Shloka 59

Amba approaches the Paraśurāma context; Hotravāhana’s counsel and Akṛtavraṇa’s report (अम्बोपाख्यानम्—रामदर्शनप्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

तपोधन! महामुने! लज्जा और अपमानके भयसे अपने नगरको जानेके लिये मेरे मनमें उत्साह नहीं है ।। यत्‌ तु मां भगवान्‌ रामो वक्ष्यति द्विजसत्तम | तन्मे कार्यतमं कार्यमिति मे भगवन्‌ मति:,भगवन! द्विजश्रेष्ठस अब भगवान्‌ परशुराम मुझसे जो कुछ कहेंगे, वही मेरे लिये सर्वोत्तम कर्तव्य होगा, यही मैंने निश्चय किया है

Transliteration

tapodhana! mahāmune! lajjā-apamāna-bhayāt sva-nagaraṁ gantum mama manasi utsāho na asti. yat tu māṁ bhagavān rāmo vakṣyati dvija-sattama, tan me kāryatamaṁ kāryam iti me, bhagavan, matiḥ; bhagavan! dvija-śreṣṭha, adhunā bhagavān paraśurāmaḥ mayā saha yat kiñcid vakṣyati, tad eva mama śreṣṭhatamaṁ kartavyam iti niścayaḥ kṛtaḥ.

Translation

„O Schatz der Askese, großer Weiser! Aus Furcht vor Schande und Ehrverlust finde ich in meinem Herzen nicht den Mut, in meine eigene Stadt zurückzukehren. Doch was immer der verehrte Rāma (Paraśurāma) mir sagen wird, o Bester der Zweimalgeborenen—das allein halte ich für meine höchste Pflicht. O Ehrwürdiger, dies ist mein fester Entschluss: Was der Herr Paraśurāma mir jetzt sagt, das wird meine oberste Verpflichtung sein.“

Word by Word

• {'tapodhana': 'one rich in austerity

• ascetic sage', 'mahāmune': 'great sage', 'lajjā': 'shame

• modesty (here: shame before others)', 'apamāna': 'dishonour

• insult', 'bhaya': 'fear', 'sva-nagara': 'one’s own city', 'utsāha': 'courage

• resolve', 'bhagavān': 'venerable

• divine lord', 'rāma': 'Rāma (here: Paraśurāma, Bhṛgu’s descendant)', 'dvija-sattama / dvija-śreṣṭha': 'best among the twice-born (Brahmin addressed respectfully)', 'vakṣyati': 'will say

• will instruct', 'kārya': 'a duty

• what must be done', 'kāryatama': 'most obligatory

• highest-priority duty', 'mati': 'conviction

• settled understanding', 'niścaya': 'firm decision

Speaker

होत्रवाहन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• होत्रवाहन (Hotravāhana)
• राम (Rāma = Paraśurāma)
• परशुराम (Paraśurāma)
• द्विजसत्तम / द्विजश्रेष्ठ (addressed Brahmin/sage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When one is overwhelmed by fear of public shame, a stabilizing ethical move is to submit one’s wavering will to a higher dharmic authority—here, the instruction of a revered sage—treating that guidance as the foremost duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Hotravāhana confesses that he lacks the courage to return home because of anticipated shame and insult. He declares that he will follow whatever instruction ‘Rāma’ (Paraśurāma) gives, accepting it as his highest obligation.