SB 10.68.42 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

जलयानमिवाघूर्णं गङ्गायां नगरं पतत् । आकृष्यमाणमालोक्य कौरवा: जातसम्भ्रमा: ॥ ४२ ॥ तमेव शरणं जग्मु: सकुटुम्बा जिजीविषव: । सलक्ष्मणं पुरस्कृत्य साम्बं प्राञ्जलय: प्रभुम् ॥ ४३ ॥

Verse text

jala-yānam ivāghūrṇaṁ gaṅgāyāṁ nagaraṁ patat ākṛṣyamāṇam ālokya kauravāḥ jāta-sambhramāḥ tam eva śaraṇaṁ jagmuḥ sa-kuṭumbā jijīviṣavaḥ sa-lakṣmaṇaṁ puras-kṛtya sāmbaṁ prāṣjalayaḥ prabhum

Synonyms

jala — yānam — a raft ; iva — as if ; āghūrṇam — tumbling about ; gaṅgāyām — into the Ganges ; nagaram — the city ; patat — falling ; ākṛṣyamāṇam — being dragged ; ālokya — seeing ; kauravāḥ — the Kauravas ; jāta — becoming ; sambhramāḥ — excited and bewildered ; tam — to Him, Lord Balarāma ; eva — indeed ; śaraṇam — for shelter ; jagmuḥ — they went ; sa — with ; kuṭumbaḥ — their families ; jijīviṣavaḥ — wanting to remain alive ; sa — with ; lakṣmaṇam — Lakṣmaṇā ; puraḥ — kṛtya — placing in front ; sāmbam — Sāmba ; prāṣjalayaḥ — with palms joined in supplication ; prabhum — to the Lord .

Translation

Seeing that their city was tumbling about like a raft at sea as it was being dragged away, and that it was about to fall into the Ganges, the Kauravas became terrified. To save their lives they approached the Lord for shelter, taking their families with them. Placing Sāmba and Lakṣmaṇā in front, they joined their palms in supplication.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Seeing that their city was tumbling about like a raft at sea as it was being dragged away, and that it was about to fall into the Ganges, the Kauravas became terrified. To save their lives they approached the Lord for shelter, taking their families with them. Placing Sāmba and Lakṣmaṇā in front, they joined their palms in supplication. KB 10.68.42-43 This caused a great tremor throughout Hastināpura, as if there had been an earthquake, and it seemed that the whole city would be dismantled. When all the members of the Kuru dynasty saw that their city was about to fall into the water of the Ganges, and when they heard their citizens howling in great anxiety, they immediately came to their senses and understood what was happening. Thus without waiting another second they brought forward their daughter Lakṣmaṇā. They also brought Sāmba, who had forcibly tried to take her away, keeping him in the forefront with Lakṣmaṇā at his back. All the members of the Kuru dynasty appeared before Lord Balarāma with folded hands just to beg the pardon of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Now using good sense, they said,

Purport

The city of Hastināpura began to roll about like a raft in a stormy sea. The frightened Kauravas, to quickly appease the Lord, immediately brought Sāmba and Lakṣmaṇā and placed them in front.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Seeing their city moving about like a boat, and about to fall into the Ganga, the Kauravas became fearful. There is an extra syllable in the first line of verse 43, as there may be nine instead of eight syllables in a line according to the Bhasavrtti. They put Laksmana and Samba in front in order to please Balarama quickly.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

First they saw the city wobbling, and then falling into the Gaṅgā. Then they saw Balarāma pulling it. Then they tried save their lives. They lost all pride. They approached Balarāma, taking shelter of him as the Lord (prabhum). Or, they approached him since he was capable (prabhum) of forgiving their offense. Or prabhum can modify sāmbam. Putting Sāmba in front as capable of stopping the disaster, they approached Balarāma. If the city fell in the water Sāmba and Lakṣmaṇā would be in danger. Thus to please Balarāma they put Sāmba in front as an offering first. But Balarāma was not worried about Sāmba falling in the water. He pulled the city only to scare them.