Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 138

Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्

Devanagari script

तस्मादस्म्यागतो विप्रा वासवं मां निबोधत । अलोभादक्षया लोकाः: प्राप्ता वै सार्वकामिका:

Transliteration

tasmād asmy āgato viprā vāsavaṃ māṃ nibodhata | alobhād akṣayā lokāḥ prāptā vai sārvakāmikāḥ ||

Translation

ਇਸ ਲਈ, ਹੇ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣੋ, ਮੈਂ (ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਕੋਲ) ਆਇਆ ਹਾਂ; ਮੈਨੂੰ ਵਾਸਵ (ਇੰਦਰ) ਜਾਣੋ। ਲੋਭ-ਤਿਆਗ ਨਾਲ ਹੀ ਉਹ ਅਖੰਡ ਲੋਕ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਹੁੰਦੇ ਹਨ ਜੋ ਸਭ ਇੱਛਾਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਪੂਰਾ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੇ ਹਨ।

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present, 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• आगतः: come/arrived
• आगतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• विप्राः: O brahmins
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Plural

• वासवम्: Vāsava (Indra)
• वासवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• निबोधत: know/recognize (you all)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-बुध्
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• अलोभात्: from non-greed/because of non-covetousness
• अलोभात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलोभ
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• अक्षयाः: imperishable
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• लोकाः: worlds/realms
• लोकाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्राप्ताः: attained
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• सर्वकामिकाः: fulfilling all desires/bringing all desired (fruits)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वकामिक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

शुन:सख उवाच

Characters & Entities

• शुन:सख (Śunaḥsakha)
• वāsava (Indra)
• विप्र (brāhmaṇas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that alobha—freedom from greed and grasping—is a decisive ethical virtue that leads to enduring (akṣaya) spiritual reward, described as imperishable realms that can fulfill all legitimate aspirations.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śunaḥsakha addresses a group of brāhmaṇas and reveals his identity as Vāsava (Indra). He explains that his appearance and message are tied to praising non-greed, asserting that such restraint is the cause by which one attains imperishable heavenly worlds.