Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

चारुशीर्षस्तत: प्राह शक्रस्य दयित: सखा | आलनम्बायन इत्येवं विश्रुतटः करुणात्मक:,तदनन्तर इन्द्रके प्रिय सखा आलम्बगोत्रीय चारुशीर्षने जो आलम्बायन नामसे ही प्रसिद्ध तथा परम दयालु हैं, इस प्रकार कहा--

Transliteration

cāruśīrṣas tataḥ prāha śakrasya dayitaḥ sakhā | ālanambāyana ity evaṁ viśrutaḥ karuṇātmakaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Bấy giờ Cāruśīrṣa lên tiếng—người bạn được Indra yêu quý, nổi danh với tên Ālanambāyana, bản tính vốn đầy lòng trắc ẩn. Ông cất lời như thế, đem vào cuộc đối thoại một giọng điệu nhân hậu và mối bận tâm về đạo lý.

Word by Word

• चारुशीर्षः: Charushirsha (one with a beautiful head; proper name)
• चारुशीर्षः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चारुशीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)

• प्राह: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शक्रस्य: of Shakra (Indra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• दयितः: beloved/dear
• दयितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दयित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सखा: friend
• सखा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आलनम्बायनः: Alanambayana (proper name/patronymic)
• आलनम्बायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आलनम्बायन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus/so (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)

• एवम्: in this way/so
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)

• विश्रुतः: well-known/famed
• विश्रुतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + श्रु (धातु) → विश्रुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• करुणात्मकः: compassionate (having a compassionate nature)
• करुणात्मकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: करुणात्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Cāruśīrṣa
• Śakra (Indra)
• Ālanambāyana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds compassion (karuṇā) as a defining virtue: the speaker introduced is explicitly characterized as compassionate, implying that ethical counsel and right conduct are best conveyed through kindness and concern for others.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator Vaiśampāyana transitions to a new speaker: Cāruśīrṣa, identified as Indra’s dear friend and famed as Ālanambāyana, who is described as compassionate. The verse functions as an introduction before his speech.