Lord Balarama Goes on Pilgrimage

In the seventy ninth chapter, Balarama kills Balvala, goes on pilgrimage and returns to see Bhima and Duryodhana fighting. He then returns to Dvaraka.

When the dark moon arrived (upavrtte), there was a strong wind filled with dust and the odor of pus.

Red with blood, he fell like a mountain colored with ore struck by a thunder bolt.

They gave him a vaijayanti garland of unfading lotuses, the abode of Laksmi (sri dhama amlana pankajam).

He went to the lake from which the Sarayu river flows.

Following the course of the Sarayu down, he came to Prayag.

Going to each of the rivers such as the Gomati, Gandaki and Vipasa, he bathed in each one. At Gaya he worshipped the forefathers; that is, as his grandfather and father were still living, he worshipped those who came before that, on the order of Vasudeva.

Bathing (upasprsya) at Ganga Sagara, after that he should have gone to Puri, but did not go, since it would be embarrassing for him to have to worship Krsna Subhadra and himself there. This is the opinion of Vaisnava Tosani. At Mahendra he offered prayers to Parasurama (rama).

.Bathing at Pancapsarasa, he gave (asparsat) ten thousand cows.

23.He went to Kuruksetra (vinasanam) to stop Bhima and Duryodhna from fighting.

They remained silent, worried about what he had come there to say.

Bhima is greater in physical strength and Duryodhana is greater in knowledge of fighting with the club.

Because you are equal in strength, there will be neither victory or defeat (anya) for either of you.

They did not listen to his meaningful (arthavat) words.

He permitted the fight to continue, as it was made to happened by Krsna himself (dista).

The sages engaged Balarama, the embodiment of all sacrifices (kratvangam), in performing sacrifices.

Balarama bestowed on the sages knowledge by which they understood that the universe (adah) was within the paramatma (atmani), and that Paramatma was within the universe.

33.There are many stories about Balarama whose human form was his svarupa (maya martyasya). Svarupa can be equated with the word maya because the sruti says, “ the lord is endowed with his eternal energy called maya arising from his svarupa.”

34.He who remembers the activities of Balarama day and night becomes dear to Krsna (visnoh), the younger brother of Balarama.