Shloka 4
गदायुद्ध-समारम्भः
Commencement of the Mace-Duel Proceedings
ते तु सर्वे महात्मानमूचू राजन् हलायुधम् । शृणु विस्तरशो राम यस्यायं पूर्वमाश्रम:
te tu sarve mahātmānam ūcu rājan halāyudham | śṛṇu vistaraśo rāma yasyāyaṃ pūrvam āśramaḥ ||
Maka semua resi agung itu berkata kepada Halāyudha (Balarāma): “Wahai Raja, wahai Rāma, dengarkan dengan terperinci kisah tentang dia yang dahulu memiliki āśrama ini.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sacred places and institutions like an āśrama are understood through their lineage and prior custodians; listening carefully to such accounts is presented as a respectful, dharmic way to understand the sanctity and authority of a place.
A group of sages turns to Balarāma (called Halāyudha) and invites him to hear, in full detail, the story of the earlier owner or presiding figure of the hermitage they are discussing.