Shloka 40
Aṣṭāvakra’s Visit to Kubera: Hospitality, Temptation, and the Ethics of Restraint (अष्टावक्र-वैश्रवणोपाख्यानम्)
पराशर उवाच प्रसाद्येह पुरा शर्व मनसाचिन्तयं नृप । महातपा महातेजा महायोगी महायशा:
parāśara uvāca | prasādyeha purā śarvaṁ manasā cintayaṁ nṛpa | mahātapā mahātejā mahāyogī mahāyaśāḥ |
Parāśara sprach: „O König, vor langer Zeit, an eben diesem Ort, nachdem ich Śarva (Śiva) gnädig gestimmt hatte, begann ich, ihn in meinem Innern zu betrachten. Durch jene Askese und innere Hingabe suchte ich die Gnade des Herrn — damit mir ein Sohn nach dem Wunsch meines Herzens gewährt werde: begabt mit großer Bußkraft, großer geistiger Strahlkraft, Meisterschaft im Yoga und dauerndem Ruhm.“
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical-spiritual principle that disciplined austerity (tapas) combined with inward contemplation and devotion can invite divine grace, leading to elevated outcomes—here, the aspiration for an exceptional, dharma-aligned progeny.
Parāśara narrates to a king that he once propitiated Śiva (Śarva) and began meditating upon him mentally, describing the intended fruit of that practice: the granting of a highly accomplished and illustrious son.