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" ।।
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” ||
三阇耶说道：“礼仪既毕，他们说道：‘婆罗摩啊，请看你两位弟子的武艺。’于是婆罗摩望向与般度五子同在的奎师那，又望向手执钉锤而立的俱卢族都律约陀那，说道：‘摩陀婆啊，我愿亲见我两位弟子之间的钉锤之战。自我出发朝圣至今，已满四十二日；我在普什耶宿启程，又在室罗伐那宿归来。我想观看我两位弟子的钉锤比试。’”
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.