Shloka 33

साम्ब-हरणम्, बलदेवस्य रोषः, हस्तिनापुर-आकर्षणम्

Devanagari script

राम राम महाबाहो क्षम्यतां क्षम्यतां त्वया उपसंह्रियतां कोपः प्रसीद मुसलायुध

Transliteration

rāma rāma mahābāho kṣamyatāṃ kṣamyatāṃ tvayā upasaṃhriyatāṃ kopaḥ prasīda musalāyudha

Translation

“Rāma—Rāma, mighty-armed one—please forgive, please forgive. Restrain your anger; be gracious, O bearer of the club.”

Word by Word

• राम: O Rāma (Balarāma)
• राम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Vocative singular

• राम: O Rāma
• राम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Vocative singular (पुनरुक्ति)

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• महाबाहो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Vocative singular; बहुव्रीहिः (महान्तौ बाहू यस्य)

• क्षम्यताम्: let (it) be forgiven
• क्षम्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः — ‘let it be forgiven’

• क्षम्यताम्: let (it) be forgiven
• क्षम्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः — repetition for emphasis

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• उपसंह्रियताम्: let (it) be restrained/withdrawn
• उपसंह्रियताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + सम् + हृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः — ‘let it be withdrawn/checked’

• कोपः: anger
• कोपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• प्रसीद: be gracious, calm down
• प्रसीद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + सद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — 2nd person singular imperative

• मुसलायुध: O club-weaponed one (Balarāma)
• मुसलायुध: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुसल (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Vocative singular; बहुव्रीहिः (यस्य आयुधं मुसलम्)

Speaker

A Yādava (Vr̥ṣṇi) elder/counsellor addressing Balarāma in a conciliatory appeal (within Parāśara’s narration to Maitreya).

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even the mighty should restrain wrath, and offenders should seek forgiveness to restore harmony.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: When conflict escalates, de-escalate through apology and deliberate restraint before acting.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s associates embody dharma through self-restraint and grace, modeling divine governance within the world.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Balarama (Rama)
• Yadavas (Vrishni clan)

FAQs

What is the significance of asking for forgiveness (kṣamā) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

The verse frames forgiveness as a dharmic corrective force—urging the powerful (Balarāma) to withdraw anger so social and cosmic order are not disrupted by uncontrolled wrath.

How does Sage Parāśara present conflict resolution in the Krishna-Charita sections?

Through narrative exemplars: elders and counsellors attempt conciliation, emphasizing restraint and pardon as higher virtues even amid intense Yādava tensions.

What is the theological importance of invoking Balarāma as “musalāyudha” here?

It acknowledges his formidable divine potency while simultaneously urging that such power be governed by grace—highlighting the Purāṇic ideal that might must serve dharma, not anger.