Shloka 16

Aṣṭāvakra and the Woman: Disclosure, Permission, and Marital Resolution (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय २२)

Devanagari script

अद्टावक्र उवाच हरन्ति दोषजातानि नरं जात॑ यथेच्छकम्‌ | प्रभवामि सदा धृत्या भद्रे स्वशयनं व्रज

Transliteration

aṣṭāvakra uvāca | haranti doṣajātāni naraṃ jātaṃ yathecchakam | prabhavāmi sadā dhṛtyā bhadre svaśayanaṃ vraja |

Translation

Sinabi ni Aṣṭāvakra: “O marangal na ginang, ang mga kumpol ng pagkukulang at kasalanan ay sumasakmal sa lalaking nabubuhay ayon sa kapritso. Ngunit ako’y laging nagagapi ang sarili sa pamamagitan ng matatag na pagpipigil. Kaya’t bumalik ka sa sarili mong higaan.”

Word by Word

• अष्टावक्रः: Ashtavakra
• अष्टावक्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टावक्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• हरन्ति: carry off / draw (towards themselves)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ
• Form: Present, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• दोषजातानि: clusters/collections of faults (sins)
• दोषजातानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोषजात
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• नरम्: a man
• नरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जातम्: born / become
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यथा: as / just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• इच्छकम्: desirous; acting by his own will
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इच्छक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रभवामि: I am able / I prevail (over myself)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-भू
• Form: Present, 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• धृत्या: by firmness / by steadiness
• धृत्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• भद्रे: O auspicious lady / O good one
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• स्वशयनम्: your own bed
• स्वशयनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वशयन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• व्रज: go
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज्
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

अद्टावक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Aṣṭāvakra
• bhadre (a noble lady, unnamed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Unrestrained, whim-driven living invites moral faults and sinful tendencies; steadfast dhṛti (firm self-control) protects one’s conduct and keeps the mind governed.

What is happening in the narrative?

Aṣṭāvakra addresses a woman respectfully, warns that indulgence in mere desire leads to wrongdoing, asserts his own restraint through fortitude, and instructs her to return to her proper place (her bed).