Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 11-15
Sanskrit:
गोमतीं गण्डकीं स्नात्वा विपाशां शोण आप्लुत: ।गयां गत्वा पितृनिष्ट्वा गङ्गासागरसङ्गमे ॥ ११ ॥उपस्पृश्य महेन्द्राद्रौ रामं दृष्ट्वाभिवाद्य च ।सप्तगोदावरीं वेणां पम्पां भीमरथीं तत: ॥ १२ ॥स्कन्दं दृष्ट्वा ययौ राम: श्रीशैलं गिरिशालयम् ।द्रविडेषु महापुण्यं दृष्ट्वाद्रिं वेङ्कटं प्रभु: ॥ १३ ॥कामकोष्णीं पुरीं काञ्चीं कावेरीं च सरिद्वराम् ।श्रीरङ्गाख्यं महापुण्यं यत्र सन्निहितो हरि: ॥ १४ ॥ऋषभाद्रिं हरे: क्षेत्रं दक्षिणां मथुरां तथा ।सामुद्रं सेतुमगमत्महापातकनाशनम् ॥ १५ ॥
ITRANS:
gomatīṁ gaṇḍakīṁ snātvāvipāśāṁ śoṇa āplutaḥgayāṁ gatvā pitṝn iṣṭvāgaṅgā-sāgara-saṅgame
Translation:
Lord Balarāma bathed in the Gomatī, Gaṇḍakī and Vipāśā rivers, and also immersed Himself in the Śoṇa. He went to Gayā, where He worshiped His forefathers, and to the mouth of the Ganges, where He performed purifying ablutions. At Mount Mahendra He saw Lord Paraśurāma and offered Him prayers, and then He bathed in the seven branches of the Godāvarī River, and also in the rivers Veṇā, Pampā and Bhīmarathī. Then Lord Balarāma met Lord Skanda and visited Śrī-śaila, the abode of Lord Giriśa. In the southern provinces known as Draviḍa-deśa the Supreme Lord saw the sacred Veṅkaṭa Hill, as well as the cities of Kāmakoṣṇī and Kāñcī, the exalted Kāverī River and the most holy Śrī-raṅga, where Lord Kṛṣṇa has manifested Himself. From there He went to Ṛṣabha Mountain, where Lord Kṛṣṇa also lives, and to the southern Mathurā. Then He came to Setubandha, where the most grievous sins are destroyed.
Purport:
Usually one goes to Gayā to worship deceased forefathers. But as Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains, although Lord Balarāma’s father and grandfather were still alive, it was on His father’s order that He carefully worshiped His forefathers at Gayā. Drawing insight from the Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī, the ācārya further explains that although Lord Balarāma was in the immediate proximity of Jagannātha Purī, He did not go there, since He wanted to avoid the embarrassment of having to worship Himself among the forms of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Balabhadra and Subhadrā.