SB 10.68.14-15 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.68.14-15

सान्‍त्‍वयित्वा तु तान् राम: सन्नद्धान् वृष्णिपुङ्गवान् । नैच्छत् कुरूणां वृष्णीनां कलिं कलिमलापह: ॥ १४ ॥ जगाम हास्तिनपुरं रथेनादित्यवर्चसा । ब्राह्मणै: कुलवृद्धैश्च वृतश्चन्द्र इव ग्रहै: ॥ १५ ॥

sāntvayitvā tu tān rāmaḥ

[saantvayitvaa tu taan raamah]

sannaddhān vṛṣṇi-puṅgavān

[sannaddhaan vrishni-pungavaan]

naicchat kurūṇāṁ vṛṣṇīnāṁ

[naichchat kuroonaam vrishneenaam]

kaliṁ kali-malāpahaḥ

[kalim kali-malaapahah]

jagāma hāstina-puraṁ

[jagaama haastina-puram]

rathenāditya-varcasā

[rathenaaditya-varchasaa]

brāhmaṇaiḥ kula-vṛddhaiś ca

[braahmanaih kula-vriddhaish cha]

vṛtaś candra iva grahaiḥ

[vritash chandra iva grahaih]

Word-for-word

sāntvayitvā — calming tu — but tān — them rāmaḥ — Lord Balarāma sannaddhān — suited in armor vṛṣṇi - puṅgavān — the heroes of the Vṛṣṇi dynasty na aicchat — He did not want kurūṇām vṛṣṇīnām — between the Kurus and the Vṛṣṇis kalim — a quarrel kali — of the age of quarrel mala — the contamination apahaḥ — He who removes jagāma — He went hāstina - puram — to Hastināpura rathena — with His chariot āditya — (like) the sun varcasā — whose effulgence brāhmaṇaiḥ — by brāhmaṇas kula — of the family vṛddhaiḥ — by elders ca — and vṛtaḥ — surrounded candraḥ — the moon iva — as grahaiḥ — by the seven planets .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

sāntvayitvā tu tān rāmaḥ

sāntvayitvā

calming

but

tān

them

rāmaḥ

Lord Balarāma

sannaddhān vṛṣṇi-puṅgavān

sannaddhān

suited in armor

vṛṣṇi - puṅgavān

the heroes of the Vṛṣṇi dynasty

naicchat kurūṇāṁ vṛṣṇīnāṁ

na aicchat

He did not want

kurūṇām vṛṣṇīnām

between the Kurus and the Vṛṣṇis

kaliṁ kali-malāpahaḥ

kalim

a quarrel

kali

of the age of quarrel

mala

the contamination

apahaḥ

He who removes

jagāma hāstina-puraṁ

jagāma

He went

hāstina - puram

to Hastināpura

rathena

with His chariot

rathenāditya-varcasā

āditya

(like) the sun

varcasā

whose effulgence

brāhmaṇaiḥ kula-vṛddhaiś ca

brāhmaṇaiḥ

by brāhmaṇas

kula

of the family

vṛddhaiḥ

by elders

and

vṛtaś candra iva grahaiḥ

vṛtaḥ

surrounded

candraḥ

the moon

iva

grahaiḥ

by the seven planets .

Important Words

rāmaḥ — Lord Balarāma
Balarāma is here called simply Rāma — the elder brother, the protector, an expansion of the Lord Himself. The same divine person who later as Lakṣmaṇa-in-Rāmāyaṇa served Rāma now serves Kṛṣṇa as His elder. Gauḍīya doctrine identifies Balarāma as Saṅkarṣaṇa, the first viṣṇu-tattva expansion.
kali - mala - apahaḥ — He who removes the contamination of Kali
An astonishing epithet given to Balarāma here. He is the very destroyer of quarrel; therefore He does not want this Kuru-Vṛṣṇi quarrel even though He has the strength to win it. The epithet predicts the chapter — He will end the quarrel without permitting a war.
kalim — a quarrel
Kali is etymologically 'strife.' The age of Kali is named for the dominance of strife. Balarāma refuses kali between the two families.
hāstina - puram — to Hastināpura
The Kuru capital — the city that by verse 41 He will tear from the earth. He goes there first as guest and elder; only when guest-status is dishonored will the plough rise.
āditya - varcasā — with effulgence like the sun
Balarāma's chariot blazes like the sun, He Himself surrounded by brāhmaṇas and elders like the moon by planets. The double simile (sun and moon together) signals that He arrives in full majesty, not as a petitioner.

Lord Balarāma, however, cooled the tempers of the Vṛṣṇi heroes, who had already put on their armor. He who purifies the age of quarrel did not want a quarrel between the Kurus and Vṛṣṇis. Thus, accompanied by brāhmaṇas and family elders, He went to Hastināpura on His chariot, which was as effulgent as the sun. As He went, He appeared like the moon surrounded by the ruling planets.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Commentary

Having pacified the Vrsnis, Balarama then went to Hastinapura, surrounded by brahmanas and elders, because he did not want a quarrel between the Kauravas and Vrsnis.

16, With a desire to know the intentions of Dhrtarastra, Balarama sent Uddhava.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

The Kurus and the Vṛṣṇis were related through the marriage of Kuntī (a Vṛṣṇi married to a Kuru) and Rohiṇī (a Kuru married to a Vṛṣṇi). Balarāma did not want a quarrel between them since he was the remover of quarrel prominent in Kali-yuga. Or he was the destroyer of Duryodhana’s (Kali personified) pride (mala). But he did not want to kill him because of his merciful nature. This showed the difficulty in uprooting the fault of hatred towards the Lord and his devotees, even by the Lord himself.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

He pacified Ugrasena and others, best of the Vṛṣṇis. He did not want a quarrel because he was the destroyer of quarrels and other faults in Kali-yuga. He discouraged them from going out of affection for his pupil Duryodhana. He gave pleasure to the Kurus and the Vṛṣṇis. Balarāma’s chariot moved fast like the sun. He arrived immediately. He was surrounded by brāhmaṇas, who would make the fools come to their senses. This also indicates that he did not desire to fight.

Related values & verses

Related values

Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Udyama (Industriousness / Effort)

Personal Guidance

Balarāma cooled the Vṛṣṇi heroes' tempers. The one who purifies Kali Yuga did not want quarrel between Kurus and Vṛṣṇis; He went Himself, dignified as the moon among planets, to seek peace first.

Reflection Questions

When tempers rise in my circle, am I willing to be the one who cools them?
What dignity could I bring to a peace-making errand today?

Analogy

When the elder brother sees his younger relatives drawing swords against cousins, he steps between with the dignity of the sun beside the moon — Balarāma calming the Yadu fire, then driving His chariot toward Hastināpura not for war but for peace.

Stories

Balarāma the Peace-Maker

Throughout the Mahābhārata Balarāma plays the role of the elder who refuses partisanship. He taught both Bhīma and Duryodhana the gadā. When the great war was about to begin, He withdrew on pilgrimage rather than take a side (Mbh, Śalya-parva).

Here in Canto 10 we see the same character at its early best — not the warrior eager for blood, but the elder who wants Kuru and Vṛṣṇi to remain kin. Only when peace is refused will the plough come out.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io