Shloka 16

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

Devanagari script

गच्छन्नेव पथिस्थस्तु राम: प्रेष्यानुवाच ह

Transliteration

gacchann eva pathisthaḥ tu rāmaḥ preṣyān uvāca ha | tūrṇaṃ dvārakāṃ gatvā tataḥ tīrthayātrāyāṃ kāryāṃ sarvāṃ sāmagrīṃ sarvān āvaśyakopaskarān agnihotrāgnim purohitāṃś ca ānaya ta ||

Translation

Di tengah perjalanan, Balarāma berhenti dan berkata kepada para pengiringnya, “Lekaslah pergi ke Dvārakā; bawalah semua bekal dan perlengkapan yang diperlukan untuk ziarah—beserta api suci untuk agnihotra dan para pendeta.”

Word by Word

• गच्छन्: going
• गच्छन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, शतृ (present active participle)

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• पथि-स्थः: standing/on the road
• पथि-स्थः: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पथि-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• रामः: Rama (Balarama)
• रामः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रेष्यान्: servants/messengers
• प्रेष्यान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• उवाच: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ह: indeed (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Balarāma (Rāma)
• attendants/servants (preṣyāḥ)
• Dvārakā
• tīrthayātrā (pilgrimage)
• agnihotra
• sacred fire (agni)
• purohitas (priests)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even while traveling, one should uphold dharma through orderly preparation and respect for sacred rites; religious duties like agnihotra are treated as integral, not optional, to a righteous journey.

What is happening in the narrative?

Balarāma, already on the road, instructs his attendants to hurry to Dvārakā and fetch all pilgrimage requisites, including ritual implements, the agnihotra fire, and priests, indicating he is setting out for a properly conducted tīrthayātrā.