Shloka 13
गदायुद्ध-समारम्भः
Commencement of the Mace-Duel Proceedings
आप्लुत: सलिले पुण्ये सुशीते विमले शुचौ । संतर्पयामास पितृन् देवांश्व रणदुर्मद:
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
āplutaḥ salile puṇye suśīte vimale śucau |
santarpayāmāsa pitṝn devāṃś ca raṇadurmadaḥ ||
वैशंपायन म्हणाले—त्या पुण्यदायक, अत्यंत शीतल, निर्मळ व पवित्र जलात स्नान करून महाबली रणदुर्मद हलधर बलरामांनी ब्राह्मणांना दान दिले आणि देव व पितरांचे तर्पण केले।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma through ritual responsibility: even a powerful warrior should seek purification at sacred waters and honor both devas and pitṛs through tarpana, integrating strength with reverence, gratitude, and ethical discipline.
Balarāma (called Raṇadurmada) bathes in a holy, cool, pure body of water and then performs tarpana—offerings meant to satisfy the gods and the ancestors—signaling a transition from martial identity to sacred observance.