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

毗舍波耶那说：于是毗湿瓦密多宣言：“当时我为刹帝利；如今我为婆罗门。”正因我虔诚的奉事，主宰（湿婆）欢喜，赐下此等转化。

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.