Shloka 5
Śalya-parva Adhyāya 34: Balarāma’s Withdrawal, Sarasvatī Pilgrimage Logistics, and Prabhāsa as Soma’s Renewal Tīrtha
राजन! पूजनके पश्चात् उन्होंने इस प्रकार कहा--“बलरामजी! अपने दोनों शिष्योंका युद्धकौशल देखिये" ।। अब्रवीच्च तदा रामो दृष्टवा कृष्णं सपाण्डवम् | दुर्योधनं च कौरव्यं गदापाणिमवस्थितम्,शिष्ययोर्व गदायुद्धं द्रष्ठकामो5स्मि माधव । उस समय बलरामजीने श्रीकृष्ण, पाण्डव तथा हाथमें गदा लेकर खड़े हुए कुरुवंशी दुर्योधनकी ओर देखकर कहा--“माधव! तीर्थयात्राके लिये निकले हुए आज मुझे बयालीस दिन हो गये। पुष्य नक्षत्रमें चला था और श्रवण नक्षत्रमें पुन: वापस आया हूँ। मैं अपने दोनों शिष्योंका गदायुद्ध देखना चाहता हूँ!
sañjaya uvāca | rājan pūjanake paścāt te evam āhuḥ—“balārāma! ubhayoḥ śiṣyayoḥ yuddha-kauśalaṁ paśya” || atha tadā rāmo dṛṣṭvā kṛṣṇaṁ sa-pāṇḍavam duryodhanaṁ ca kauravyaṁ gadā-pāṇim avasthitam abravīt—“śiṣyayoḥ gadā-yuddhaṁ draṣṭu-kāmo ’smi mādhava | tīrtha-yātrāyai nirgatasya adya me dvicatvāriṁśad-dināni gatāni | puṣye nirgatavān, śravaṇe punar āgataḥ | ubhayoḥ śiṣyayoḥ gadā-yuddhaṁ draṣṭum icchāmi” ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Setelah upacara penghormatan selesai, mereka berkata: ‘Wahai Balarāma, saksikanlah kemahiran perang kedua-dua murid tuanku.’ Lalu Balarāma memandang ke arah Kṛṣṇa bersama para Pāṇḍava, dan ke arah Duryodhana keturunan Kuru yang berdiri dengan gada di tangan, lalu berkata: ‘Wahai Mādhava, aku ingin menyaksikan pertarungan gada antara dua orang muridku. Kini genap empat puluh dua hari sejak aku berangkat menunaikan ziarah suci; aku berangkat di bawah rasi Puṣya dan kembali di bawah Śravaṇa. Aku ingin melihat perlawanan gada kedua muridku.’”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between impartiality and attachment in a teacher: Balarama, revered and ritually honored, seeks to witness the duel of his two disciples, suggesting how personal bonds and the prestige of martial skill can draw even respected elders into the spectacle of war, while the narrative quietly frames the duel as a dharma-charged test rather than mere sport.
After being formally honored, people invite Balarama to observe the prowess of his two students. Balarama looks toward Krishna with the Pandavas and toward Duryodhana standing ready with a mace, and tells Krishna that he has returned from a forty-two-day pilgrimage (from Pushya to Shravana) and now wishes to watch the mace-combat between his disciples.