Shloka 15

Aṣṭāvakra–Strī-saṃvāda: Dhṛti, hospitality, and a dispute on autonomy

Devanagari script

अष्टावक्र उवाच किं द्रष्टव्यं मया तत्र वक्तुमहति मे भवान्‌ | तथेदानीं मया कार्य यथा वक्ष्यति मां भवान्‌,अष्टावक्रने पूछा--महर्षे! उत्तर दिशामें जाकर मुझे किसका दर्शन करना होगा? आप यह बतानेकी कृपा करें तथा उस समय मुझे क्या और किस प्रकार करना चाहिये, यह भी आप ही बतायेंगे

Transliteration

Aṣṭāvakra uvāca: kiṁ draṣṭavyaṁ mayā tatra vaktum arhati me bhavān | tathā idānīṁ mayā kāryaṁ yathā vakṣyati māṁ bhavān ||

Translation

Aṣṭāvakra sprach: „Was soll ich dort erblicken? Sei so gütig und sage es mir. Und nun: Was soll ich tun, und auf welche Weise? Wie du mich anweisen wirst, so werde ich handeln.“

Word by Word

अष्टावक्रःAṣṭāvakra (the sage)

उवाचsaid

किम्what

द्रष्टव्यम्is to be seen / should be seen

मयाby me

तत्रthere

वक्तुम्to tell / to say

अर्हतिis able / is fit / should

मेto me / for me

भवान्you (honorific)

तथाthus / likewise

इदानीम्now

मयाby me

कार्यम्what is to be done / duty

यथाas / in the manner that

वक्ष्यतिwill tell

माम्me

भवान्you (honorific)

Speaker

अष्टावक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

अ

अष्टावक्र (Aṣṭāvakra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined receptivity: a seeker asks not only what is to be known or seen, but also how to act, committing to follow the teacher’s guidance—an ethical posture of humility and obedience to dharmic instruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Aṣṭāvakra, preparing to go to a previously indicated place (implied by “there”), asks his revered interlocutor to specify whom/what he must see and what actions he should perform, signaling that his next steps will be governed by the sage’s directions.