Shloka 57

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

Devanagari script

अपश्य॑ पितरं तात इष्टिं कृत्वा विनि:सृतम्‌ । उपस्पृश्य गृहीत्वेध्मं कुशांश्ष शरणाकुरून्‌

Transliteration

apaśyaṁ pitaraṁ tāta iṣṭiṁ kṛtvā viniḥsṛtam | upaspṛśya gṛhītvendhmaṁ kuśāṁś ca śaraṇākurūn, tāta yudhiṣṭhira |

Translation

ଇଷ୍ଟି ସମାପ୍ତ କରି ଯଜ୍ଞଶାଳାରୁ ବାହାରୁଥିବା ପିତାଙ୍କୁ ମୁଁ ଦେଖିଲି। ସେ ଆଚମନ କରି ସମିଧା, କୁଶ ଓ ଅନ୍ୟାନ୍ୟ ଯଜ୍ଞୋପକରଣ ଧରିଥିଲେ।

Word by Word

• अपश्यम्: I saw
• अपश्यम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 1, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पितरम्: father
• पितरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तात: O dear (son)/O dear one
• तात: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• इष्टिम्: sacrifice (iṣṭi)
• इष्टिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), Active (kartari)

• विनिःसृतम्: gone out/come forth
• विनिःसृतम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-निः-सृ
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उपस्पृश्य: having touched (water), having performed ācamana
• उपस्पृश्य: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-स्पृश्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Active (kartari)

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), Active (kartari)

• इध्मम्: fuel sticks (for sacrifice)
• इध्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इध्म
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कुशान्: kuśa grass (blades)
• कुशान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• शरणाकुरून्: the Kurus who are (your) refuge / those taking refuge (reading uncertain)
• शरणाकुरून्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण + कुरु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तात: O dear one
• तात: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

गालव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Gālava
• Gālava's father
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• iṣṭi (yajña/sacrifice)
• edhma (fuel-sticks)
• kuśa grass

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds dharmic discipline expressed through ritual purity and simplicity: after sacrifice, one maintains cleanliness (upaspṛśya/ācamana) and handles sacred materials (fuel-sticks, kuśa) with care, reflecting an ordered life rooted in duty and reverence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Gālava recounts to Yudhiṣṭhira that he saw his father emerging after completing a sacrificial rite, carrying ritual implements such as fuel-sticks and kuśa grass, indicating the immediate post-yajña context and the father’s adherence to prescribed conduct.