Balarāma’s pilgrimage to the sacred sites along the Sarasvatī

Száler, Péter (2017) Balarāma’s pilgrimage to the sacred sites along the Sarasvatī. Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 70 (3). pp. 317-345. ISSN 0001-6446

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Abstract

The famous Kurukṣetra War is rightly considered as one of the greatest mythological conflicts in world literature. All the heroes of the Mahābhārata came together on Kuru’s field to fight with each other. But one of the great warriors was absent. He was Balarāma, Kṛṣṇa’s brother, who alone refused to take part in the war and went on a pilgrimage. In this paper I aim to present Balarāma’s travel during the epic battle. My research is based on an Epic sub-parvan, namely the Sārasvata-parvan. This book is a detailed catalogue of the sacred sites along the Sarasvastī. Having studied this text I examine how the importance of these places changed through the ages. Some of them (like Somnāth, Thānesar) are among the most popular places of pilgrimage, while others have lost their significance. This paper may provide an insight into the history of this sacred area along the mysterious river.

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