Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 62

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

Devanagari script

अशुभै: पापकर्माणो ये नरा: कलुषीकृता: । ईशान न प्रपद्यन्ते तमोराजसवृत्तय:

Transliteration

aśubhaiḥ pāpakarmāṇo ye narāḥ kaluṣīkṛtāḥ | īśāna na prapadyante tamorajasavṛttayaḥ ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Vāyu: “Yaong mga taong, dahil sa masamang asal, ay nadungisan ng makasalanang gawa—na may likas na tamas o rajas—ay hindi naghahanap ng kanlungan kay Īśāna (Panginoong Śiva).” Ipinapakita ng taludtod ang aral na etikal: ang dumi sa loob at mga gawi na gapos ng pagnanasa at pagnanabik ay humahadlang sa tunay na pagsuko sa banal; samantalang ang kalinisan ng asal at linaw ng isip ang sumusuporta sa debosyon.

Word by Word

• अशुभैः: by/with inauspicious (acts/behaviours)
• अशुभैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशुभ
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• पापकर्माणः: sin-doers; those whose deeds are sinful
• पापकर्माणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापकर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ये: who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नराः: men; people
• नराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कलुषीकृताः: defiled; made impure
• कलुषीकृताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कलुषीकृत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ईशान: O Ishana (Shiva)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

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

• प्रपद्यन्ते: take refuge; surrender
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√पद्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Atmanepada

• तमोराजसवृत्तयः: those of tamasic/rajasic disposition
• तमोराजसवृत्तयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमोराजसवृत्ति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वायुदेव (Vāyu)
• ईशान (Īśāna / Lord Śiva)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sinful, impure conduct and a tamasic/rajasic mindset hinder true surrender; devotion to Īśāna (Śiva) is facilitated by inner purity and a more sattvic orientation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu is speaking and makes a doctrinal-ethical observation: people defiled by inauspicious, sinful actions—driven by tamas and rajas—do not take refuge in Lord Śiva.