Shloka 16

Aṣṭāvakra and the Woman: Disclosure, Permission, and Marital Resolution (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय २२)

Devanagari script

अद्टावक्र उवाच हरन्ति दोषजातानि नरं जात॑ यथेच्छकम्‌ | प्रभवामि सदा धृत्या भद्रे स्वशयनं व्रज

Transliteration

aṣṭāvakra uvāca | haranti doṣajātāni naraṃ jātaṃ yathecchakam | prabhavāmi sadā dhṛtyā bhadre svaśayanaṃ vraja |

Translation

Aṣṭāvakra dijo: «Oh noble dama, los cúmulos de faltas y pecados se apoderan del hombre que vive sólo por capricho. Yo, en cambio, domino siempre mi ser mediante firme autodisciplina. Por tanto, vuelve a tu propio lecho».

Word by Word

• अष्टावक्रः: Ashtavakra
• अष्टावक्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टावक्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• हरन्ति: carry off / draw (towards themselves)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ
• Form: Present, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• दोषजातानि: clusters/collections of faults (sins)
• दोषजातानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोषजात
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• नरम्: a man
• नरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जातम्: born / become
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यथा: as / just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• इच्छकम्: desirous; acting by his own will
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इच्छक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रभवामि: I am able / I prevail (over myself)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-भू
• Form: Present, 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• धृत्या: by firmness / by steadiness
• धृत्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• भद्रे: O auspicious lady / O good one
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• स्वशयनम्: your own bed
• स्वशयनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वशयन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• व्रज: go
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज्
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

अद्टावक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Aṣṭāvakra
• bhadre (a noble lady, unnamed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Unrestrained, whim-driven living invites moral faults and sinful tendencies; steadfast dhṛti (firm self-control) protects one’s conduct and keeps the mind governed.

What is happening in the narrative?

Aṣṭāvakra addresses a woman respectfully, warns that indulgence in mere desire leads to wrongdoing, asserts his own restraint through fortitude, and instructs her to return to her proper place (her bed).