Shloka 4

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

Devanagari script

आखाेणयाहि मे विस्तरश: कथ॑ं राम उपस्थित: । कथं च दृष्टवान्‌ युद्ध कुशलो हासि सत्तम

Transliteration

ākhoṇayāhi me vistaraśaḥ kathaṃ rāma upasthitaḥ | kathaṃ ca dṛṣṭavān yuddha-kuśalo ’si sattama sādhū-śiromaṇe ||

Translation

Janamejaya berkata: “Wahai insan utama, engkau mahir menuturkan kisah; maka jelaskan kepadaku dengan rinci bagaimana Rama (Balarāma) hadir di sana, dan bagaimana ia menyaksikan peperangan itu.”

Word by Word

• आख्याहि: tell (me)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, चतुर्थी (दत्तिव), एकवचन

• विस्तरशः: in detail
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• रामः: Rama (Balarama)
• रामः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उपस्थितः: present/arrived
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-स्था (धातु) → उपस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन, क्त (past passive participle)

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

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

• दृष्टवान्: saw/has seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्टवत्/दृष्टवान् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन, क्तवतुँ (perfect participle, active sense)

• युद्धम्: the battle
• युद्धम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कुशलः: skilled
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• असि: you are
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), मध्यम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सत्तम: O best of men
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; सत् + तमप्)
• Form: पुं, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• साधु: O good one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: पुं, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• शिरोमणे: O crest-jewel (best among ...)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरोमणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janamejaya
• Balarama (Rama)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined inquiry and responsible transmission of history: a listener seeks a detailed, truthful account from a competent narrator, especially regarding morally weighty events like war.

What is happening in the narrative?

King Janamejaya asks the narrator to explain, in detail, how Balarama came to the scene and how he observed the battle, emphasizing the narrator’s expertise in describing warfare.