Shloka 58

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

Devanagari script

तान्‌ विसृज्य च मां प्राह पिता सास्राविलेक्षण: । प्रणमन्तं परिष्वज्य मूर्ध्न्युपाप्राय पाण्डव

Transliteration

tān visṛjya ca māṃ prāha pitā sāśrāvilekṣaṇaḥ | praṇamantaṃ pariṣvajya mūrdhny upāghrāya pāṇḍava ||

Translation

遣退众人之后，我父亲——双目为泪所蒙——对我说道。我俯身致敬之时，他将我拥入怀中，吻了我的头顶，噢，般度之子。此情此景彰显父亲温柔的慈爱，也显出离别所负的道义之重：责任仍须前行，却因祝福、克制与由衷的悲悯而得以净化与成圣。

Word by Word

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• विसृज्य: having dismissed/let go
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-सृज्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

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

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Common, Accusative, Singular

• प्राह: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आह् (अह्/ब्रू)
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पिता: father
• पिता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स-अस्र-अविल-ईक्षणः: whose eyes were clouded with tears
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सास्राविलेक्षण (स + अस्र + अविल + ईक्षण)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रणमन्तम्: bowing down (one who was bowing)
• प्रणमन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम्
• Form: Present active participle, Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• परिष्वज्य: having embraced
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-स्वञ्ज्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

• मूर्ध्नि: on the head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• उपाप्राय: kissed/pressed (his lips) upon
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-प्रा (प्रा/प्रै)
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पाण्डव: O Pāṇḍava
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

गालव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• गालव (Gālava)
• पिता (Gālava’s father)
• पाण्डव (Pāṇḍava—addressee, a son/descendant of Pāṇḍu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic conduct within family life: reverence shown by the son through praṇāma, and the father’s compassionate blessing through embrace and a kiss on the head. Duty and separation are tempered by affection, restraint, and the transmission of moral support.

What is happening in the narrative?

Gālava recounts that after others were sent away, his father—tearful—addressed him. As Gālava bowed, the father embraced him and kissed his head, indicating an emotionally charged farewell and a blessing before the next step in Gālava’s undertaking.