Shloka 34

Adhyaya 24 — Kuvalayashva’s Refusal of Gifts and the Vision of Madalasa’s Maya

Sanskrit

अश्वतर उवाच तस्मात् पश्येह वत्स ! त्वं मायाञ्चेद् द्रष्टुमिच्छसि ।

अनुग्राह्यो भवान् गेहं बालोऽप्यभ्यागतो गुरुः ॥

Transliteration

aśvatara uvāca tasmāt paśyeha vatsa ! tvaṃ māyāñced draṣṭumicchasi / anugrāhyo bhavān gehaṃ bālo 'pyabhyāgato guruḥ

Translation

అశ్వతరుడు అన్నాడు—కాబట్టి ప్రియ బాలకా, మాయను చూడదలచితే ఇక్కడ చూడు. నీవు అనుగ్రహానికి పాత్రుడవు; ఇంటికి అతిథిగా వచ్చిన బాలుడైనా గురువుగా గౌరవింపబడతాడు।

Word by Word

• aśvataraḥ: Aśvatara (name)
• aśvataraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśvatara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tasmāt (अव्यय/तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: Indeclinable adverbial ablative (तस्मात् = therefore/from that)

• paśya: see
• paśya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (पश्/दृश् धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd Person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• iha: here
• iha: Deśa (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable adverb (देशवाचक)

• vatsa: dear child
• vatsa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular (एकवचन)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• māyām: illusion / māyā
• māyām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• cet: if
• cet: Śarta (शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cet (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable conditional particle (निपात)

• draṣṭum: to see
• draṣṭum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु) (तुमुन्)
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुनन्त), indeclinable; purpose

• icchasi: you desire
• icchasi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √iṣ (इष् धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 2nd Person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• anugrāhyaḥ: to be favored / worthy of grace
• anugrāhyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anugrāhya (√grah धातु, ण्यत्/यत्)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); predicate adjective

• bhavān: you (honorific)
• bhavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनामवत्)
• Form: Honorific pronoun-like noun; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• geham: house
• geham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: geha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• bālaḥ: a child
• bālaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); concessive with api

• api: even
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/बल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable particle (निपात), concessive

• abhyāgataḥ: has come / arrived
• abhyāgataḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhi-√gam (गम् धातु, क्त)
• Form: Past participle (क्तान्त) used adjectivally; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); predicate with bālaḥ

• guruḥ: a teacher / venerable one
• guruḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); in apposition/predicate to bālaḥ

Speakers

• Aśvatara (Nāga chief)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "bhakti", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Atithi-dharma (guest ethics)
• Guru-respect
• Controlled revelation of māyā

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The householder ethic (gṛhastha-dharma) sanctifies hospitality: the guest is to be revered regardless of age. The verse also shows that higher beings may reveal extraordinary sights only within a framework of dharma (anugraha).

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Though embedded in narrative (ānucarita), it explicitly teaches dharma (atithi-satkāra), a common Purāṇic function alongside pancalakṣaṇa material.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Guest as guru’ implies that awakening can arrive in unexpected forms; reverence opens the channel for revelation. Māyā is not merely deception—it can be a pedagogical display when governed by dharma.