Shloka 90
Trita in the Well (Udapāna-kathā) — Balarāma’s Tīrtha Observances
स्निग्धत्वादोषधीनां च भूमेश्नव जनमेजय । जानन्ति सिद्धा राजेन्द्र नष्टामपि सरस्वतीम्,श्रीकृष्णके बड़े भाई हलधारी बलरामने वहाँ विधिपूर्वक स्नान करके उत्तम दान दे एक रात रहकर बड़ी उतावलीके साथ वहाँसे उदपानतीर्थको प्रस्थान किया, जो मंगलकारी आदि तीर्थ है। राजेन्द्र जममेजय! उदपान वह तीर्थ है, जहाँ उपस्थित होनेमात्रसे महान् फलकी प्राप्ति होती है। सिद्ध पुरुष वहाँ ओषधियों (वृक्षों और लताओं)-की स्निग्धता और भूमिकी आर्द्रता देखकर अदृश्य हुई सरस्वतीको भी जान लेते हैं
vaiśampāyana uvāca | snigdhatvād oṣadhīnāṃ ca bhūmeḥ snava janamejaya | jānanti siddhā rājendra naṣṭām api sarasvatīm ||
Vaiśampāyana said: O Janamejaya, because of the lush, unctuous vitality of the herbs and plants and the moistness of the earth, the perfected sages—O king—can recognize even the Sarasvatī though she has become hidden from sight. The passage underscores that sacred presence is not always grasped by ordinary perception; purity, insight, and attentiveness to subtle signs reveal what is concealed, and holy places yield fruit even by mere arrival.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sacred reality may be concealed from ordinary sight; those with spiritual accomplishment discern it through subtle indicators in nature (lush plants, moist earth). The verse highlights refined perception and inner purity as means to recognize holiness.
Vaiśampāyana explains to King Janamejaya that siddhas can identify the hidden Sarasvatī by observing environmental signs—especially the vitality of herbs and the dampness of the ground—affirming the sanctity of the region even when the river is not visibly present.