Shloka 12
गदायुद्ध-समारम्भः
Commencement of the Mace-Duel Proceedings
सम्प्राप्त: कारपवन प्रवरं तीर्थमुत्तमम् । हलायुधस्तत्र चापि दत्त्वा दानं महाबल:,फिर वे कारपवन नामक उत्तम तीर्थमें गये। महाबली हलधरने वहाँके निर्मल, पवित्र और अत्यन्त शीतल पुण्यदायक जलमें गोता लगाकर ब्राह्मणोंको दान दे देवताओं और पितरोंका तर्पण किया। तत्पश्चात् रणदुर्मद बलरामजी यतियों और ब्राह्मणोंके साथ वहाँ एक रात रहकर मित्रावरुणके पवित्र आश्रमपर गये
samprāptaḥ kārapavana-pravaraṃ tīrtham uttamam | halāyudhas tatra cāpi dattvā dānaṃ mahābalaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Balarāma, the mighty bearer of the plough-weapon, arrived at the excellent and foremost sacred ford called Kārapavana. There he performed acts of generosity, honoring the sanctity of the place through giving. The passage underscores a dharmic pause amid the wider violence of the war: the warrior’s strength is tempered by pilgrimage, purity, and reverence—expressed through charity and ritual duty toward gods, sages, and ancestors.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a world dominated by conflict, dharma is sustained through tīrtha-yātrā, purity, and dāna. Strength (bala) is not merely martial; it is also the capacity to honor sacred duties and support the worthy through generous giving.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Balarāma reaches the sacred place called Kārapavana and performs charitable acts there. The verse marks a pilgrimage episode, presenting Balarāma’s movement through holy sites and his observance of meritorious conduct.