Shloka 49
Trita in the Well (Udapāna-kathā) — Balarāma’s Tīrtha Observances
Devanagari script
पुरा हि सोमो राजेन्द्र रोहिण्यामवसत् परम् | ततस्ता: कुपिता: सर्वा नक्षत्राख्या महात्मन:
Transliteration
purā hi somo rājendra rohiṇyām avasat param | tatastāḥ kupitāḥ sarvā nakṣatrākhyā mahātmanaḥ ||
Translation
पुरा हि सोमो राजेन्द्र रोहिण्यामवसत् परम्। ततस्ताः कुपिताः सर्वा नक्षत्राख्या महात्मनः॥
Word by Word
पुराformerly, in olden times
पुरा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुरा
हिindeed, for
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
सोमःSoma (the Moon)
सोमः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसोम
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
राजेन्द्रO king of kings
राजेन्द्र:
TypeNoun
Rootराजेन्द्र
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
रोहिण्याम्in/with Rohiṇī
रोहिण्याम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootरोहिणी
FormFeminine, Locative, Singular
अवसत्dwelt, stayed
अवसत्:
TypeVerb
Rootवस्
FormImperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
परम्excessively, very much
परम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपर
ततःthereupon, from that
ततः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः
ताःthose (women)
ताः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
कुपिताःangered
कुपिताः:
TypeAdjective
Rootकुपित
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
सर्वाःall
सर्वाः:
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्व
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
नक्षत्राख्याःknown as Nakṣatras (star-maidens)
नक्षत्राख्याः:
TypeAdjective
Rootनक्षत्राख्या
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
महात्मनःof the great-souled one
महात्मनः:
TypeNoun
Rootमहात्मन्
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
Speaker
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Characters & Entities
V
VaiśampāyanaS
Soma (Candra, the Moon)R
RohiṇīN
Nakṣatras (Soma’s wives)R
Rājendra (the addressed king)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
Partiality and exclusive favoritism—especially by one who bears responsibility toward many—breeds resentment and disrupts harmony; ethical conduct requires fairness and restraint.
Vaiśampāyana recounts an old episode: Soma repeatedly stays with Rohiṇī more than with his other wives (the Nakṣatras), and the neglected wives become angry at his unequal treatment.