adyÄpi ca puraá¹ hy etat
sÅ«cayad rÄma-vikramam
samunnataṠdakṣiṇato
gaá¹…gÄyÄm anudṛśyate

 adya - today; api - even; ca - and; puram - city; hi - indeed; etat - this; sÅ«cayat - showing the signs of; rÄma - of Lord BalarÄma; vikramam - the prowess; samunnatam - prominently elevated; daká¹£iṇataḥ - on the southern side; gaá¹…gÄyÄm - by the Ganges; anudṛśyate - is seen.


Text

Even today the city of HastinÄpura is visibly elevated on its southern side along the Ganges, thus showing the signs of Lord BalarÄma’s prowess.

Purport

ÅšrÄ«la PrabhupÄda writes as follows: “For the most part it was the practice of the ká¹£atriya kings to inaugurate some kind of fighting between the parties of the bride and bridegroom before the marriage. When SÄmba forcibly took away Laká¹£maṇa, the elderly members of the Kuru dynasty were pleased to see that he was actually the suitable match for her. In order to see his personal strength, however, they fought with him, and without any respect for the regulations of fighting, they all arrested him. When the Yadu dynasty decided to release SÄmba from the confinement of the Kurus, Lord BalarÄma came personally to settle the matter, and, as a powerful ká¹£atriya, He ordered them to free SÄmba immediately. The Kauravas became superficially insulted by this order, so they challenged Lord BalarÄma’s power. They simply wanted to see Him exhibit His inconceivable strength. Thus with great pleasure they handed over their daughter to SÄmba, and the whole matter was settled. Duryodhana, being affectionate toward his daughter Laká¹£maṇÄ, had her married to SÄmba in great pomp.… BalarÄma was very satisfied after His great reception from the side of the Kurus, and accompanied by the newly married couple, He started toward His capital city of DvÄrakÄ.

“Lord BalarÄma triumphantly reached DvÄrakÄ, where He met with many citizens who were all His devotees and friends. When they all assembled, Lord BalarÄma narrated the whole story of the marriage, and they were astonished to hear how BalarÄma had made the city of HastinÄpura tremble.â€

Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupÄda to the Tenth Canto, Sixty-eighth Chapter, of the ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam, entitled “The Marriage of SÄmba.â€