Shloka 85

Trita in the Well (Udapāna-kathā) — Balarāma’s Tīrtha Observances

Devanagari script

अमावास्यां महाराज नित्यश: शशलक्षण: । स्नात्वा ह्॒ाप्यायते श्रीमान्‌ प्रभासे तीर्थ उत्तमे

Transliteration

amāvāsyāṃ mahārāja nityaśaḥ śaśalakṣaṇaḥ | snātvā hy āpyāyate śrīmān prabhāse tīrtha uttame ||

Translation

বৈশম্পায়ন বললেন—মহারাজ! প্রতি অমাবস্যায় শশচিহ্নধারী শ্রীমান্ চন্দ্র প্রভাস নামক শ্রেষ্ঠ তীর্থে স্নান করে পুনরায় পুষ্ট ও পূর্ণতা লাভ করেন।

Word by Word

• अमावास्यायाम्: on the new-moon day
• अमावास्यायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• नित्यशः: always, regularly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यशः

• शशलक्षणः: having the hare-mark (moon-marked)
• शशलक्षणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शशलक्षण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• अप्यायते: becomes full / waxes / is replenished
• Type: Verb
• Root: अपि-आ-या
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• श्रीमान्: splendid, glorious
• श्रीमान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीमत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रभासे: at Prabhāsa
• प्रभासे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/pilgrimage-place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• उत्तमे: excellent, best
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Prabhāsa tīrtha
• the Moon (Śaśin/Śaśalakṣaṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents tīrtha as a source of renewal: even the Moon, diminished at amāvāsyā, is said to regain fullness through ritual bathing at Prabhāsa—an image linking sacred practice with restoration and cosmic regularity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana explains to the king a traditional account about Prabhāsa: on each new-moon day the Moon (identified by the hare-mark) bathes there and becomes replenished, highlighting the tīrtha’s exceptional sanctity.