Shloka 70
Trita in the Well (Udapāna-kathā) — Balarāma’s Tīrtha Observances
असौ हि चन्द्रमा: क्षीण: किज्चिच्छेषो हि लक्ष्यते
asau hi candramāḥ kṣīṇaḥ kiñciccheṣo hi lakṣyate |
وَیشَمپایَن نے کہا— “دیکھو، چاند گھٹ گیا ہے؛ بس تھوڑا سا حصہ ہی نظر آتا ہے۔ اے دیوتاؤں کے پروردگار! اس کی کمی کے سبب بیلیں، گھاس، جڑی بوٹیاں، طرح طرح کے بیج، بلکہ تمام مخلوق بھی ناتواں ہو گئی ہے۔”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the Mahābhārata’s ethic of interconnectedness: cosmic imbalance (the moon’s waning) is mirrored in ecological and social depletion. It implies that sustaining order (dharma) is not merely personal morality but also the maintenance of conditions under which life—plants, seeds, and people—can flourish.
Vaiśampāyana reports an ominous sign: the moon appears greatly diminished, with only a small portion visible. This waning is presented as having tangible consequences—vegetation, medicinal herbs, seeds, and the general populace are described as weakened—signaling a broader atmosphere of decline surrounding the events of the war.