Shloka 23

Cyavana Explains His Tests; Kuśika Seeks Brāhmaṇya for His Line (च्यवन–कुशिक संवादः)

Devanagari script

अथ तं कुशिको हृष्ट: प्रावेशयदनुत्तमम्‌ । गृहोद्देशं ततस्तस्य दर्शनीयमदर्शयत्‌

Transliteration

atha taṁ kuśiko hṛṣṭaḥ prāveśayad anuttamam | gṛhoddheśaṁ tatas tasya darśanīyam adarśayat ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: Dann führte Kuśika, voller Freude, ihn in einen vortrefflichen Teil der Wohnstätte. Darauf zeigte er dem Weisen eine wohl hergerichtete, sehenswerte Kammer und ehrte so seinen Gast mit gebührender Gastfreundschaft.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कुशिकः: Kushika (the king)
• कुशिकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुशिक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हृष्टः: delighted
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रावेशयत्: caused to enter / led in
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + विश् (प्रवेशयति caus.)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, Causative

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed, excellent
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गृह: house, dwelling
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह
• Form: Neuter, Stem (in compound), Singular

• उद्देशम्: a place/section, room-area
• उद्देशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्देश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• तस्य: of him / his
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• दर्शनीयम्: worth seeing, beautiful
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दर्शनीय
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अदर्शयत्: showed
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (दर्शयति caus.)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, Causative

• तत्: that
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अनन्तरम्: immediately after that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Kuśika
• Cyavana (implied by context as the sage/guest)
• gṛha (residence/palace)
• darśanīya gṛhoddheśa (a well-appointed chamber/room)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights atithi-dharma: a ruler’s duty to honor a guest—especially a sage—through respectful reception and providing worthy lodging, reflecting ethical kingship and reverence for spiritual merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kuśika, pleased, escorts the visiting sage into an excellent part of his residence and shows him a beautifully prepared room, indicating formal welcome and careful hospitality.