Shloka 4
Prabhāsa-tīrthe Vṛṣṇi–Pāṇḍava-saṅgamaḥ; Halī Rāmasya dharma-vimarśaḥ
Meeting at Prabhāsa and Balarāma’s Reflection on Dharma
ततो गोक्षीरकुन्देन्दुमूणालरजतप्रभ: । वनमाली हली रामो बभाषे पुष्करेक्षणम्,तदनन्तर गोदुग्ध, कुन्दकुसुम, चन्द्रमा, मृणाल (कमलनाल) तथा चाँदीकी-सी कान्तिवाले वनमाला-विभूषित हलधर बलरामने कमलनयन भगवान् श्रीकृष्णसे कहा
tato gokṣīra-kunda-indu-mṛṇāla-rajata-prabhaḥ | vanamālī halī rāmo babhāṣe puṣkarekṣaṇam ||
Then Balarāma—bearing the plough, adorned with a forest-garland, and radiant with a lustre like cow’s milk, jasmine, the moon, lotus-fibre, and silver—addressed lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa. The narration highlights Balarāma’s serene, auspicious presence as he prepares to speak, setting a tone of restraint and moral gravity before counsel or dialogue unfolds.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily functions as a moral-narrative preface: it presents Balarāma’s calm, pure, and auspicious demeanour through whiteness-and-lustre imagery, implying that counsel or speech should arise from clarity, restraint, and inner steadiness rather than agitation.
Vaiśampāyana describes Balarāma—identified by his plough and forest-garland—then states that he addresses lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa. The verse is a transition into Balarāma’s forthcoming words.