Devanagari
ततश्च भारतं वर्षं परीत्य सुसमाहित: ।
चरित्वा द्वादश मासांस्तीर्थस्नायी विशुध्यसि ॥ ४० ॥
Verse text
tataś ca bhārataṁ varṣaṁ
parītya su-samāhitaḥ
caritvā dvādaśa-māsāṁs
tīrtha-snāyī viśudhyasi
Synonyms
tataḥ
—
then
;
ca
—
and
;
bhāratam varṣam
—
the land of Bhārata (India)
;
parītya
—
circumambulating
;
su
—
samāhitaḥ — in a serious mood
;
caritvā
—
performing penances
;
dvādaśa
—
twelve
;
māsān
—
months
;
tīrtha
—
at holy places of pilgrimage
;
snāyī
—
bathing
;
viśudhyasi
—
You will be purified .
Translation
Thereafter, for twelve months, You should circumambulate the land of Bhārata in a mood of serious meditation, executing austerities and bathing at various holy pilgrimage sites. In this way You will become purified.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Thereafter, for twelve months, You should circumambulate the land of Bhārata in a mood of serious meditation, executing austerities and bathing at various holy pilgrimage sites. In this way You will become purified.
KB 10.78.40
“After killing Balvala, You may continue touring all the sacred places of pilgrimage for twelve months, and in that way You will be completely freed from all contamination. That is our prescription.”
Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Seventy-eighth Chapter of Kṛṣṇa, “The Killing of Dantavakra, Vidūratha and Romaharṣaṇa.”
Purport
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī points out that the word
viśudhyasi
means that Lord Balarāma would achieve spotless fame by setting such a perfect example for the people in general.
Śrīla Prabhupāda writes: “The
brāhmaṇas
could understand the purpose of the Lord, and thus they suggested that He atone in a manner which would be beneficial to them.”
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Seventy-eighth Chapter, of the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
entitled “The Killing of Dantavakra, Vidūratha and Romaharṣaṇa.”
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
In this verse they prescribe the atonement. Gong around India (paritya), undergoing penance (caritva) for one year, (not difficult because you can control the senses and concentrate the mind (susamahitah), you will be purified.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
The sages by their cleverness did not instruct him to do atonement caused by specific holy places. They told him to do pilgrimage to the places in the middle of Bharata-varṣa. One version has dvādaśān māsān. Dvādaśa is easy to understand and accepted by Citsukha and Śrīdhara Svāmī. By doing this your fame will become spotlless. By taking the verb in a causative sense however, the meaning is “You will purify the holy places by your spotless fame.”
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
After killing him (tataḥ), travel for ten months. Another version has dvādaśān māsān. Balarāma is by nature always pure. To teach the people you should do this and become completely purified (vīśudhyasi). Attaining spotless fame, you will shine brilliantly. Or the word can actually have a causative meaning. You will purify the universe greatly by your spotless fame. Concentrating your mind on Kṛṣṇa alone (susamāhitaḥ), wander over Bhārata.
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Seventy-eighth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Killing of Dantavakra, Vidūratha and Romaharṣaṇa."
10.79: Lord Balarāma Goes on Pilgrimage
verses: Summary, 1, 2, 3-4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11-15, 16-17, 18, 19-21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34
Chapter Summary
This chapter describes how Lord Baladeva satisfied the brāhmaṇas by killing Balvala, bathed at various holy pilgrimage sites and attempted to dissuade Bhīmasena and Duryodhana from fighting.
At the sacrificial arena of the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya forest, a harsh wind began to blow on the new-moon day, spreading the obnoxious smell of pus and obscuring everything with dust. The demon Balvala then appeared there with a trident in his hand, his massive body pitch black and his face very frightening. Lord Baladeva caught the demon with His plow and then struck him a ferocious blow on the head with His club, killing him. The sages chanted Lord Baladeva's glories and presented Him with lavish gifts.
Lord Balarāma then began His pilgrimage, during which He visited many holy tīrthas. When He heard news of the battle between the Kurus and Pāṇḍavas, the Lord went to Kurukṣetra to try to stop the duel between Bhīma and Duryodhana. But He could not dissuade them from fighting, so deep was their enmity. Understanding that the fight was the arrangement of fate, Lord Baladeva left the battlefield and returned to Dvārakā.
Some time later, Balarāma again went to the Naimiṣāraṇya forest, where the sages performed a number of fire sacrifices on His behalf. Lord Baladeva reciprocated by granting the sages transcendental knowledge and revealing to them His eternal identity.