Shloka 21
Aṣṭāvakra’s Visit to Kubera: Hospitality, Temptation, and the Ethics of Restraint (अष्टावक्र-वैश्रवणोपाख्यानम्)
वर्तमाने<ब्रवीद् वाक््यं साम्नि ह्युच्चारिते मया । रथन्तरे द्विजश्रेष्ठ न सम्यगिति वर्तते
vartamāne 'bravīd vākyam sāmni hy uccārite mayā | rathantare dvijaśreṣṭha na samyag iti vartate ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Ketika aku sedang melagukan Sāman, sebaik sahaja ia terucap daripadaku, dia berkata demikian: ‘Wahai yang terbaik antara yang dua kali lahir, dalam nyanyian Rathantara itu, ia tidak berjalan dengan tepat.’”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.
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.