Shloka 33
Aṣṭāvakra–Kahoda Upākhyāna: Śvetaketu’s Āśrama, Sarasvatī, and the Origin of Aṣṭāvakra
विभ्राजमानो वपुषाप्यारुरोह त्रिविष्टपम् । तदेतत् सदन राजन् राज्ञस्तस्य महात्मन:,राजासे ऐसा कहकर इन्द्र फिर देवलोकमें चले गये तथा धर्मात्मा राजा उशीनर भी अपने धर्मसे पृथ्वी और आकाशको व्याप्त कर देदीप्यमान शरीर धारण करके स्वर्गलोकमें चले गये। राजन्! यही उन महात्मा राजा उशीनरका आश्रम है जो पुण्यजनक होनेके साथ ही समस्त पापोंसे छुटकारा दिलानेवाला है। तुम मेरे साथ इस पवित्र आश्रमका दर्शन करो। महाराज! वहाँ पुण्यात्मा महात्मा ब्राह्मणोंको सदा सनातन देवता तथा मुनियोंका दर्शन होता रहता है
vibhrājamāno vapuṣāpy ārurōha triviṣṭapam | tad etat sadana rājan rājñas tasya mahātmanaḥ |
Shyena said: “Shining with a radiant body, he ascended to Triviṣṭapa (heaven). O king, this is the abode of that great-souled monarch. Having spoken thus, Indra returned to the world of the gods; and the righteous king Uśīnara too—his glory pervading earth and sky through the power of his dharma—went to heaven in a resplendent form. O king, this hermitage of the great Uśīnara is meritorious and grants release from sins. Come with me and behold this holy āśrama. There, virtuous and great brāhmaṇas continually behold the eternal gods and the seers.”
श्येन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is portrayed as a power that elevates a person beyond mortality: the righteous king Uśīnara attains heaven in a radiant form, and his sacred abode becomes a place of merit and purification, suggesting that ethical conduct leaves a lasting sanctifying imprint on the world.
Śyena points out the dwelling/āśrama associated with the great king Uśīnara. Indra has departed back to the divine realm, and Uśīnara too has ascended to heaven. The speaker invites the king to visit this holy place, described as merit-giving and sin-removing, where brāhmaṇas regularly behold gods and sages.