Shloka 30

सरस्वतीतीर्थानुक्रमः — बलरामस्य तीर्थयात्रा

Sarasvatī Tīrtha Itinerary — Balarāma’s Pilgrimage

Devanagari script

त्रित आत्मानमालक्ष्य कूपे वीरुतृतृणावृते । निमग्नं भरतश्रेष्ठ नरके दुष्कृती यथा

Transliteration

trita ātmānam ālakṣya kūpe vīru-tṛṇa-āvṛte | nimagnaṃ bharataśreṣṭha narake duṣkṛtī yathā ||

Translation

ವೈಶಂಪಾಯನನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಭರತಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠನೇ, ಹುಲ್ಲು, ಬಳ್ಳಿಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಗಿಡಗಳಿಂದ ಮುಚ್ಚಿದ ಆ ಬಾವಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ತಾನು ಬಿದ್ದಿರುವುದನ್ನು ಕಂಡ ತ್ರಿತನು, ಪಾಪಿ ನರಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಳುಗಿದಂತೆಯೇ ಭಾವಿಸಿದನು.

Word by Word

• त्रितः: Trita (proper name)
• त्रितः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आत्मानम्: himself
• आत्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आलक्ष्य: having noticed/observed
• Type: Verb
• Root: लक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Non-finite

• कूपे: in a well
• कूपे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• वीरुत्-तृण-आवृते: covered with creepers and grass
• वीरुत्-तृण-आवृते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीरुत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तृण (प्रातिपदिक) + आवृत (कृदन्त, √वृ)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• निमग्नम्: sunk/immersed
• निमग्नम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निमग्न (कृदन्त, √मज्ज्)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• भरतश्रेष्ठ: O best of the Bharatas
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• दुष्कृती: a sinner/evil-doer
• दुष्कृती: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्कृतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यथा: as/just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Trita
• kūpa (well)
• naraka (hell)
• Soma (Soma-rasa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how a person’s inner state can resemble hell when trapped by misfortune and deprivation; yet the wise respond not with despair but with clear reflection on how to uphold their sacred aims (here, access to Soma/ritual fulfillment) even in adversity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Trita finds himself fallen into a well choked with vegetation. Feeling as helpless as a sinner sunk in hell and fearing death, he begins to think through a way to obtain Soma despite being trapped.