Shloka 16

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

Devanagari script

विश्वामित्रस्तदोवाच क्षत्रियो5हं तदाभवम्‌ | ब्राह्मणो5हं भवानीति मया चाराधितो भव:

Transliteration

Viśvāmitras tadovāca kṣatriyo ’haṃ tadābhavam | brāhmaṇo ’haṃ bhavānīti mayā cārādhito bhavaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana nói: Bấy giờ Viśvāmitra tuyên bố: “Khi ấy ta là một Kṣatriya. Nay ta là một Brāhmaṇa.” Như vậy, nhờ sự phụng thờ chí thành của ta, Đấng Chúa (Śiva) hoan hỷ và ban cho sự chuyển hóa ấy.

Word by Word

• विश्वामित्रः: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

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

• क्षत्रियः: a Kṣatriya
• क्षत्रियः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: at that time
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• अभवम्: I was / I became
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (Anadyatana-bhuta), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• भवानि: may I become
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperative (Lot), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

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

• आराधितः: worshipped / propitiated
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-राध्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (kta)

• अभवत्: became / was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (Anadyatana-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Viśvāmitra
• Bhava (Śiva)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that spiritual attainment and ethical-spiritual identity can be shaped by tapas (austerity) and sincere devotion; divine grace (here, Bhava/Śiva) responds to disciplined effort, enabling inner transformation beyond one’s earlier social identity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within Vaiśampāyana’s narration, Viśvāmitra states that he was formerly a Kṣatriya but became a Brāhmaṇa, attributing this change to having propitiated Bhava (Śiva), who was pleased and granted the result.