Lord Balarama’s Touring the Sacred Places 169

Balarama by presenting Him first-class new clothing and ornaments and
the lotus flower garland of victory, the reservoir of all beauty, which was
never to be dried up, being in everlasting existence.

After this incidence, Lord Balarama took permission from the brahmanas
assembled at Naimisaranya and, accompanied by other brahmanas, went
to the bank of the River Kausiki. After taking His bath in this holy place,
He proceeded toward the River Sarayt and visited the source of the river.
He began to travel on the bank of the Sarayii River, and He gradually
reached Prayaga, where there is a confluence of three rivers, the Ganges,
Yamuna and Sarasvati. Here also He regularly took His bath, worshiped the
local temples of God and, as it is enjoined in the Vedic literature, offered
oblations to the forefathers and sages. He gradually reached the asrama of
the sage Pulaha and from there went to Gandaki on the River Gomati.
After this He took His bath in the River Vipasa. Then gradually He came to
the bank of the Sona River. (The Sona River is still running as one of the
big rivers in the Behar Province.) He also took His bath there and
performed the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies. He continued His travels and
gradually came to the pilgrimage city of Gaya where there is a celebrated
Visnu temple. According to the advice of His father Vasudeva, He offered
oblations to the forefathers in this Visnu temple. From here He traveled to
the delta of the Ganges, where the sacred River Ganges mixes with the Bay
of Bengal. This sacred place is called Gangasagara, and at the end of
January every year there is still a great assembly of saintly persons and
pious men, just as there is an assembly of saintly persons in Prayaga every
year which is called the Magh Mela Fair.

After finishing His bathing and ritualistic ceremonies at Gangasagara,
Lord Balarama proceeded toward the mountain known as Mahendra
Parvata. At this place He met Parasurama, the incarnation of Lord Krsna,
and He offered him respect by bowing down before him. After this He
gradually turned toward southern India and visited the banks of the River
Godavari. After taking His bath in the River Godavari and performing the
necessary ritualistic ceremonies, He gradually visited the other rivers—the
Vena, Pampa and Bhimarathi. On the bank of the River Bhimarathi there
is the deity called Svami Karttikeya. After visiting Karttikeya Lord
Balarama gradually proceeded to Sailapura, a pilgrimage city in the prov-
ince of Maharastra. Sailapura is one of the biggest districts in Maharastra
Province. He then gradually proceeded towards the Dravidadega. Southern
India is divided into five parts, called Paficadravida. Northern India
is also divided into five parts, called Paficagaura. All the important
dearyas of the modern age, namely Sankaracarya, Ram@nujacarya,
