Shloka 47

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

Devanagari script

तत्रस्थेन स्तुतो देव: प्राह मां वै नरेश्वर । मोक्ष प्राप्स्यसि शूलाच्च जीविष्यसि समार्बुदम्‌

Transliteration

tatra-sthena stuto devaḥ prāha māṃ vai nareśvara | mokṣaṃ prāpsyasi śūlāc ca jīviṣyasi samārbudam ||

Translation

Māṇḍavya disse: “Ó rei, enquanto eu estava ali (empalado), louvei o Senhor. Então o deus me disse: ‘Serás libertado da estaca e viverás por dez koṭis de anos.’”

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• स्थेन: by (one) standing/being there
• स्थेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थ (स्था धातु)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• स्तुतः: praised
• स्तुतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Passive (past participle)

• देवः: the god (Deva)
• देवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्राह: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

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

• नर-ईश्वर: O lord of men (king)
• नर-ईश्वर: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + ईश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• मोक्षम्: release, liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्राप्स्यसि: you will obtain
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: Future, 2, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शूलात्: from the stake/spear (impalement)
• शूलात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

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

• जीविष्यसि: you will live
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: Future, 2, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सम्: together/fully (intensifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्

• अर्बुदम्: an arbuda (a very large number; often 10^7/10^8 by tradition)
• अर्बुदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

माण्डव्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Māṇḍavya (sage)
• Nareśvara (king, addressee)
• Deva/Mahādeva (Śiva, implied by context)
• Śūla (stake/impaling spear)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when worldly justice fails and one suffers undeserved punishment, steadfast devotion and inner integrity can become the ground for divine intervention; the episode also raises ethical questions about the limits and errors of human judgment in administering punishment.

What is happening in the narrative?

The sage Māṇḍavya, speaking to a king, recounts that while he was impaled on a stake he praised the deity; the god then assured him of release from the stake and an extraordinarily long life (ten crores of years).