Shloka 13

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

Devanagari script

नामभिश्षास्तुव॑ं देवं ततस्तुष्टो5भवद्‌ भव: । परशुं च ततो देवो दिव्यान्यस्त्राणि चैव मे

Transliteration

nāma-bhiḥ śāstā tvaṃ devaṃ tataḥ tuṣṭo 'bhavad bhavaḥ | paraśuṃ ca tato devo divyāny astrāṇi caiva me ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: „Als ich jenen Gott mit eben diesen Namen pries, wurde Bhava (Śiva) zufrieden. Da gewährte mir die Gottheit seine Axt (paraśu) und zudem göttliche Waffen. (Er versicherte:) ‚Keine Sünde wird an dir haften; im Kampf wirst du unbezwingbar sein; der Tod wird keine Macht über dich gewinnen, und du wirst frei sein von Verfall und Tod.‘“

Word by Word

• नामभिः: with (these) names
• नामभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• शास्तुवम्: I praised
• शास्तुवम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• तुष्टः: pleased
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभवत्: became/was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भवः: Bhava (Śiva)
• भवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परशुम्: axe
• परशुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: परशु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• ततः: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दिव्यानि: divine
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• अस्त्राणि: weapons/missiles
• अस्त्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

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

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Bhava (Śiva/Rudra/Mahādeva)
• paraśu (Śiva’s axe)
• divyāni astrāṇi (divine weapons)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sincere praise and surrender to Śiva (Bhava) can lead to divine grace that removes the burden of sin and grants protection; the passage frames ethical anxiety (fear of sin) being met by devotion and the deity’s assurance.

What is happening in the narrative?

After being praised with specific divine names, Śiva becomes satisfied and rewards the devotee by giving his paraśu and divine weapons, along with boons of sinlessness, victory in war, and freedom from death’s control.