Shloka 36

Devanagari script

सो<वतीर्याचलश्रेष्ठात्‌ प्लक्षप्रस्रनणाच्छुभात्‌,फिर वे प्लक्षप्रसवण नामक शुभ पर्वतशिखरसे नीचे उतर आये और तीर्थ-सेवनका महान्‌ फल सुनकर प्रसन्नचित्त हो अच्युत बलरामने ब्राह्मणोंके समीप इस श्लोकका गान किया--

Transliteration

so’vatīryācalśreṣṭhāt plakṣaprasravaṇāc chubhāt | tīrthasevanamahat phalaṁ śrutvā prītamanāḥ punar acyuto balarāmo brāhmaṇān samīpam etad gāthāślokam agāyat ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: Сойдя с лучшей из гор, с благого Плакша-прасраваны, Ачьюта Баларама, возрадовавшись сердцем, услышав о великом плоде паломничества к тиртхам — священным бродам, — приблизился к брахманам и пропел этот стих.

Word by Word

सःhe

अवतीर्यhaving descended

अचलश्रेष्ठात्from the best of mountains

प्लक्षप्रस्रवणात्from (the place called) Plakṣa-prasravaṇa

शुभात्from the auspicious (place)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Balarāma

Brāhmaṇas

Plakṣa-prasravaṇa (tīrtha)

Mountain peak (acala-śreṣṭha)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds tīrtha-sevana (pilgrimage/visiting sacred places) as a dharmic practice that yields ‘great fruit’—moral and spiritual merit—especially when joined with humility and respect toward Brahmins and sacred tradition.

What is happening in the narrative?

Balarāma descends from the auspicious Plakṣa-prasravaṇa region, becomes pleased after hearing about the benefits of pilgrimage, approaches the Brahmins, and begins to sing/recite a verse—serving as a transition into his spoken praise or teaching.