Shloka 9

Devanagari script

अतिथिरुवाच अहमप्यत्र मुह्यामि ममाप्येष मनोरथ: । न च संनिश्चयं यामि बहुद्वारे त्रिविष्टपे,अतिथिने कहा--विप्रवर! मेरा भी ऐसा ही मनोरथ है। मैं भी आपकी ही भाँति श्रेष्ठ धर्मका आश्रय लेना चाहता हूँ, परंतु मुझे भी इस विषयमें मोह ही बना हुआ है। स्वर्गके अनेक द्वार (साधन) हैं, अतः किसका आश्रय लिया जाय? इसका निश्चय मैं भी नहीं कर पाता हूँ

Transliteration

atithir uvāca aham apy atra muhyāmi mamāpy eṣa manorathaḥ | na ca saṃniścayaṃ yāmi bahudvāre triviṣṭape ||

Translation

अतिथिरुवाच— अहमप्यत्र मुह्यामि ममाप्येष मनोरथः। न च संनिश्चयं यामि बहुद्वारे त्रिविष्टपे॥

Word by Word

अतिथिःthe guest (Atithi)

उवाचsaid

अहम्I

अपिalso

अत्रhere; in this matter

मुह्यामिI am deluded; I am confused

ममof me; my

अपिalso

एषःthis

मनोरथःwish; desire; intention

नnot

चand

संनिश्चयम्decision; certainty

यामिI reach; I attain (i.e., I arrive at)

बहुद्वारेin/with many gates (many means/approaches)

त्रिविष्टपेin heaven (Svarga)

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Atithi (the guest)

Vipra/Brāhmaṇa (addressed interlocutor, implied)

Triviṣṭapa (heaven)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights moral and spiritual uncertainty: even a sincere seeker can be confused because dharma and the means to attain heaven are presented as many. It underscores the need for discernment (saṃniścaya) when multiple legitimate-seeming paths are available.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a dialogue, the guest responds to the brāhmaṇa, admitting that he shares the same aspiration for the highest dharma but is equally perplexed. He points out that heaven has many ‘doors’ (methods), and he cannot decide which to adopt.