Shloka 63
Trita in the Well (Udapāna-kathā) — Balarāma’s Tīrtha Observances
उक्तवान् वचन तथ्यं हितं चैव विशेषत: । भगवानने हस्तिनापुर जाकर धुृतराष्ट्रसे भेंट की और उनसे सबके लिये विशेष हितकारक एवं यथार्थ बातें कहीं
uktavān vacanaṃ tathyaṃ hitaṃ caiva viśeṣataḥ | yatnaṃ cāpyakarod rājan mokṣārthaṃ tasya yakṣmaṇaḥ | yakṣmāsā śarīra-grastaḥ candramā pratidinaṃ kṣīṇo babhūva | rājan tasya yakṣmaṇo mokṣārthaṃ sa mahān yatnaṃ cakāra | iṣṭaiḥ veṣṭibhiḥ mahārāja vividhābhiḥ niśākaraḥ | na cāmucyata śāpād vai kṣayaṃ caivābhyagacchat ||
उक्तवान् वचनं तथ्यं हितं चैव विशेषतः। यत्नं चाप्यकरोद् राजन् मोक्षार्थं तस्य यक्ष्मणः॥ यक्ष्मग्रस्ततनुः सोमः क्षीयतेऽहरहः शशी। इष्ट्वा यज्ञैर्बहुविधैर्नामुच्यत शापतः; क्षयं चैवाभ्यगच्छत॥
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical ideal of speaking what is both true (tathya) and beneficial (hita), and it underscores that suffering caused by a curse or past cause may not be removed merely by ritual effort; consequences can persist until the proper means of release is found.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that earnest attempts were made to free the Moon from a wasting affliction (yakṣma). Although the Moon performed many sacrifices and rites, he was not released from the curse and continued to wane day by day.