Shloka 14

Aṣṭāvakra’s Visit to Kubera: Hospitality, Temptation, and the Ethics of Restraint (अष्टावक्र-वैश्रवणोपाख्यानम्)

Devanagari script

पापं च ते न भविता अजेयश्व भविष्यसि । न ते प्रभविता मृत्युरजरश्न॒ भविष्यसि

Transliteration

pāpaṃ ca te na bhavitā ajeyāśva bhaviṣyasi | na te prabhavitā mṛtyur ajaraś ca bhaviṣyasi ||

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。「『汝に罪は生じぬ、アジェヤーシュヴァよ。汝は不敗となる。死は汝に打ち勝てず、汝は衰えを免れる。』」

Word by Word

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• ते: to you / for you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: —, Dative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• भविता: will be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: Periphrastic Future (लुट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अजेयश्व: O Ajeyaśva (name: 'having unconquerable horses')
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजेय + अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• भविष्यसि: you will be / become
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: Simple Future (लृट्), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• ते: to you / for you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: —, Dative, Singular

• प्रभविता: will have power / will prevail
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + भू (धातु)
• Form: Periphrastic Future (लुट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मृत्युः: death
• मृत्युः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अजरश्च: and (you will be) ageless
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अजर + च (प्रातिपदिक + अव्यय)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भविष्यसि: you will be / become
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: Simple Future (लृट्), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ज्येष्ठ: O eldest
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पाण्डव: O Pāṇḍava
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• नरेश्वर: O lord of men (king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Ajeyāśva
• mṛtyu (Death, personified concept)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse conveys the idea that sincere refuge and devotion to a righteous divine authority can transform the moral and existential condition of a person: guilt and fear (pāpa, mṛtyu) are portrayed as losing their hold when divine grace is granted, emphasizing the ethical power of repentance, surrender, and divine sanction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana reports a boon addressed to Ajeyāśva: he is assured that sin will not attach to him, he will be unconquerable, death will not dominate him, and he will be free from decay—an empowerment that follows an episode of seeking Śiva’s protection after grievous acts and inner remorse.