Shloka 64
Trita in the Well (Udapāna-kathā) — Balarāma’s Tīrtha Observances
।। क्षीयमाणे तत: सोमे ओषध्यो न प्रजज्ञिरे
kṣīyamāṇe tataḥ some oṣadhyo na prajajñire
বৈশম্পায়নে ক’লে—তাৰ পিছত সোম (চন্দ্ৰ) ক্ষীণ হ’বলৈ ধৰাত ঔষধিসকল আর জন্মাল নাছিল।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links cosmic diminution with worldly deprivation: when the sustaining source (Soma as a symbol of vitality and nourishment) wanes, life-supporting resources like medicinal plants fail to arise—implying that disorder or depletion at the root level leads to widespread suffering.
Vaiśampāyana describes a condition of decline: as Soma decreases, herbs do not grow. It functions as a sign of deteriorating balance in the world, setting a somber tone consistent with the broader atmosphere of loss and exhaustion in the Shalya Parva.