Shloka 4

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

Devanagari script

कपिलभश्न ततः प्राह सांख्यर्षिदेवसम्मत: । मया जन्मान्यनेकानि भकक्‍्त्या चाराधितो भव:

Transliteration

Kapilabhaśna tataḥ prāha sāṅkhyarṣidevasammataḥ | mayā janmāny anekāni bhaktyā cārādhito bhavaḥ ||

Translation

随后，迦毗罗婆施那开口——为数论诸圣所推崇、亦为诸天所敬仰者——说道：“在无数生中，我以虔敬礼拜并侍奉于你；愿你如今垂怜，赐我恩泽。”

Word by Word

• कपिलः: Kapila
• कपिलः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भष्म: ashes
• भष्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भष्म
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• प्राह: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+अह्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular

• सांख्यर्षिदेवसम्मतः: approved by the Sāṅkhya sages and the gods
• सांख्यर्षिदेवसम्मतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सांख्य-ऋषि-देव-सम्मत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• जन्मानि: births (lives)
• जन्मानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• अनेकानि: many
• अनेकानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

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

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

• भवः: Bhava (Śiva)
• भवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kapilabhaśna
• Bhava (Śiva)
• Sāṅkhya sages (Sāṅkhyarṣis)
• Devas (gods)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Steady devotion and sincere worship, sustained even across many lifetimes, is presented as a basis for seeking divine grace; spiritual effort is portrayed as cumulative and ethically meaningful.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports that Kapilabhaśna addresses Bhava (Śiva), declaring that he has worshipped him devotedly through many births and now petitions for Śiva’s favor.