Shloka 17

ययाति–अष्टक–प्रतर्दन संवादः | Yayāti’s Dialogue with Aṣṭaka and Pratardana on Merit, Gifts, and Ethical Restraint

Devanagari script

एकपाद: स्थितश्चासीत्‌ षण्मासाननिलाशन: । पुण्यकीर्तिस्तत: स्वर्गे जगामावृत्य रोदसी,इसके बाद छः महीनोंतक हवा पीकर वे एक पैरसे खड़े रहे। तदनन्तर पुण्यकीर्ति महाराज ययाति पृथ्वी और आकाशमें अपना यश फैलाकर स्वर्गलोकमें चले गये

Transliteration

ekapādaḥ sthitaś cāsīt ṣaṇmāsān anilāśanaḥ | puṇyakīrtis tataḥ svarge jagāmāvṛtya rodasī ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Standing on a single foot, he lived for six months, sustaining himself only on air. Thereafter Puṇyakīrti, having spread his fame across earth and sky through the merit of his austerity, departed to the heavenly world.

Word by Word

एकपादःone-footed; (standing) on one foot

स्थितःstood; remained standing

चand

आसीत्was

षण्मासान्six months (for the duration of)

अनिलाशनःair-eating; living on air

पुण्यकीर्तिःPunyakīrti (the king); one of holy fame

ततःthen; thereafter

स्वर्गेin heaven

जगामwent

आवृत्यhaving covered; having encompassed

रोदसीthe two worlds: heaven and earth (sky and earth)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Puṇyakīrti

Svarga

Rodasī (earth and sky)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights tapas and self-restraint as powerful ethical disciplines: sustained austerity, undertaken in a dharmic spirit, is portrayed as generating puṇya (merit), kīrti (renown), and ultimately a higher posthumous destiny (svarga).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Puṇyakīrti performs a severe vow—standing on one foot and living on air for six months—and then, having made his fame pervade 'earth and sky' (rodasī), he departs to heaven.