Shloka 15

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

Devanagari script

युयुधानेन सहितो वासुदेवस्तु पाण्डवान्‌ | रौहिणेये गते शूरे पुष्पेण मधुसूदन:

Transliteration

yuyudhānena sahito vāsudevas tu pāṇḍavān | rauhiṇeye gate śūre puṣpeṇa madhusūdanaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：瓦苏提婆（奎师那）与优优陀那同行，前往般度五子处。勇武的罗希尼耶（婆罗罗摩）既已离去，摩杜苏陀那（奎师那）便怀着柔和调停之意来到他们面前——为稳固其决心，并在战争的道义重压中加以引导。

Word by Word

युयुधानेनwith Yuyudhāna (Sātyaki)

सहितःaccompanied (together)

वासुदेवःVāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

तुindeed/but

पाण्डवान्the Pāṇḍavas

रौहिणेयेwhen/while (Balarāma) the son of Rohiṇī

गतेhaving gone / gone (locative absolute)

शूरेthe hero

पुष्पेणwith a flower

मधुसूदनःMadhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yuyudhāna (Sātyaki)

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

Pāṇḍavas

Rauhiṇeya (Balarāma)

Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa)

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?

Even in a righteous war, leadership requires restraint and timely counsel: Kṛṣṇa approaches the Pāṇḍavas in a gentle, conciliatory manner, emphasizing steadiness of mind and ethical clarity rather than mere aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Balarāma (Rauhiṇeya) has left, Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva/Madhusūdana), accompanied by Sātyaki (Yuyudhāna), goes to the Pāṇḍavas—signaling a moment of guidance and strategic-moral reassurance within the Shalya Parva war sequence.