FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.79.3-4

तं विलोक्य बृहत्कायं भिन्नाञ्जनचयोपमम् । तप्तताम्रशिखाश्मश्रुं दंष्ट्रोग्रभ्रुकुटीमुखम् ॥ ३ ॥ सस्मार मूषलं राम: परसैन्यविदारणम् । हलं च दैत्यदमनं ते तूर्णमुपतस्थतु: ॥ ४ ॥
taṁ vilokya bṛhat-kāyaṁ
[tam vilokya brihat-kaayam]
bhinnāñjana-cayopamam
[bhinnaanjana-chayopamam]
tapta-tāmra-śikhā-śmaśruṁ
[tapta-taamra-shikhaa-shmashrum]
daṁṣṭrogra-bhru-kuṭī-mukham
[damshtrogra-bhru-kutee-mukham]
sasmāra mūṣalaṁ rāmaḥ
[sasmaara mooshalam raamah]
para-sainya-vidāraṇam
[para-sainya-vidaaranam]
halaṁ ca daitya-damanaṁ
[halam cha daitya-damanam]
te tūrṇam upatasthatuḥ
[te toornam upatasthatuh]
tam — him vilokya — seeing bṛhat — immense kāyam — whose body bhinna — broken añjana — of black eye-makeup caya — a pile upamam — resembling tapta — burning tāmra — (colored like) copper śikhā — whose topknot śmaśrum — and beard daṁṣṭrā — with its teeth ugra — fearsome bhru — of eyebrows kuṭī — with furrows mukham — whose face sasmāra — remembered mūṣalam — His club rāmaḥ — Lord Balarāma para — opposing sainya — armies vidāraṇam — which tears asunder halam — His plow ca — and daitya — demons damanam — which subdues te — they tūrṇam — at once upatasthatuḥ — presented themselves .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
taṁ vilokya bṛhat-kāyaṁ
tam
him
vilokya
seeing
bṛhat
immense
kāyam
whose body
bhinnāñjana-cayopamam
bhinna
broken
añjana
of black eye-makeup
caya
a pile
tapta-tāmra-śikhā-śmaśruṁ
daṁṣṭrogra-bhru-kuṭī-mukham
sasmāra mūṣalaṁ rāmaḥ
para-sainya-vidāraṇam
halaṁ ca daitya-damanaṁ
te tūrṇam upatasthatuḥ
upamam
resembling
tapta
burning
tāmra
(colored like) copper
śikhā
whose topknot
śmaśrum
and beard
daṁṣṭrā
with its teeth
ugra
fearsome
bhru
of eyebrows
kuṭī
with furrows
mukham
whose face
sasmāra
remembered
mūṣalam
His club
rāmaḥ
Lord Balarāma
para
opposing
sainya
armies
vidāraṇam
which tears asunder
halam
His plow
ca
and
daitya
demons
damanam
which subdues
te
they
tūrṇam
at once
upatasthatuḥ
presented themselves .
  • sasmāra — remembered
    Perfect of √smṛ. Balarāma does not call out, does not stretch out His hand — He simply remembers, and the weapons appear. Gauḍīyas note that smaraṇa is one of the nine limbs of bhakti (SB 7.5.23); here we see that the Lord's own smaraṇa is itself creative — what He remembers, manifests.
  • mūṣalam — His club
    The musala (or mūṣala) is Balarāma's signature personal weapon alongside the hala. With the club He kills demons in close combat; the verse names the weapon by its specific function — para-sainya-vidāraṇam, that which tears asunder opposing armies.
  • halam — His plow
    The hala marks Balarāma as the protector of agriculture and brāhmaṇical order. He alone among the Yādavas carries the plow as weapon — Gauḍīyas read it as the emblem of cultivation, of breaking the hard ground of the demonic heart open so that yajña can be re-planted there.
  • daitya-damanam — which subdues the demons
    Compound: daitya (descendant of Diti, demon) + damana (subduer). The plow's adjectival epithet — the same instrument that prepares the earth for grain is the one that disciplines the daityas. Cultivation and chastisement are one act in the hand of Bhagavān.
  • upatasthatuḥ — presented themselves
    Dual perfect of upa + √sthā, 'stood near.' The verb is reverential — the weapons do not arrive like tools; they stand attendant like servants. In Vaiṣṇava grammar the Lord's paraphernalia is conscious, and serves Him as His own retinue.
The immense demon resembled a mass of black carbon. His topknot and beard were like molten copper, and his face had horrible fangs and furrowed eyebrows. Upon seeing him, Lord Balarāma thought of His club, which tears to pieces His enemies’ armies, and His plow weapon, which punishes the demons. Thus summoned, His two weapons appeared before Him at once.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The immense demon resembled a mass of black carbon. His topknot and beard were like molten copper, and his face had horrible fangs and furrowed eyebrows. Upon seeing him, Lord Balarāma thought of His club, which tears to pieces His enemies' armies, and His plow weapon, which punishes the demons. Thus summoned, His two weapons appeared before Him at once.
Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The various adjectives describe him with increasingly ferocious nature, from having a big body to having fangs and frowning eyebrows. Balarāma would give joy (rāmaḥ) to the sages by killing him. He thought of his club and plough since they could kill the enemy very easily.

Related values
Adambhitva (Non-hypocrisy / Authenticity)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Tejas (Inner Radiance / Vigour)Discriminative Wisdom
Related verses
Concepts
Jiva
Balarāma thought of His club and plow, and they appeared immediately. Tools of righteousness come at the thought of the one trained in them; readiness is the relationship between practitioner and instrument.
Reflection Questions
  • What spiritual 'instruments' come to me at the thought, because I have built that readiness?
  • Where is my training thin enough that the tool would not arrive in time?

Balarāma's hala and musala do not need to be fetched from an armory — He only remembers them and they stand at His side. The plow that breaks earth open and the club that breaks demons open are extensions of His will, the way Kṛṣṇa's flute is an extension of His breath. The weapons of Bhagavān are not instruments He picks up; they are limbs of His līlā that arrive the instant He turns His attention.

Sudarśana arrives unsummoned

When Ambarīṣa Mahārāja was threatened by Durvāsā's kṛtyā (Bhāgavatam 9.4), Lord Viṣṇu's Sudarśana cakra was already in position before the king could speak — the cakra serves the bhakta whether or not the Lord visibly commands it.

Balarāma's plow and club obey the same law as Viṣṇu's disc: weapons of Bhagavān move at the speed of His sasmāra. They are not separate machines; they are His śakti taking the shape the moment requires.

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