Shloka 33
बदरपाचन-तीर्थमाहात्म्यम् | Badarapācana Tīrtha Māhātmya
Indratīrtha and the Austerities of Srucāvatī & Arundhatī
निषेवितं सर्वसत्त्वैनाम्ना बदरपाचनम् | नानर्तुकवनोपेतं सदापुष्पफलं शुभम्
vaiśampāyana uvāca | niṣevitaṁ sarvasattvaiḥ nāmnā badarapācanam | nānartukavanopetaṁ sadāpuṣpaphalaṁ śubham, rājan |
Vaiśampāyana dit : Ô roi, Balarāma se rendit au gué sacré et propice nommé Badarapācana, fréquenté par toutes sortes d’êtres vivants, orné de bosquets forestiers où resplendissait la beauté de maintes saisons, et toujours rempli de fleurs et de fruits. Après s’être baigné en ce lieu saint et avoir fait d’abondants dons, Balarāma, enduit de pâte de santal blanc, s’y hâta promptement.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights tīrtha-sevā (reverent resort to sacred places) as ethically complete when paired with snāna (purificatory discipline) and dāna (generosity). Holiness is not merely scenic or ritual; it is affirmed through charitable action and self-restraint, offering a dharmic counterbalance within the war-time setting.
Vaiśampāyana describes Balarāma’s swift journey to the sacred ford called Badarapācana. The place is portrayed as perpetually fruitful and beautiful across seasons, frequented by many creatures. Balarāma bathes there and gives abundant gifts, marked by white sandalwood paste, continuing his tīrtha-yātrā.