Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 40

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

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच तीर्थानां च फलं राजन्‌ गुणोत्पत्तिं च सर्वश: । मयोच्यमान वै पुण्यं शृणु राजेन्द्र कृत्सनश:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca tīrthānāṃ ca phalaṃ rājan guṇotpattiṃ ca sarvaśaḥ | mayocyamānaṃ vai puṇyaṃ śṛṇu rājendra kṛtsnaśaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O King, I shall describe in full the fruits of visiting sacred fords (tīrthas), their virtues, and their origins in every respect. O lord of kings, listen attentively to this complete account of the merit that arises from them.”

Word by Word

• {'vaiśampāyana uvāca': 'Vaiśampāyana said', 'tīrthānām': 'of tīrthas

• sacred places/fords of pilgrimage', 'phalam': 'fruit

• spiritual benefit', 'rājan': 'O king (vocative)', 'guṇa': 'quality

• excellence', 'utpatti': 'origin

• genesis', 'sarvaśaḥ': 'in every way

• comprehensively', 'mayā ucyamānam': 'being spoken by me

• as I am about to tell', 'vai': 'indeed

• emphatic particle', 'puṇyam': 'merit

• auspicious spiritual credit', 'śṛṇu': 'listen (imperative)', 'rājendra': 'O best of kings

• king of kings', 'kṛtsnaśaḥ': 'completely

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• rājan (the King addressed)
• tīrthas (pilgrimage sites)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames pilgrimage as a dharmic practice whose value lies in understanding both the spiritual fruits (phala/puṇya) and the virtues and origins (guṇa-utpatti) of sacred places, emphasizing attentive listening and proper knowledge as part of religious merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana begins a didactic section addressed to a king, announcing that he will systematically explain the merits, qualities, and origins of various tīrthas—introducing a broader discourse on tīrtha-māhātmya within the Shalya Parva.