Shloka 34

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

Devanagari script

ततो मां भगवान्‌ प्रीत इदं वचनमत्रवीत्‌ । वरं वृणीष्व भद्रें ते यस्ते मनसि वर्तते

Transliteration

tato māṁ bhagavān prīta idaṁ vacanam atravīt | varaṁ vṛṇīṣva bhadraṁ te yas te manasi vartate ||

Translation

Da sprach der erhabene Herr, mir wohlgesinnt, diese Worte: „Wähle eine Gabe. Heil sei dir. Bitte um das, was als Wunsch in deinem Herzen weilt.“

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: common, accusative, singular

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• प्रीतः: pleased
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रीत (कृदन्त; √प्री)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• वचनम्: speech, words
• वचनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• अवीत्: said, spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच्
• Form: imperfect (laṅ), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• वृणीष्व: choose (for yourself)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृ (वृणुते/वृणोति)
• Form: imperative (loṭ), 2nd, singular, ātmanepada

• भद्रे: O auspicious one / O good lady
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र
• Form: feminine, vocative, singular

• ते: to you / for you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: common, dative, singular

• यः: which (boon) / that which
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• ते: of you / your
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: common, genitive, singular

• मनसि: in (your) mind
• मनसि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• वर्तते: is, exists, is present
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृत्
• Form: present (laṭ), 3rd, singular, ātmanepada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• bhagavān (the Blessed Lord)
• vaiśampāyana (narrator/speaker)
• mām (the narrator as recipient of the boon-offer)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights divine grace responding to devotion or service: when the Lord is pleased, he invites the devotee to choose a boon, emphasizing benevolence (bhadraṁ te) and the ethical idea that blessings follow sincere conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports that the Lord, satisfied with him, addresses him directly and offers a boon, inviting him to ask for whatever wish is present in his mind.