Shloka 29
बाणयुद्धम्, हरिहरसंवादः, ज्वरप्रकरणम्, अनिरुद्धमोचनम्
Bāṇa’s War, the Jvara Episode, Hari–Hara Dialogue, and Aniruddha’s Release
बलभद्रो महावीर्यो बाणसैन्यम् अनेकधा विव्याध बाणैः प्रभ्रश्य धर्मतश् चापलायत
balabhadro mahāvīryo bāṇasainyam anekadhā vivyādha bāṇaiḥ prabhraśya dharmataś cāpalāyata
Then Balabhadra, of immense valor, pierced Bāṇa’s army in countless ways with his arrows; and that host—broken and scattered—fled, driven by the power of dharma.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Kṛṣṇa-carita within the Yādava narrative (events of the Bāṇa-yuddha).
Teaching: Historical
Quality: authoritative
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: Kṛṣṇa descends to protect dharma by subduing arrogant asuric powers and safeguarding his devotees and allies.
Leela: Yuddha
Dharma Restored: Kṣatriya-dharma in battle and the restraint of adharmic aggression against the righteous
Concept: Adharma, when confronted by dharmic power, loses cohesion and is compelled to retreat.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Stand firm against injustice with disciplined strength, letting ethical clarity guide action rather than anger alone.
Vishishtadvaita: Dharma operates as Bhagavān’s ordinance within the world, showing the Lord’s governance of moral order in embodied history.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
FAQs
The verse frames victory not as mere violence but as the restoring force of dharma—cosmic order—before which opposing forces collapse and retreat.
Parāśara depicts Balabhadra as an instrument of righteous sovereignty: his prowess is effective because it aligns with dharma, making the enemy host scatter.
Even when Vishnu is not named directly, the Purana implies that divine rule sustains dharma; Balabhadra’s triumph signals the supremacy of that order over adharma.