Shloka 15

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

Devanagari script

युयुधानेन सहितो वासुदेवस्तु पाण्डवान्‌ | रौहिणेये गते शूरे पुष्पेण मधुसूदन:

Transliteration

yuyudhānena sahito vāsudevas tu pāṇḍavān | rauhiṇeye gate śūre puṣpeṇa madhusūdanaḥ ||

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Acompañado de Yuyudhāna, Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) se acercó a los Pāṇḍavas. Cuando el valeroso Rauhiṇeya (Balarāma) hubo partido, Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa) vino a ellos con ánimo conciliador y suave—para afirmar su determinación y guiarlos en la tensión moral de la guerra.

Word by Word

युयुधानेनwith Yuyudhāna (Sātyaki)

सहितःaccompanied (together)

वासुदेवःVāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

तुindeed/but

पाण्डवान्the Pāṇḍavas

रौहिणेयेwhen/while (Balarāma) the son of Rohiṇī

गतेhaving gone / gone (locative absolute)

शूरेthe hero

पुष्पेणwith a flower

मधुसूदनःMadhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yuyudhāna (Sātyaki)

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

Pāṇḍavas

Rauhiṇeya (Balarāma)

Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa)

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?

Even in a righteous war, leadership requires restraint and timely counsel: Kṛṣṇa approaches the Pāṇḍavas in a gentle, conciliatory manner, emphasizing steadiness of mind and ethical clarity rather than mere aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Balarāma (Rauhiṇeya) has left, Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva/Madhusūdana), accompanied by Sātyaki (Yuyudhāna), goes to the Pāṇḍavas—signaling a moment of guidance and strategic-moral reassurance within the Shalya Parva war sequence.