Shloka 58

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

Devanagari script

तान्‌ विसृज्य च मां प्राह पिता सास्राविलेक्षण: । प्रणमन्तं परिष्वज्य मूर्ध्न्युपाप्राय पाण्डव

Transliteration

tān visṛjya ca māṃ prāha pitā sāśrāvilekṣaṇaḥ | praṇamantaṃ pariṣvajya mūrdhny upāghrāya pāṇḍava ||

Translation

ครั้นทรงให้พวกนั้นกลับไปแล้ว บิดาของข้าพเจ้า—ดวงเนตรพร่ามัวด้วยน้ำตา—ตรัสกับข้าพเจ้า เมื่อข้าพเจ้าก้มลงนอบน้อม ท่านก็โอบกอดและจุมพิตที่ศีรษะของข้าพเจ้า โอ บุตรแห่งปาณฑุ

Word by Word

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• विसृज्य: having dismissed/let go
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-सृज्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

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

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

• प्राह: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आह् (अह्/ब्रू)
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पिता: father
• पिता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स-अस्र-अविल-ईक्षणः: whose eyes were clouded with tears
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सास्राविलेक्षण (स + अस्र + अविल + ईक्षण)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रणमन्तम्: bowing down (one who was bowing)
• प्रणमन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम्
• Form: Present active participle, Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• परिष्वज्य: having embraced
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-स्वञ्ज्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

• मूर्ध्नि: on the head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• उपाप्राय: kissed/pressed (his lips) upon
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-प्रा (प्रा/प्रै)
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पाण्डव: O Pāṇḍava
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

गालव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• गालव (Gālava)
• पिता (Gālava’s father)
• पाण्डव (Pāṇḍava—addressee, a son/descendant of Pāṇḍu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic conduct within family life: reverence shown by the son through praṇāma, and the father’s compassionate blessing through embrace and a kiss on the head. Duty and separation are tempered by affection, restraint, and the transmission of moral support.

What is happening in the narrative?

Gālava recounts that after others were sent away, his father—tearful—addressed him. As Gālava bowed, the father embraced him and kissed his head, indicating an emotionally charged farewell and a blessing before the next step in Gālava’s undertaking.