Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 10.79.11-15

gomatim gandakim snatva

vipasam sona aplutah

gayam gatva pitrin ishtva

ganga-sagara-sangame

upasprisya mahendradrau

ramam drishtvabhivadya ca

sapta-godavarim venam

pampam bhimarathim tatah

skandam drishtva yayau ramah

sri-sailam girisalayam

dravideshu maha-punyam

drishtvadrim venkatam prabhuh

kama-koshnim purim kancim

kaverim ca sarid-varam

sri-rangakhyam maha-punyam

yatra sannihito harih

rishabhadrim hareh kshetram

dakshinam mathuram tatha

samudram setum agamat

maha-pataka-nasanam

SYNONYMS

gomatim -- at the Gomati River; gandakim -- the Gandaki River; snatva -- bathing; vipasam -- at the Vipasa River; sone -- in the Sona River; aplutah -- having immersed Himself; gayam -- to Gaya; gatva -- going; pitrin -- His forefathers; ishtva -- worshiping; ganga -- of the Ganges; sagara -- and the ocean; sangame -- at the confluence; upasprisya -- touching water (bathing); maha-indra-adrau -- at the Mahendra Mountain; ramam -- Lord Parasurama; drishtva -- seeing; abhivadya -- honoring; ca -- and; sapta-godavarim -- (going) to the convergence of the seven Godavaris; venam -- the Vena River; pampam -- the Pampa River; bhimarathim -- and the Bhimarathi River; tatah -- then; skandam -- Lord Skanda (Karttikeya); drishtva -- seeing; yayau -- went; ramah -- Lord Balarama; sri-sailam -- to Sri-saila; giri-sa -- of Lord Siva; alayam -- the residence; dravideshu -- in the southern provinces; maha -- most; punyam -- pious; drishtva -- seeing; adrim -- the hill; venkatam -- known as Venkata (the abode of Lord Balaji); prabhuh -- the Supreme Lord; kama-koshnim -- to Kamakoshni; purim kancim -- to Kancipuram; kaverim -- to the Kaveri; ca -- and; sarit -- of rivers; varam -- the greatest; sri-ranga-akhyam -- known as Sri-ranga; maha-punyam -- most pious place; yatra -- where; sannihitah -- manifested; harih -- Lord Krishna (in the form of Ranganatha); rishabha-adrim -- the Rishabha Mountain; hareh -- of Lord Vishnu; kshetram -- the place; dakshinam mathuram -- the southern Mathura (Madurai, the abode of Goddess Minakshi); tatha -- also; samudram -- on the ocean; setum -- to the bridge (Setubandha); agamat -- He went; maha -- the greatest; pataka -- sins; nasanam -- which destroys.

TRANSLATION

Lord Balarama bathed in the Gomati, Gandaki and Vipasa rivers, and also immersed Himself in the Sona. He went to Gaya, where He worshiped His forefathers, and to the mouth of the Ganges, where He performed purifying ablutions. At Mount Mahendra He saw Lord Parasurama and offered Him prayers, and then He bathed in the seven branches of the Godavari River, and also in the rivers Vena, Pampa and Bhimarathi. Then Lord Balarama met Lord Skanda and visited Sri-saila, the abode of Lord Girisa. In the southern provinces known as Dravida-desa the Supreme Lord saw the sacred Venkata Hill, as well as the cities of Kamakoshni and Kanci, the exalted Kaveri River and the most holy Sri-ranga, where Lord Krishna has manifested Himself. From there He went to Rishabha Mountain, where Lord Krishna also lives, and to the southern Mathura. Then He came to Setubandha, where the most grievous sins are destroyed.

PURPORT

Usually one goes to Gaya to worship deceased forefathers. But as Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti explains, although Lord Balarama's father and grandfather were still alive, it was on His father's order that He carefully worshiped His forefathers at Gaya. Drawing insight from the Vaishnava-toshani, the acarya further explains that although Lord Balarama was in the immediate proximity of Jagannatha Puri, He did not go there, since He wanted to avoid the embarrassment of having to worship Himself among the forms of Sri Krishna, Balabhadra and Subhadra.

<<< >>>

Copyright (c) The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
His Holiness Hrdayananda dasa Goswami
Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari
Dravida dasa Brahmacari