Shloka 21

Aṣṭāvakra–Kahoda Upākhyāna: Śvetaketu’s Āśrama, Sarasvatī, and the Origin of Aṣṭāvakra

Devanagari script

राजोवाच राष्ट्र शिबीनामृद्धं वै ददानि तव खेचर । यं वा कामयसे कामं॑ श्येन सर्व ददानि ते

Transliteration

rājovāca rāṣṭraṃ śibīnām ṛddhaṃ vai dadāni tava khecara | yaṃ vā kāmayase kāmaṃ śyena sarvaṃ dadāni te ||

Translation

Vua nói: “Hỡi loài chim lượn giữa trời cao! Trẫm sẽ ban cho ngươi vương quốc phồn thịnh của dân Śibi. Hoặc bất cứ điều gì ngươi ước muốn, hỡi chim ưng Śyena—tất thảy trẫm đều sẽ ban.”

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• राष्ट्रम्: kingdom, realm
• राष्ट्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शिबीनाम्: of the Śibis
• शिबीनाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिबि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• ऋद्धम्: prosperous, rich
• ऋद्धम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वै: indeed, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• ददानि: I give / I will give
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Present, 1, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तव: to you / for you
• तव: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• खेचर: O sky-goer (bird)
• खेचर: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: खेचर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• यम्: which / whom
• यम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• कामयसे: you desire
• Type: Verb
• Root: कम् (कामय)
• Form: Present, 2, Singular, Atmanepada

• कामम्: wish, desired object
• कामम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• श्येन: O hawk
• श्येन: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्येन
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ददानि: I give / I will give
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Present, 1, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Dative, Singular

Speaker

श्येन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• rājā (the king, identified in context as Śibi)
• śyena (hawk)
• śibi-rāṣṭra (realm of the Śibis)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights royal dharma expressed through dāna and protection: a righteous ruler is willing to surrender even sovereignty and wealth to prevent harm and to uphold ethical responsibility toward those seeking refuge.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śibi episode, the king addresses the hawk and offers his prosperous kingdom—or any boon the hawk desires—attempting to satisfy the hawk without allowing violence against the one under the king’s protection.