न चाहम् उत्सहे कृष्णम् ऋते लोकम् उदीक्षितुम् ॥
ततो ऽहम् अनुवर्तामि केशवस्य चिकीर्षितम् ॥
उभौ शिष्यौ हि मे वीरौ गदायुद्धविशारदौ ॥
तुल्यस्नेहो ऽस्म्य् अतो भीमे तथा दुर्योधने नृपे ॥
तस्माद् यास्यामि तीर्थानि सरस्वत्या निषेवितुम् ॥
न हि शक्ष्यामि कौरव्यान् नश्यमानान् उपेक्षितुम् ॥
एवम् उक्त्वा महाबाहुर् अनुज्ञातश् च पाण्डवैः ॥
तीर्थयात्रां ययौ रामो निवर्त्य मधुसूदनम् ॥
na cāham utsahe kṛṣṇam ṛte lokam udīkṣitum ||
tato 'ham anuvartāmi keśavasya cikīrṣitam ||
ubhau śiṣyau hi me vīrau gadāyuddhaviśāradau ||
tulyasneho 'smy ato bhīme tathā duryodhane nṛpe ||
tasmād yāsyāmi tīrthāni sarasvatyā niṣevitum ||
na hi śakṣyāmi kauravyān naśyamānān upekṣitum ||
evam uktvā mahābāhur anujñātaś ca pāṇḍavaiḥ ||
tīrthayātrāṃ yayau rāmo nivartya madhusūdanam ||
'And I cannot bear to look upon the world without Krishna; therefore I follow Keshava's design. Both heroes -- Bhima and King Duryodhana -- are my disciples, skilled in combat with the mace; therefore I hold equal love for them. So I shall go to visit the sacred fords along the Sarasvati. I shall not be able to watch the Kauravas perish unmoved.' Having said this, the mighty-armed Rama, having received the Pandavas' leave and taken leave of Madhusudana, set out on his pilgrimage to the sacred fords.
1d99f53cdbb9 · published Jul 17, 2026, 6:17:52 AM UTC
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The chapter contrasts two forms of faithfulness: the Pandavas organize their army under Krishna's guidance, while Balarama, equally bound to both Bhima and Duryodhana, chooses not to take part in the fratricidal war. His departure does not diminish the rightness of the Pandavas' cause, but it underscores the gravity of the moment: even one who accepts Keshava's will is not always able to watch the destruction of his own kin.