Shloka 24

Aṣṭāvakra’s Visit to Kubera: Hospitality, Temptation, and the Ethics of Restraint (अष्टावक्र-वैश्रवणोपाख्यानम्)

Devanagari script

दशवर्षसहस्राणि दशाष्टी च शतानि च । नष्टपानीयपवने मृगैरन्यैश्न वर्जिते

Transliteration

daśavarṣasahasrāṇi daśāṣṭī ca śatāni ca | naṣṭapānīyapavane mṛgair anyaiś na varjite ||

Translation

قال فَيْشَمْبَايَنَة: «عشرةَ آلافِ سنة، ثم تزيدُ عليها عشرَ سنينَ وثمانمائةَ سنة (أي 10,800 سنة)، في غابةٍ عظيمةٍ فُقِدَ فيها ماءُ الشرب والهواءُ السليم—(هناك ستقيم).» وفي سياق الحكاية تؤدي هذه العبارة وظيفةَ لعنةٍ قاسية: وجودٌ طويلٌ مفعمٌ بالخوف في بريةٍ قاسية، يبرز العاقبةَ الأخلاقية للغضب والذنب عبر صورة الحرمان (الماء، الهواء، الأمان) والعزلة والهجران.

Word by Word

• दश: ten
• दश: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, plural

• वर्ष: years
• वर्ष: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, plural

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, plural

• दश: ten
• दश: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, plural

• अष्टि: eighties (80s)
• अष्टि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टि
• Form: feminine, nominative/accusative, plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• नष्ट: lost, absent
• नष्ट: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नष्ट
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• पानीय: drinking-water
• पानीय: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पानीय
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• पवने: wind, air
• पवने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पवन
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• मृगैः: by animals (deer/beasts)
• मृगैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• अन्यैः: by other
• अन्यैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• वर्जिते: abandoned, devoid (of)
• वर्जिते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्जित
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• mṛgāḥ (wild animals)
• forest (vana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores karmic and ethical consequence: intense anger and harmful intent culminate in prolonged suffering—symbolized by deprivation of water and air and life among fearful wild conditions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within Vaiśaṃpāyana’s narration, a curse-like pronouncement is being reported: the target is condemned to dwell for 10,800 years in a harsh forest lacking drinkable water and healthy air, amid wild beasts.