Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.78.17
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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rāmaḥ
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Balarāma
Rāma here = Balarāma, Kṛṣṇa's elder brother, also called Saṅkarṣaṇa. Gauḍīyas count Him as the first svayaṁ-prakāśa expansion — viṣṇu-tattva, never separate from Kṛṣṇa.
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yuddha-udyamam
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preparation for war
Yuddha (war) + udyama (rising, preparation). The Kurukṣetra war is approaching. Balarāma hears of the udyama and choose pilgrimage — His mode of present-absence.
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tīrtha-abhiṣeka
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bathing in holy places
Tīrtha (holy ford) + abhiṣeka (consecration-bath). Pilgrimage as ritual cleansing. Note the irony: the Lord, who purifies tīrthas Himself (tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni), goes on tīrtha-yātrā for the sake of līlā.
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madhya-sthaḥ
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neutral / in the middle
Madhya (middle) + stha (standing). Standing in the middle. Gauḍīyas note: Balarāma's madhya-stha-tā is not detachment but precise positioning — He stands where His younger brother needs Him to stand.
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vyājena
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on the pretext
From vi-√aj (to drive aside). A pretext, an indirect motive. Pilgrimage is the surface reason; the deeper motive is allowing Kṛṣṇa's Kurukṣetra-līlā its full shape.
Both Duryodhana and Yudhiṣṭhira were dear to Lord Balarāma, and so to avoid an awkward situation He departed. Furthermore, after killing the demon Vidūratha, Lord Kṛṣṇa put aside His weapons, but Lord Balarāma still had to kill Romaharṣaṇa and Balvala to finish relieving the earth of her burden of demons.
Krsna killed the demons up until Viduratha, and then gave up his sword. But Balarama did this only after killing Balvala and the son of roma harsana. Hearing that the kauravas wanted to fight the Pandavas Balarama thought, " I have friendship with Duryodhana and Yudhisthira. They will both invite me on their side. Whose side should I choose?" Thus he left on the pretext of bathing in holy places.
Balarāma did not side with either party. He did this for variety in Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. He left Dvārakā.
Having indicated Kṛṣṇa prowess and his withdrawal from fighting, Śukadeva now beings a related story to describe Balarāma’s withdrawal. This continues for the rest of the chapter. This occurred after the journey to Kurukṣetra for the eclipse since Balarāma was present at the Kuruksetra meeting. All this becomes clear later. Balarāma gave pleasure to everyone (rāmaḥ). In order to maintain his attraction for the Kurus and Pāṇḍavas, he left. He was neutral to both parties.
Balarāma chooses neutrality as His weapon — and uses pilgrimage as His vehicle. The plough He carries can level enemies; here it is set aside, and the same hands that wield it instead carry kamaṇḍalu and offerings. The Lord's withdrawal from Kurukṣetra is itself a līlā.
Balarāma had taught both Bhīma and Duryodhana the mace. He loved them both, refused to choose, and so departed on tīrtha-yātrā as the Kuru war approached. In Gauḍīya theology this is not indifference but kṛṣṇa-anuvartana: He yields the field to His younger brother's pastime.
Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda re-enact the same dynamic — Nitāi (who is Baladeva) leans toward Mahāprabhu's līlā, sometimes appearing to step aside so Gauracandra's pastime can crystallize. Madhya-stha is itself a posture of love.
My note
Source: vedabase.io