Shloka 10
Trita in the Well (Udapāna-kathā) — Balarāma’s Tīrtha Observances
न कुर्वन्ति वचो महां कुरव: कालनोदिता: । निर्गच्छध्वं पाण्डवेया: पुष्पेण सहिता मया,“कौरव कालके अधीन हो रहे हैं, इसलिये वे मेरा कहना नहीं मानते हैं। पाण्डवो! अब तुमलोग मेरे साथ पुष्य नक्षत्रमें युद्धके लिये निकल पड़ो,
na kurvanti vaco mahān kuravaḥ kālanoditāḥ | nirgacchadhvaṃ pāṇḍaveyāḥ puṣpeṇa sahitā mayā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “The great Kurus, driven onward by Time, do not heed my words. Therefore, O sons of Pāṇḍu, set out with me—together with Puṣya, the auspicious lunar mansion—for the undertaking of war.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights Kāla (Time/Fate) as a compelling force that can override counsel and good sense: when people are ‘driven by Time,’ they may refuse wise advice, and events move toward inevitable conflict. Ethically, it underscores the tragedy of ignored counsel and the momentum of adharma leading to war.
The speaker reports that the Kurus are not accepting his words because they are propelled by Kāla. He then urges the Pāṇḍavas to depart with him, specifically invoking Puṣya—an auspicious nakṣatra—suggesting a departure timed for favorable omens as they proceed toward the war’s next phase.