Shloka 31

Adhyaya 24 — Kuvalayashva’s Refusal of Gifts and the Vision of Madalasa’s Maya

Sanskrit

अश्वतर उवाच भूतैर्वियोगिनो योगस्तादृशैरेव तादृशः ।

कथमेतद्विना स्वप्नं मायां वा शम्बरॊदिताम् ॥

Transliteration

aśvatara uvāca bhūtairviyogino yogastādṛśaireva tādṛśaḥ / kathametadvinā svapnaṃ māyāṃ vā śambaroditām

Translation

അശ്വതരൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഭൂതങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് വിയുക്തനായവന് ‘സംയോഗം’ സ്വജാതീയമായതേ, സമാന കാരണങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് ഉത്ഭവിച്ചതേ ആയിരിക്കൂ. സ്വപ്നമില്ലാതെ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ശംബരൻ പ്രയോഗിച്ച മായയില്ലാതെ, ഇത് എങ്ങനെ സംഭവിക്കും?

Word by Word

• अश्वतरः: Aśvatara
• अश्वतरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• भूतैः: by beings/spirits
• भूतैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समूहार्थे), तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वियोगिनः: of one in separation
• वियोगिनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; 'of one separated' (qualifying 'yogaḥ')

• योगः: union/connection
• योगः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तादृशैः: by such (ones)
• तादृशैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• तादृशः: such
• तादृशः: Predicate complement (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'such' (predicate adjective of yogaḥ)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रश्न-क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Apadana/Exclusion (अपादान/वर्जन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपसर्गसदृश-निपात (prepositional indeclinable)

• स्वप्नम्: dream
• स्वप्नम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वप्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मायाम्: illusion
• मायाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Connector (समुच्चय/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्प-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• शम्बर-उदिताम्: produced by Śambara
• शम्बर-उदिताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शम्बर + उदित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शम्बरात् उदिता/शम्बरेण उदिता), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'arisen/produced by Śambara' (qualifying māyām)

Speakers

• Aśvatara (Nāga) speaking within the story

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Māyā vs reality
• Dream analogy
• Critical inquiry (vicāra)
• Yogic experience (in a broad sense)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse models skepticism as dharma: extraordinary experiences should be tested for sources—dream, deception, or truth. Discernment (viveka) is presented as the safeguard against māyā.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Not a pancalakṣaṇa core (sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita) passage; it is didactic dialogue embedded within vaṃśānucarita-style storytelling.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Viyoga’ (separation) indicates the jīva’s felt separation from the real; the ‘yoga’ that arises from similar causes can be pseudo-union—visions produced by subconscious (svapna) or external glamour (māyā). The teaching: verify the ground of experience.