Shloka 11
Balarāma Slays Balvala and Visits Sacred Tīrthas; He Attempts to Stop Bhīma–Duryodhana
गोमतीं गण्डकीं स्नात्वा विपाशां शोण आप्लुत: । गयां गत्वा पितृनिष्ट्वा गङ्गासागरसङ्गमे ॥ ११ ॥ उपस्पृश्य महेन्द्राद्रौ रामं दृष्ट्वाभिवाद्य च । सप्तगोदावरीं वेणां पम्पां भीमरथीं तत: ॥ १२ ॥ स्कन्दं दृष्ट्वा ययौ राम: श्रीशैलं गिरिशालयम् । द्रविडेषु महापुण्यं दृष्ट्वाद्रिं वेङ्कटं प्रभु: ॥ १३ ॥ कामकोष्णीं पुरीं काञ्चीं कावेरीं च सरिद्वराम् । श्रीरङ्गाख्यं महापुण्यं यत्र सन्निहितो हरि: ॥ १४ ॥ ऋषभाद्रिं हरे: क्षेत्रं दक्षिणां मथुरां तथा । सामुद्रं सेतुमगमत्महापातकनाशनम् ॥ १५ ॥
gomatīṁ gaṇḍakīṁ snātvā vipāśāṁ śoṇa āplutaḥ gayāṁ gatvā pitṝn iṣṭvā gaṅgā-sāgara-saṅgame
Le Seigneur Balarāma se baigna dans la Gomatī, la Gaṇḍakī et la Vipāśā, et s’immergea aussi dans la Śoṇa. Il alla à Gayā pour honorer les ancêtres, puis au confluent du Gange et de l’océan pour des ablutions purificatrices. Au mont Mahendra, Il vit Paraśurāma et lui rendit hommage; ensuite Il se baigna dans les sept bras de la Godāvarī, ainsi que dans les rivières Veṇā, Pampā et Bhīmarathī. Puis, après avoir rencontré Skanda, Il se rendit à Śrī-śaila, demeure de Giriśa. Dans les contrées dravidiennes, le Seigneur contempla la colline sacrée Veṅkaṭa, les cités de Kāmakoṣṇī et de Kāñcī, l’illustre Kāverī et le très saint Śrī-raṅga, où Hari est présent. De là, Il alla au mont Ṛṣabhādri, au kṣetra de Hari et à la Mathurā du Sud; enfin Il parvint à Setubandha au bord de la mer, où les plus grands péchés sont détruits.
Usually one goes to Gayā to worship deceased forefathers. But as Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains, although Lord Balarāma’s father and grandfather were still alive, it was on His father’s order that He carefully worshiped His forefathers at Gayā. Drawing insight from the Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī, the ācārya further explains that although Lord Balarāma was in the immediate proximity of Jagannātha Purī, He did not go there, since He wanted to avoid the embarrassment of having to worship Himself among the forms of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Balabhadra and Subhadrā.