Shloka 11

बलरामस्य वारुणी-प्रसङ्गः, यमुनाकर्षणम्, लक्ष्मी-प्रदत्त-विभूषणम्, रेवती-विवाहः

Devanagari script

साकृष्टा सहसा तेन मार्गं संत्यज्य निम्नगा यत्रास्ते बलभद्रो ऽसौ प्लावयाम् आस तद् वनम्

Transliteration

sākṛṣṭā sahasā tena mārgaṃ saṃtyajya nimnagā yatrāste balabhadro 'sau plāvayām āsa tad vanam

Translation

彼にたちまち引き寄せられ、川は旧来の流れを捨てて、バラバドラの立つ所へ向かって流れ、あの森を四方から水で満たした。

Word by Word

• साकृष्टा: (she) being dragged/pulled
• साकृष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-कृष् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त/भूतकर्मणि), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘समाकृष्टा’ = drawn/pulled together

• सहसा: suddenly, forcibly
• सहसा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मार्गम्: the path
• मार्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• संत्यज्य: having abandoned
• संत्यज्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• निम्नगा: the river
• निम्नगा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निम्न-गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समास: निम्नं गच्छति इति (निम्न + गा)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक/देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• आस्ते: is/stands
• आस्ते: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• बलभद्रः: Balabhadra
• बलभद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलभद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• असौ: that (person), he
• असौ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्लावयाम्: caused to flood
• प्लावयाम्: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्लावय् (धातु, णिच् causative of प्लु)
• Form: लिट् (परिप्रास/परफ्रास्टिक परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘प्लावयाम्’ = causative perfect base

• आस: did/was (auxiliary)
• आस: Kriya (Auxiliary)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परफ्रास्टिक परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; सहायकक्रिया

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• वनम्: forest
• वनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Balarāma, as the Lord’s avatāric expansion, subdues the Yamunā and redirects her flow to assert divine sovereignty and restore orderly conduct in sacred space.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Restoration of maryādā—rightful deference to the Lord’s presence and proper course/order in the land.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Vyuha Form: Sankarshana

Characters & Entities

• Balabhadra (Balarama)
• Yamuna (implied as the river)

FAQs

What is the significance of Balarama drawing the river in the Vishnu Purana?

It portrays divine authority over the natural order—rivers and landscapes themselves respond to the will of the Lord’s manifestation, establishing sacred space and demonstrating Bhagavan’s sovereignty.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the river’s change of course in this episode?

Parāśara narrates it as an immediate, forceful consequence of Balabhadra’s action: the river is pulled away from her path and made to flow to his location, emphasizing irresistible divine command within the story.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu in this context?

Though the verse names Balabhadra, the Purana’s frame treats such acts as expressions of the Supreme Reality’s governance—Bhagavan’s power sustaining and directing the cosmos, even through playful līlā.