Shloka 37

Devanagari script

ततो वैश्रवणो<भ्येत्य अष्टावक्रमनिन्दितम्‌ । विधिवत्कुशल पृष्टवा ततो ब्रह्मर्षिमब्रवीत्‌,तदनन्तर विश्रववाके पुत्र कुबेरने निकट आकर निन्दारहित ब्रह्मर्षि अष्टावक्रसे विधिपूर्वक कुशल-समाचार पूछते हुए कहा--

Transliteration

tato vaiśravaṇo ’bhyetya aṣṭāvakram aninditam | vidhivat kuśalaṃ pṛṣṭvā tato brahmarṣim abravīt ||

Translation

Then Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera) approached the blameless sage Aṣṭāvakra. After inquiring in due form about his welfare, he addressed that brahmarṣi.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

वैश्रवणःVaiśravaṇa (Kubera)

अभ्येत्यhaving approached

अष्टावक्रम्Aṣṭāvakra

अनिन्दितम्blameless, faultless

विधिवत्according to rule, duly

कुशलम्welfare, well-being

पृष्ट्वाhaving asked

ततःthen

ब्रह्मर्षिम्the brahmarṣi (great seer)

अब्रवीत्said, spoke

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera)

Aṣṭāvakra

Brahmarṣi (epithet for Aṣṭāvakra)

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?

Power and status do not exempt one from dharma: proper etiquette and sincere inquiry into another’s welfare are marks of ethical conduct, especially when approaching the spiritually eminent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kubera (Vaiśravaṇa) comes to the sage Aṣṭāvakra, respectfully asks after his well-being according to prescribed decorum, and then begins to speak to him.