Shloka 643
Trita in the Well (Udapāna-kathā) — Balarāma’s Tīrtha Observances
निरास्वादरसा: सर्वा हतवीर्याश्च सर्वश: । चन्द्रमाके क्षीण होनेसे अन्न आदि ओषधियाँ उत्पन्न नहीं होती थीं। उन सबके स्वाद, रस और प्रभाव नष्ट हो गये
nirāsvādarasāḥ sarvā hatavīryāś ca sarvaśaḥ |
Vaiśampāyana said: All things became devoid of taste and sap; their potency was everywhere destroyed. With the waning of the moon, even grains and medicinal herbs failed to arise, and whatever did appear had lost its flavor, nourishment, and effective power—an ominous sign of a world’s vitality collapsing under the weight of calamity.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When adharma and mass violence prevail, the text portrays nature itself as losing its sustaining power—food and medicine become ineffective—warning that ethical collapse brings collective, systemic suffering.
The narrator describes ominous conditions: as the moon wanes, crops and herbs do not properly arise, and whatever exists becomes tasteless and powerless, signaling a grave, world-affecting crisis during the war’s climactic phase.