Shloka 43

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

Devanagari script

आतिथ्यं परम॑ कार्य शुश्रूषा भवतस्तथा । संवर्ततामित्युवाच मुनिर्मधुरया गिरा,उन सबके बैठ जानेपर कुबेरने कहा--“आपकी इच्छा हो तो उसे जानकर यहाँ अप्सराएँ नृत्य करें; क्योंकि आपका आतिथ्य सत्कार और सेवा करना हमलोगोंका परम कर्तव्य है।' तब मुनिने मधुर वाणीमें कहा, “तथास्तु--ऐसा ही हो”

Transliteration

ātithyaṃ paramaṃ kāryaṃ śuśrūṣā bhavatas tathā | saṃvartatām ity uvāca munir madhurayā girā | tathāstu—ity uktam |

Translation

Bhishma sprach: Mit süßer Stimme erwiderte der Weise: „Gastfreundschaft ist eine höchste Pflicht, und ebenso die aufmerksame Bedienung dir gegenüber. Tathāstu—so soll es geschehen.“

Word by Word

आतिथ्यम्hospitality

परम्supreme/paramount

कार्यम्to be done; duty

शुश्रूषाservice; attendance

भवतःof you / for you (honorific)

तथाlikewise; also

संवर्तताम्let them proceed/occur; let it be arranged

इतिthus

उवाचsaid

मुनिःthe sage

मधुरयाwith sweet

गिराspeech/voice

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Muni (sage)

Kubera

Apsarases

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?

That ātithya (hospitality) and śuśrūṣā (respectful service) toward a guest—especially a holy sage—are paramount duties of dharma, to be performed gladly and with gentle speech.

What is happening in the narrative?

After everyone is seated, Kubera expresses readiness to honor the guest by arranging entertainment (apsarases dancing) as part of proper hospitality; the sage responds with a gracious assent, “tathāstu,” allowing it to proceed.