Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 41
Trita in the Well (Udapāna-kathā) — Balarāma’s Tīrtha Observances
पूर्व महाराज यदुप्रवीर ऋषत्विक्सुह्ृद्विप्रगणैश्न सार्थम् पुण्यं प्रभासं समुपाजगाम यत्रोडुराड् यक्ष्मणा क्लिश्यमान:
pūrvaṃ mahārāja yadupravīra ṛṣatvik-suhṛd-vipra-gaṇaiḥ sa sārdham | puṇyaṃ prabhāsaṃ samupājagāma yatroḍurāḍ yakṣmaṇā kliśyamānaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Formerly, O great king, the foremost hero of the Yadus went together with officiating priests, well-wishers, and companies of brāhmaṇas to the holy tīrtha called Prabhāsa—where the Moon, the lord of the stars, afflicted by consumption (yakṣmā), found relief and regained his radiance. Because that sacred place caused the Moon to shine forth again, it became renowned on earth by the name Prabhāsa (‘the place of splendor’).”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s ethic of tīrtha-yātrā: sacred places are portrayed as sources of puṇya and restoration—spiritual and even cosmic—symbolized by the Moon regaining radiance at Prabhāsa. It reinforces reverence for holy geography and the company of priests, brāhmaṇas, and well-wishers in meritorious acts.
Vaiśampāyana recounts an earlier event: the foremost Yādava hero (understood here as Balarāma) travels with priests, friends, and brāhmaṇas to the holy site Prabhāsa. The place is famed because the Moon, suffering from yakṣmā, was relieved there and shone again—hence the name ‘Prabhāsa,’ the ‘place of splendor.’
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