Shloka 59

Amba approaches the Paraśurāma context; Hotravāhana’s counsel and Akṛtavraṇa’s report (अम्बोपाख्यानम्—रामदर्शनप्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

तपोधन! महामुने! लज्जा और अपमानके भयसे अपने नगरको जानेके लिये मेरे मनमें उत्साह नहीं है ।। यत्‌ तु मां भगवान्‌ रामो वक्ष्यति द्विजसत्तम | तन्मे कार्यतमं कार्यमिति मे भगवन्‌ मति:,भगवन! द्विजश्रेष्ठस अब भगवान्‌ परशुराम मुझसे जो कुछ कहेंगे, वही मेरे लिये सर्वोत्तम कर्तव्य होगा, यही मैंने निश्चय किया है

Transliteration

tapodhana! mahāmune! lajjā-apamāna-bhayāt sva-nagaraṁ gantum mama manasi utsāho na asti. yat tu māṁ bhagavān rāmo vakṣyati dvija-sattama, tan me kāryatamaṁ kāryam iti me, bhagavan, matiḥ; bhagavan! dvija-śreṣṭha, adhunā bhagavān paraśurāmaḥ mayā saha yat kiñcid vakṣyati, tad eva mama śreṣṭhatamaṁ kartavyam iti niścayaḥ kṛtaḥ.

Translation

«ໂອ ຄັງສົມບັດແຫ່ງທະປະ, ໂອ ມະຫາມຸນີ! ເນື່ອງຈາກຢ້ານຄວາມອາຍ ແລະຄວາມອັບອາຍ, ໃນໃຈຂ້າພະເຈົ້າບໍ່ມີຄວາມກ້າທີ່ຈະກັບໄປເມືອງຂອງຕົນ. ແຕ່ສິ່ງໃດທີ່ພຣະຣາມະຜູ້ນ່າເຄົາລົບ (ພຣະປະຣະສຸຣາມ) ຈະກ່າວກັບຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ, ໂອ ຜູ້ປະເສີດໃນພວກດວິຊະ—ນັ້ນແຫຼະເປັນໜ້າທີ່ສູງສຸດຂອງຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ. ໂອ ທ່ານຜູ້ນ່າເຄົາລົບ, ນີ້ແມ່ນມະຕິອັນໝັ້ນຄົງຂອງຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ: ສິ່ງໃດທີ່ພຣະປະຣະສຸຣາມຈະກ່າວ, ນັ້ນແມ່ນພັນທະສູງສຸດຂອງຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ»។

Word by Word

• {'tapodhana': 'one rich in austerity

• ascetic sage', 'mahāmune': 'great sage', 'lajjā': 'shame

• modesty (here: shame before others)', 'apamāna': 'dishonour

• insult', 'bhaya': 'fear', 'sva-nagara': 'one’s own city', 'utsāha': 'courage

• resolve', 'bhagavān': 'venerable

• divine lord', 'rāma': 'Rāma (here: Paraśurāma, Bhṛgu’s descendant)', 'dvija-sattama / dvija-śreṣṭha': 'best among the twice-born (Brahmin addressed respectfully)', 'vakṣyati': 'will say

• will instruct', 'kārya': 'a duty

• what must be done', 'kāryatama': 'most obligatory

• highest-priority duty', 'mati': 'conviction

• settled understanding', 'niścaya': 'firm decision

Speaker

होत्रवाहन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• होत्रवाहन (Hotravāhana)
• राम (Rāma = Paraśurāma)
• परशुराम (Paraśurāma)
• द्विजसत्तम / द्विजश्रेष्ठ (addressed Brahmin/sage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When one is overwhelmed by fear of public shame, a stabilizing ethical move is to submit one’s wavering will to a higher dharmic authority—here, the instruction of a revered sage—treating that guidance as the foremost duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Hotravāhana confesses that he lacks the courage to return home because of anticipated shame and insult. He declares that he will follow whatever instruction ‘Rāma’ (Paraśurāma) gives, accepting it as his highest obligation.