Shloka 1

Pātra-Lakṣaṇa and Niścita-Dharma

Marks of a Worthy Recipient and Stable Criteria of Dharma

Devanagari script

ऑपन--माज बछ। अि>-छऋाज एकविशो< ध्याय: अष्टावक्र और उत्तरदिशाका संवाद

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | na bibheti kathaṃ sā strī śāpāc ca paramadyuteḥ | kathaṃ nivṛtto bhagavāṃs tad bhavān prabravītu me ||

Translation

युधिष्ठिर उवाच—पितामह, कथं सा स्त्री तस्य परमतेजसो मुनेः शापान्न बिभेति? कथं च भगवान् अष्टावक्रस्ततः प्रत्यागच्छत्? एतत् सर्वं मे प्रब्रवीतु।

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• बिभेति: fears
• Type: Verb
• Root: भी
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• सा: she/that (woman)
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• स्त्री: woman
• स्त्री: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• शापात्: from (the) curse
• शापात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

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

• परमतेजसः: of the supremely radiant (sage)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परमतेजस्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• निवृत्तः: returned/turned back
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-वृत्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भगवान्: the venerable one (Lord/sage)
• भगवान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• भवान्: you (honored sir)
• भवान्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: भवत्

• प्रब्रवीतु: may (you) tell / please tell
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-ब्रू
• Form: Imperative, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

Speaker

युधिषछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhīṣma (addressed as ‘grandsire’)
• Aṣṭāvakra
• Unnamed woman (sā strī)
• Unnamed sage of supreme radiance (paramadyuti) whose curse is referenced

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical inquiry into fear, accountability, and the moral weight of ascetic speech: Yudhiṣṭhira seeks to understand how one remains unshaken before a powerful curse and how a revered sage concludes his encounter—implying that inner steadiness and right conduct matter even amid extraordinary spiritual power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira asks Bhīṣma to continue the account connected with Aṣṭāvakra: he wants details on why an unnamed woman did not fear a great sage’s curse and how Aṣṭāvakra departed/returned from that place, requesting Bhīṣma’s authoritative explanation.