Shloka 23

सरस्वतीतीर्थानुक्रमः — बलरामस्य तीर्थयात्रा

Sarasvatī Tīrtha Itinerary — Balarāma’s Pilgrimage

Devanagari script

अन्यास्तु बहुला गावस्त्रित: समुपलप्स्यते । तदावां सहितौ भूत्वा गा: प्रकाल्य व्रजावहे

Transliteration

anyāstu bahulā gāvas tritaḥ samupalapsyate | tadāvāṃ sahitau bhūtvā gāḥ prakālya vrajāvahe ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Andere Kühe, in großer Zahl, werden dort in drei Tagen zu finden sein. Darum lasst uns beide gemeinsam gehen; nachdem wir diese Kühe vorangetrieben haben, wollen wir zum Viehpferch ziehen.“

Word by Word

अन्याःother

तुbut/indeed

बहुलाःmany/abundant

गावःcows

त्रितःthreefold / in three ways

समुपलप्स्यतेwill be obtained/attained

तदाthen

आवाम्we two

सहितौtogether

भूत्वाhaving become

गाःcows

प्रकाल्यhaving driven/urged on

व्रजावहेlet us two go

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

cows (gāvaḥ/gāḥ)

vraja (cattle-pen/cowherd settlement)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights practical prudence and cooperative action: waiting for the right time to secure resources, and proceeding together to accomplish a task responsibly.

What is happening in the narrative?

A plan is stated: more cattle will be available after three days, so the two speakers should go together, drive the cows along, and take them to the cattle-pen/settlement.