Shloka 49

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

Devanagari script

पुरा हि सोमो राजेन्द्र रोहिण्यामवसत्‌ परम्‌ | ततस्ता: कुपिता: सर्वा नक्षत्राख्या महात्मन:,राजेन्द्र! पूर्वकालमें चन्द्रमा सदा रोहिणीके ही समीप रहते थे; अतः नक्षत्रनामसे प्रसिद्ध हुईं महात्मा सोमकी वे सारी पत्नियाँ उनपर कुपित हो उठीं

Transliteration

purā hi somo rājendra rohiṇyām avasat param | tatastāḥ kupitāḥ sarvā nakṣatrākhyā mahātmanaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: «En tiempos antiguos, oh rey, Soma (la Luna) moraba en exceso sólo junto a Rohiṇī. Por ello, todas sus demás esposas —las ilustres conocidas como las Nakṣatras— se airaron contra aquel magnánimo Soma al ver su parcialidad».

Word by Word

पुराformerly, in olden times

हिindeed, for

सोमःSoma (the Moon)

राजेन्द्रO king of kings

रोहिण्याम्in/with Rohiṇī

अवसत्dwelt, stayed

परम्excessively, very much

ततःthereupon, from that

ताःthose (women)

कुपिताःangered

सर्वाःall

नक्षत्राख्याःknown as Nakṣatras (star-maidens)

महात्मनःof the great-souled one

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Soma (Candra, the Moon)

Rohiṇī

Nakṣatras (Soma’s wives)

Rājendra (the addressed king)

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?

Partiality and exclusive favoritism—especially by one who bears responsibility toward many—breeds resentment and disrupts harmony; ethical conduct requires fairness and restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana recounts an old episode: Soma repeatedly stays with Rohiṇī more than with his other wives (the Nakṣatras), and the neglected wives become angry at his unequal treatment.