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

अश्वतर म्हणाला—जीवांपासून विलग झालेल्याचा ‘संयोग’ हा फक्त त्याच जातीचा, समान कारणांनी उत्पन्न झालेला, असू शकतो. स्वप्नावाचून, किंवा शंबराने प्रवर्तिलेल्या मायेशिवाय, हे कसे घडेल?

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.