Shloka 4
Trita in the Well (Udapāna-kathā) — Balarāma’s Tīrtha Observances
आखाेणयाहि मे विस्तरश: कथ॑ं राम उपस्थित: । कथं च दृष्टवान् युद्ध कुशलो हासि सत्तम,साधुशिरोमणे! आप कथा कहनेमें कुशल हैं; अतः मुझे विस्तारपूर्वक बताइये कि बलरामजी कैसे वहाँ उपस्थित हुए और किस प्रकार उन्होंने युद्ध देखा?
ākhoṇayāhi me vistaraśaḥ kathaṃ rāma upasthitaḥ | kathaṃ ca dṛṣṭavān yuddha-kuśalo ’si sattama sādhū-śiromaṇe ||
Janamejaya disse: “Conta-me em detalhe: como Rāma (Balarāma) veio a estar presente ali, e de que modo ele assistiu à guerra? Tu és hábil em narrar batalhas; portanto, explica-me tudo por completo.”
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined inquiry and responsible transmission of history: a listener seeks a detailed, truthful account from a competent narrator, especially regarding morally weighty events like war.
King Janamejaya asks the narrator to explain, in detail, how Balarama came to the scene and how he observed the battle, emphasizing the narrator’s expertise in describing warfare.