Shloka 74

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

Devanagari script

अग्रया बुद्धिर्मनसा दर्शने च स्पर्शक्षाग्रय: कर्मणां या च सिद्धि: । गणा देवानामूष्मपा: सोमपाश्न लेखा: सुयामास्तुषिता ब्रह्मुकाया:

Transliteration

agrayā buddhir manasā darśane ca sparśakṣāgrayāḥ karmaṇāṁ yā ca siddhiḥ | gaṇā devānām ūṣmapāḥ somapāś ca lekhāḥ suyāmās tuṣitā brahmukāyāḥ ||

Translation

ବାୟୁଦେବ କହିଲେ— ଅନ୍ତଃକରଣର ଶକ୍ତିମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ବୁଦ୍ଧି ଓ ମନ, ଦର୍ଶନ ଓ ସ୍ପର୍ଶ ଶକ୍ତି ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ; ଏବଂ କର୍ମକୁ ଅଭୀଷ୍ଟ ସଫଳତାକୁ ପହଞ୍ଚାଉଥିବା ସିଦ୍ଧି ମଧ୍ୟ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ। ଦେବଗଣମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଊଷ୍ମପ, ସୋମପ, ଲେଖ, ସୁୟାମ, ତୁଷିତ ଓ ବ୍ରହ୍ମକାୟ ନାମକ ବର୍ଗ ଅଛନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• अग्रया: by the foremost/excellent (one)
• अग्रया: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्र (अग्रा)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• बुद्धिः: intellect
• बुद्धिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• मनसा: by the mind
• मनसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• दर्शने: in seeing / in perception
• दर्शने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• स्पर्शक्ष: the touch-sense (lit. touch-eye)
• स्पर्शक्ष: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्शक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अग्रयः: foremost/excellent (ones)
• अग्रयः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कर्मणाम्: of actions
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• या: which
• या: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सिद्धिः: success/accomplishment
• सिद्धिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• गणाः: groups/hosts
• गणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• ऊष्मपाः: heat-drinkers (a class of gods)
• ऊष्मपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊष्मपा
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सोमपाश्नलेखाः: Somapa, Aśna, and Lekha (classes of gods)
• सोमपाश्नलेखाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमपाश्नलेख
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सुयामाः: Suyāmas (a class of gods)
• सुयामाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुयाम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तुषिताः: Tuṣitas (a class of gods)
• तुषिताः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुषित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ब्रह्मकायाः: those having Brahman as body / Brahma-bodied (a class of gods)
• ब्रह्मकायाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मकाय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu-deva (Vāyu)
• Deva-gaṇas (hosts of gods)
• Ūṣmapāḥ
• Somapāḥ
• Lekhāḥ
• Suyāmāḥ
• Tuṣitāḥ
• Brahmukāyāḥ

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links inner mastery (buddhi, manas, and the senses) with the successful completion of action (siddhi), and then situates these human faculties within a broader cosmic order by naming prominent classes of divine beings—suggesting that both ethical action and spiritual understanding belong to an ordered hierarchy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu-deva is speaking and enumerating ‘foremost’ faculties and notable divine groups. The passage functions as part of a larger catalog of cosmic principles and celestial classes, reinforcing a theological-cosmological frame for dharma and the workings of action and attainment.