Shloka 17

Devanagari script

सम्भारांस्तीर्थयात्रायां सर्वोपकरणानि च । आनयघध्वं द्वारकायामग्नीन्‌ वै याजकांस्तथा,यात्रा करते हुए बलरामजीने स्वयं मार्गमें ही रहकर अपने सेवकोंसे कहा--“'तुमलोग शीघ्र ही द्वारका जाकर वहाँसे तीर्थयात्रामें काम आनेवाली सब सामग्री, समस्त आवश्यक उपकरण, अग्निहोत्रकी अग्नि तथा पुरोहितोंको ले आओ

Transliteration

sambhārāṁs tīrthayātrāyāṁ sarvopakaraṇāni ca | ānayadhvaṁ dvārakāyām agnīn vai yājakāṁs tathā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Remaining on the road, Balarāma instructed his attendants, “Go quickly to Dvārakā and bring back all the provisions and necessary implements for the pilgrimage—along with the sacred fires for the agnihotra and the officiating priests as well.” The verse underscores that even a holy journey is to be undertaken with due preparation and proper ritual order, not with haste or negligence.

Word by Word

• {'sambhārān': 'supplies, provisions, requisites', 'tīrthayātrāyām': 'on/for a pilgrimage to sacred fords (tīrthas)', 'sarva-upakaraṇāni': 'all implements/equipment

• necessary apparatus', 'ānayadhvam': 'bring (you all)

• imperative, 2nd person plural', 'dvārakāyām': 'in/from Dvārakā (locative

• context implies ‘from Dvārakā’)', 'agnīn': 'sacred fires (esp. for household/ritual use)', 'vai': 'indeed, certainly (emphatic particle)', 'yājakān': 'sacrificing priests/officiants', 'tathā': 'and also

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dvārakā
• tīrthayātrā (pilgrimage)
• agnihotra-agni (sacred ritual fires)
• yājaka (priests/officiants)
• Balarāma
• attendants/servants (implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sacred undertakings like pilgrimage should be performed with proper readiness and adherence to ritual propriety—ensuring the needed materials, sacred fires, and qualified priests are in place—so that dharma is upheld through order and care.

What is happening in the narrative?

Balarāma pauses on the route and commands his attendants to go to Dvārakā to fetch pilgrimage supplies, necessary implements, the agnihotra fires, and the officiating priests, indicating he is preparing to proceed with a properly arranged tīrtha-yātrā.