Shloka 8

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

Devanagari script

भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्ण एवं विभिन्न महर्षियोंका युधिष्ठिरको उपदेश वाल्मीकिश्नाह भगवान्‌ युधिष्ठटिरमिदं वच: । विवादे साग्निमुनिभिर्त्रह्मघ्नो वै भवानिति

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca | Vālmīkiś ca mahābhāgo bhagavān Yudhiṣṭhiram idaṃ vacaḥ | Vivāde sa Agnimunibhir brahma-ghno vai bhavān iti ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：尊贵而光辉的圣仙伐罗弥基对坚战（Yudhiṣṭhira）如此说道：“在与那些与火神阿耆尼有关的诸圣仙争辩之时，确有人说你乃婆罗门之杀者。”此言以道德与法理之名提出控诉，提醒人们“婆罗门杀罪”（brahmahatyā）之沉重，并要求在裁定罪责时审察动机、情势与达摩（dharma）。

Word by Word

• वाल्मीकि-श्नाः: those (sages) like Vālmīki
• वाल्मीकि-श्नाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाल्मीकि-श्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिरम्: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वचः: speech; words
• वचः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विवादे: in a dispute
• विवादे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• स: he
• स: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अग्नि-मुनिभिः: by the fire-sages (Agni and the sages / sages connected with Agni)
• अग्नि-मुनिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि-मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• ब्रह्मघ्नः: a slayer of a brāhmaṇa; brahma-slayer
• ब्रह्मघ्नः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (निपात)

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus; '...'
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (निपात)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Vālmīki
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Agni
• muni (sages)
• brāhmaṇa (as the class implied by brahma-ghna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the seriousness of brahmahatyā (killing a brāhmaṇa) as a moral-legal charge and prepares the ground for dharmic analysis: accusations must be weighed carefully, considering context and the standards of righteousness upheld by sages.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that the sage Vālmīki speaks to Yudhiṣṭhira, reporting that in a certain dispute involving sages connected with Agni, Yudhiṣṭhira is labeled a ‘brahma-ghna’—a grave allegation that invites further explanation and resolution.