Shloka 21

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

Devanagari script

वर्तमाने<ब्रवीद्‌ वाक्‍्यं साम्नि ह्युच्चारिते मया । रथन्तरे द्विजश्रेष्ठ न सम्यगिति वर्तते

Transliteration

vartamāne 'bravīd vākyam sāmni hy uccārite mayā | rathantare dvijaśreṣṭha na samyag iti vartate ||

Translation

ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໃນຂະນະທີ່ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າກຳລັງຂັບຮ້ອງສາມັນ ແລະເມື່ອຂ້າພະເຈົ້າໄດ້ອອກສຽງແລ້ວ ລາວໄດ້ກ່າວຄຳນີ້ວ່າ: ‘ໂອ ຜູ້ປະເສີດໃນບັນດາຜູ້ເກີດສອງຄັ້ງ, ໃນບົດຮັຖັນຕະຣະ ມັນບໍ່ດຳເນີນໄປຢ່າງຖືກຕ້ອງ’»។

Word by Word

• वर्तमाने: while (it was) going on / in the ongoing (rite)
• वर्तमाने: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्तमान (वृत्त-प्रत्ययान्त, √वृत्)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

• वाक्यम्: a statement / words
• वाक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• साम्नि: in the Sāman (chant)
• साम्नि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• हि: indeed / for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• उच्चारिते: when (it was) uttered / upon being recited
• उच्चारिते: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: उच्चारित (ppp of √चर् with ud-)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Instrumental, Singular

• रथन्तरे: in the Rathantara (Sāman)
• रथन्तरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथन्तर
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: O best of the twice-born (Brahmin)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

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

• सम्यक्: properly / correctly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक्

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• वर्तते: proceeds / is (being done)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृत्
• Form: Present (Laṭ), 3rd, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Rathantara (Sāman)
• Sāman (Sāmavedic chant)
• dvija (Brahmin/ritual specialist)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical and ritual importance of precision in sacred recitation: Vedic sound is treated as efficacious, so errors are to be noticed and corrected with discipline and humility.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the chanting of a Sāmavedic hymn—specifically the Rathantara—Vaiśampāyana is interrupted by a speaker who points out that the recitation is not being performed correctly.