Shloka 36
Aṣṭāvakra’s Visit to Kubera: Hospitality, Temptation, and the Ethics of Restraint (अष्टावक्र-वैश्रवणोपाख्यानम्)
नित्यकालं तवेशान भक्तिर्भवतु मे स्थिरा । एवमस्त्विति भगवांस्तत्रोक्त्वान्तरधीयत
nityakālaṃ taveśāna bhaktir bhavatu me sthirā | evam astv iti bhagavāṃs tatrok tvāntaradhīyata ||
قال فَيْشَمْبَايَنَة: «يا إيشانا، فلتكن عبادتي لك ثابتةً في كل حين.» فلما قال ذلك أجابه الربُّ المبارك: «ليكن كذلك»، ثم توارى من ذلك الموضع.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ideal of nitya (continuous) and sthira (steady) bhakti—devotion that remains constant over time. Divine favor is shown as a response to sincere humility and a wish for enduring devotion rather than temporary gain.
The devotee addresses Śiva as Īśāna and asks that unwavering devotion remain always. Śiva grants the request with “evam astu” (“so be it”) and then disappears from that place, marking the completion of the divine encounter.