Shloka 33
Aṣṭāvakra–Kahoda Upākhyāna: Śvetaketu’s Āśrama, Sarasvatī, and the Origin of Aṣṭāvakra
विभ्राजमानो वपुषाप्यारुरोह त्रिविष्टपम् । तदेतत् सदन राजन् राज्ञस्तस्य महात्मन:
vibhrājamāno vapuṣāpy ārurōha triviṣṭapam | tad etat sadana rājan rājñas tasya mahātmanaḥ |
Śyena dit : « Rayonnant d’un corps éclatant, il monta à Triviṣṭapa (le ciel). Ô roi, voici la demeure de ce monarque magnanime. » Après ces paroles, Indra retourna au monde des dieux; et le juste roi Uśīnara aussi—dont la gloire, par la puissance du dharma, emplissait la terre et le firmament—gagna le ciel sous une forme resplendissante. Ô roi, cet ermitage du grand Uśīnara est source de mérite et délivre des péchés. Viens avec moi contempler ce saint āśrama. Là, les brāhmaṇas vertueux et grands d’âme voient sans cesse les dieux éternels et les voyants. »
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.