Texts 42-43
jala-yānam ivāghūrṇaṁ
gaṅgāyāṁ nagaraṁ patat
ākṛṣyamāṇam ālokya
kauravāḥ jāta-sambhramāḥ
tam eva śaraṇaṁ jagmuḥ
sa-kuṭumbā jijīviṣavaḥ
sa-lakṣmaṇaṁ puras-kṛtya
sāmbaṁ prāñjalayaḥ prabhum
jala-yānam — a raft; iva — as if; āghūrṇam — tumbling about; gaṅgāyām — into the Ganges; nagaram — the city; patat — falling; ākṛṣyamāṇam — being dragged; ālokya — seeing; kauravāḥ — the Kauravas; jāta — becoming; sambhramāḥ — excited and bewildered; tam — to Him, Lord Balarāma; eva — indeed; śaraṇam — for shelter; jagmuḥ — they went; sa — with; kuṭumbaḥ — their families; jijīviṣavaḥ — wanting to remain alive; sa — with; lakṣmaṇam — Lakṣmaṇā; puraḥ-kṛtya — placing in front; sāmbam — Sāmba; prāñjalayaḥ — with palms joined in supplication; prabhum — to the Lord.
Seeing that their city was tumbling about like a raft at sea as it was being dragged away, and that it was about to fall into the Ganges, the Kauravas became terrified. To save their lives they approached the Lord for shelter, taking their families with them. Placing Sāmba and Lakṣmaṇā in front, they joined their palms in supplication.
The city of Hastināpura began to roll about like a raft in a stormy sea. The frightened Kauravas, to quickly appease the Lord, immediately brought Sāmba and Lakṣmaṇā and placed them in front.