Shloka 6

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

Devanagari script

शमं प्रति महाबाहो हितार्थ सर्वदेहिनाम्‌ वैशम्पायनजीने कहा--राजन्‌! जिन दिनों महामनस्वी पाण्डव उपप्लव्य नामक स्थानमें छावनी डालकर ठहरे हुए थे, उन्हीं दिनोंकी बात है। महाबाहो! पाण्डवोंने समस्त प्राणियोंके हितके लिये सन्धिके उद्देश्यसे भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्णको धृतराष्ट्रके पास भेजा || ५३ || स गत्वा हास्तिनपुरं धृतराष्ट्रं समेत्य च

Transliteration

sa gatvā hāstinapuraṃ dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ sametya ca

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Seeking peace for the welfare of all beings, he (Kṛṣṇa) went to Hāstinapura and met with Dhṛtarāṣṭra as well, continuing the Pāṇḍavas’ conciliatory effort before the war’s final escalation.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गत्वा: having gone
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here), Prior action (having done)

• हास्तिनपुरम्: to Hastinapura
• हास्तिनपुरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हास्तिनपुर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धृतराष्ट्रम्: Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• धृतराष्ट्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• समेत्य: having met / having approached
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + इ
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here), Prior action (having met/approached)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Hāstinapura
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Kṛṣṇa (implied as the envoy in context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even on the brink of conflict, dharma favors exhausting peaceful, welfare-oriented counsel—approaching authority directly and seeking reconciliation before resorting to violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

The envoy (Kṛṣṇa, by context) reaches Hāstinapura and meets King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, advancing the Pandavas’ attempt at negotiation and settlement.