Shloka 2
Trita in the Well (Udapāna-kathā) — Balarāma’s Tīrtha Observances
साहाय्य॑ धार्तराष्ट्स्य न च कर्तास्मि केशव । न चैव पाण्डुपुत्राणां गमिष्यामि यथागतम्,जनमेजयने कहा--ब्रह्मन! जब महाभारतयुद्ध आरम्भ होनेका समय निकट आ गया, उस समय युद्ध प्रारम्भ होनेसे पहले ही भगवान् बलराम श्रीकृष्णकी सम्मति ले, अन्य वृष्णिवंशियोंके साथ तीर्थयात्राके लिये चले गये और जाते समय यह कह गये कि “केशव! मैंन तो धृतराष्ट्रपुत्र दुर्योधनकी सहायता करूँगा और न पाण्डवोंकी ही'
sāhāyyaṃ dhārtarāṣṭrasya na ca kartāsmi keśava | na caiva pāṇḍuputrāṇāṃ gamiṣyāmi yathāgatam ||
“Keśava, I will not become an ally of the son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra; nor will I go over to the sons of Pāṇḍu as things now stand.” In this moment, the speaker frames a deliberate stance of non-participation: refusing to lend strength to either side as the war approaches, emphasizing personal restraint and a chosen distance from the coming conflict.
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical agency in times of conflict: one may consciously refuse to empower either faction, choosing restraint and distance rather than becoming an instrument of war.
Addressing Keśava (Kṛṣṇa), the speaker declares that he will neither support the Kaurava side (Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son) nor join the Pāṇḍavas, signaling a decision to stay apart as the war nears.