Shloka 24

Trita in the Well (Udapāna-kathā) — Balarāma’s Tīrtha Observances

Devanagari script

देशे देशे तु देयानि दानानि विविधानि च । अचयि चार्थिनां राजन्‌ क्लृप्तानि बहुशस्तथा

Transliteration

deśe deśe tu deyāni dānāni vividhāni ca | acayi cārthināṃ rājan klṛptāni bahuśas tathā ||

Translation

ไวศัมปายนะกล่าวว่า “ข้าแต่พระราชา ในแต่ละแคว้นพึงมอบทานนานาประการ และเพื่อประโยชน์แก่ผู้มาขอความช่วยเหลือ ก็ได้จัดเตรียมและสะสมเสบียงสิ่งของไว้เป็นระเบียบครั้งแล้วครั้งเล่า”

Word by Word

देशेin a place/region

देशेin (another) place/region

तुbut/indeed

देयानिto be given, should be given

दानानिgifts, donations

विविधानिvarious, diverse

चand

अचयिhe accumulated/collected

चand

अर्थिनाम्of the supplicants/beggars

राजन्O king

क्लृप्तानिarranged, prepared

बहुशःmany times, repeatedly, in abundance

तथाthus, so

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

rājan (the King addressed)

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

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights rājadharma expressed through dāna: a ruler (or governing authority) should ensure that appropriate forms of giving are organized across regions, with resources prepared in advance so that supplicants are not turned away.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates to the King that, in many places, diverse gifts were designated and supplies were systematically gathered and arranged, indicating an organized effort to provide for those who came seeking assistance.