Shloka 11
Balarāma Slays Balvala and Visits Sacred Tīrthas; He Attempts to Stop Bhīma–Duryodhana
गोमतीं गण्डकीं स्नात्वा विपाशां शोण आप्लुत: । गयां गत्वा पितृनिष्ट्वा गङ्गासागरसङ्गमे ॥ ११ ॥ उपस्पृश्य महेन्द्राद्रौ रामं दृष्ट्वाभिवाद्य च । सप्तगोदावरीं वेणां पम्पां भीमरथीं तत: ॥ १२ ॥ स्कन्दं दृष्ट्वा ययौ राम: श्रीशैलं गिरिशालयम् । द्रविडेषु महापुण्यं दृष्ट्वाद्रिं वेङ्कटं प्रभु: ॥ १३ ॥ कामकोष्णीं पुरीं काञ्चीं कावेरीं च सरिद्वराम् । श्रीरङ्गाख्यं महापुण्यं यत्र सन्निहितो हरि: ॥ १४ ॥ ऋषभाद्रिं हरे: क्षेत्रं दक्षिणां मथुरां तथा । सामुद्रं सेतुमगमत्महापातकनाशनम् ॥ १५ ॥
gomatīṁ gaṇḍakīṁ snātvā vipāśāṁ śoṇa āplutaḥ gayāṁ gatvā pitṝn iṣṭvā gaṅgā-sāgara-saṅgame
Tuhan Balarāma mandi di sungai Gomatī, Gaṇḍakī dan Vipāśā, serta menyelam di Śoṇa. Baginda pergi ke Gayā untuk memuja para leluhur, lalu berwuduk suci di pertemuan Gangga dengan lautan. Di Gunung Mahendra Baginda bertemu Paraśurāma dan memberi hormat; kemudian Baginda mandi di tujuh cabang Godāvarī, juga di sungai Veṇā, Pampā dan Bhīmarathī. Setelah bertemu Skanda, Baginda mengunjungi Śrī-śaila, kediaman Giriśa. Di negeri Draviḍa, Tuhan melihat Bukit Veṅkaṭa yang amat suci, kota Kāmakoṣṇī dan Kāñcī, sungai Kāverī yang mulia, serta Śrī-raṅga yang tersuci, tempat Hari bersemayam. Dari situ Baginda pergi ke Ṛṣabhādri, wilayah suci Hari, dan Mathurā Selatan; akhirnya Baginda tiba di Setubandha di tepi samudra, pemusnah dosa-dosa besar.
Usually one goes to Gayā to worship deceased forefathers. But as Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains, although Lord Balarāma’s father and grandfather were still alive, it was on His father’s order that He carefully worshiped His forefathers at Gayā. Drawing insight from the Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī, the ācārya further explains that although Lord Balarāma was in the immediate proximity of Jagannātha Purī, He did not go there, since He wanted to avoid the embarrassment of having to worship Himself among the forms of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Balabhadra and Subhadrā.