Shloka 36
गदायुद्ध-समारम्भः
Commencement of the Mace-Duel Proceedings
सो<वतीर्याचलश्रेष्ठात् प्लक्षप्रस्रनणाच्छुभात्,फिर वे प्लक्षप्रसवण नामक शुभ पर्वतशिखरसे नीचे उतर आये और तीर्थ-सेवनका महान् फल सुनकर प्रसन्नचित्त हो अच्युत बलरामने ब्राह्मणोंके समीप इस श्लोकका गान किया--
so’vatīryācalśreṣṭhāt plakṣaprasravaṇāc chubhāt | tīrthasevanamahat phalaṁ śrutvā prītamanāḥ punar acyuto balarāmo brāhmaṇān samīpam etad gāthāślokam agāyat ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Descending from the finest of mountains, from the auspicious Plakṣa-prasravaṇa, Acyuta Balarāma—gladdened at heart after hearing of the great reward that comes from visiting sacred fords—approached the Brahmins and sang this verse. The scene frames pilgrimage as a dharmic discipline: reverence for holy places and learned Brahmins is presented as a source of inner purification and merit even amid the wider violence of the war narrative.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds tīrtha-sevana (pilgrimage/visiting sacred places) as a dharmic practice that yields ‘great fruit’—moral and spiritual merit—especially when joined with humility and respect toward Brahmins and sacred tradition.
Balarāma descends from the auspicious Plakṣa-prasravaṇa region, becomes pleased after hearing about the benefits of pilgrimage, approaches the Brahmins, and begins to sing/recite a verse—serving as a transition into his spoken praise or teaching.