Shloka 19
Trita in the Well (Udapāna-kathā) — Balarāma’s Tīrtha Observances
Devanagari script
प्रतिस्रोत: सरस्वत्या गच्छध्वं शीघ्रगामिन:
Transliteration
pratisrotaḥ sarasvatyā gacchadhvaṃ śīghragāminaḥ
Translation
“സരസ്വതിയുടെ പ്രവാഹത്തിന് എതിരായി, വേഗത്തിൽ മുന്നേറുക.”
Word by Word
प्रतिस्रोतःupstream; against the current
प्रतिस्रोतः:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootप्रतिस्रोतस्
FormAvyaya (directional adverb)
सरस्वत्याःof (the river) Sarasvatī
सरस्वत्याः:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसरस्वती
FormFeminine, Genitive, Singular
गच्छध्वम्go (you all)!
गच्छध्वम्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootगम्
FormImperative (Loṭ), 2nd person, Plural, Ātmanepada
शीघ्रगामिनःO swift-goers; O those who move quickly
शीघ्रगामिनः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootशीघ्रगामिन्
FormMasculine, Vocative, Plural
Speaker
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Characters & Entities
V
VaiśampāyanaS
Sarasvatī (river)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The line highlights determined action: one may need to proceed “against the current” when dharma or necessity requires it, especially under urgent circumstances.
Vaiśampāyana reports an instruction being issued to a group to move quickly upstream along the Sarasvatī, indicating haste and purposeful movement within the unfolding war-time events.