty one struck Rukmī down with nothing more than the gaming-board itself.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• balaḥ: Bala (Baladeva)
• balaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• samutthāya: having risen
• samutthāya: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + ut + sthā (धातु) + lyap (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: Absolutive/gerund (ल्यप्-कृदन्त), avyaya (अव्ययभाव)

• kopa-saṃrakta-locanaḥ: with eyes reddened by anger
• kopa-saṃrakta-locanaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kopa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃrakta (रञ्ज्/रक्त as participial adj.) + locana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying balaḥ

• jaghāna: struck/killed
• jaghāna: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• aṣṭāpadena: with an aṣṭāpada (gaming-board/seat)
• aṣṭāpadena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭāpada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (usage varies), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); dvigu compound (aṣṭa + pada)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (अवधारण-निपात)

• rukmiṇam: Rukmī
• rukmiṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rukmin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• mahābalaḥ: mighty/very strong
• mahābalaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying saḥ/balaḥ

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Vyuha Form: Sankarshana

Characters & Entities

• Balarama (Baladeva)
• Rukmi

FAQs

What is the significance of Balarama striking Rukmi in the Vishnu Purana?

It portrays Baladeva as the enforcer of kshatriya honor and discipline—swiftly correcting arrogance and insult, thereby reasserting dharma within royal conduct.

How does Sage Parashara frame anger and justice in this episode?

Parāśara narrates anger as a visible, embodied force (“reddened eyes”) that, when borne by a divinely empowered protector like Balarāma, becomes an instrument of immediate royal justice rather than mere personal rage.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Though Vishnu is not named in this single verse, the Vishnu Purana presents the Yadava heroes as operating within Vishnu’s sovereign order—where dharma is preserved through decisive correction of adharma and pride.