Shloka 77

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

Devanagari script

स्थूलं सूक्ष्मं मृदु चाप्यसूक्ष्मं दुःखं सुखं दुःखमनन्तरं च । सांख्य॑ योगं तत्पराणां परं च शर्वाज्जातं विद्धि यत्‌ कीर्तितं मे

Transliteration

sthūlaṁ sūkṣmaṁ mṛdu cāpy asūkṣmaṁ duḥkhaṁ sukhaṁ duḥkham anantaraṁ ca | sāṅkhyaṁ yogaṁ tatparāṇāṁ paraṁ ca śarvāj jātaṁ viddhi yat kīrtitaṁ me ||

Translation

ବାୟୁ କହିଲେ— ସ୍ଥୂଳ ଓ ସୂକ୍ଷ୍ମ, କୋମଳ ଓ ଅସୂକ୍ଷ୍ମ; ଦୁଃଖ ଓ ସୁଖ, ଏବଂ ପରେ ଆସୁଥିବା ଦୁଃଖ ମଧ୍ୟ; ସାଂଖ୍ୟ ଓ ଯୋଗ, ଏବଂ ସେଥିରେ ତତ୍ପର ଲୋକମାନଙ୍କ ପରମ ଲକ୍ଷ୍ୟ ମଧ୍ୟ—ମୁଁ ଯାହା କୀର୍ତ୍ତନ କରିଛି, ସେ ସମସ୍ତ ଶର୍ବ (ଶିବ) ଠାରୁ ଜନିତ ବୋଲି ଜାଣ।

Word by Word

• स्थूलम्: gross (the gross aspect)
• स्थूलम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थूल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सूक्ष्मम्: subtle
• सूक्ष्मम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूक्ष्म
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मृदु: soft, gentle
• मृदु: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृदु
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• असूक्ष्मम्: not-subtle (i.e., gross/non-subtle)
• असूक्ष्मम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असूक्ष्म
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दुःखम्: sorrow, pain
• दुःखम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सुखम्: happiness, pleasure
• सुखम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दुःखम्: sorrow
• दुःखम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अनन्तरम्: immediately following; subsequent
• अनन्तरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्तर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• सांख्यम्: Sāṅkhya (the doctrine/path)
• सांख्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांख्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• योगम्: Yoga (discipline/path)
• योगम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तत्पराणाम्: of those devoted to that (i.e., intent on it)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्पर
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• परम्: supreme, highest
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• शर्वात्: from Śarva (Śiva)
• शर्वात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्व
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• जातम्: born, arisen
• जातम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle) from √जन्

• विद्धि: know (you should know)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (ज्ञाने)
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यत्: which/that (what)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• कीर्तितम्: proclaimed, described
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीर्तित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, क्त (PPP) from √कीर्त्/√कीर्तय् (to proclaim)

• मे: by me / to me / of me
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive/Dative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वायुदेव (Vāyu)
• शर्व / महादेव / शिव (Śarva/Śiva)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches a unifying vision: all experiential opposites (gross/subtle, pleasure/pain) and even spiritual paths (Sāṅkhya and Yoga) culminate in and arise from Śarva (Śiva). It encourages seeing a single divine ground behind diversity and duality.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu is speaking within a didactic discourse and summarizes his prior enumeration by concluding that everything described—categories of experience and disciplines leading to the highest aim—should be understood as originating from Mahādeva (Śiva).