Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Janaka asks (अध्याय १) / 1.5
1.5
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
न त्वं विप्रादिको वर्णो नाश्रमी नाक्षगोचरः ।
असङ्गोऽसि निराकारो विश्वसाक्षी सुखी भव na tvaṃ viprādiko varṇo nāśramī nākṣagocaraḥ |
asaṅgo 'si nirākāro viśvasākṣī sukhī bhava
The line
You are not a class that begins with the brahmin, not a member of a life stage, not an object of the eye. You are unattached, without form, the witness of the world. Be happy.
नेपालीमा
तिमी ब्राह्मणदेखि सुरु हुने वर्ण होइनौ, आश्रमको मानिस होइनौ, आँखाको विषय होइनौ। असङ्ग छौ, निराकार छौ, विश्वका साक्षी छौ। सुखी होऊ।
Where it sits
Aṣṭāvakra (अष्टावक्र) is still speaking. After the elements, the social marks are denied.
Split: na (न) + tvam (त्वम्) + viprādikaḥ (विप्रादिकः) + varṇaḥ (वर्णः) + na (न) + āśramī (आश्रमी) + na (न) + akṣagocaraḥ (अक्षगोचरः) + asaṅgaḥ (असङ्गः) + asi (असि) + nirākāraḥ (निराकारः) + viśvasākṣī (विश्वसाक्षी) + sukhī (सुखी) + bhava (भव)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| tvam (त्वम्) | nominative singular | you. |
| viprādikaḥ (विप्रादिकः) | nominative singular, masculine | one counted from the brahmin on. vipra (विप्र) is a brahmin. ādi (आदि) is a beginning. Recited viprādiko (विप्रादिको) before varṇaḥ (वर्णः). |
| varṇaḥ (वर्णः) | nominative singular, masculine | a class. Recited varṇo (वर्णो) before na (न). |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| āśramī (आश्रमी) | nominative singular, masculine | one who belongs to a stage of life. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| akṣagocaraḥ (अक्षगोचरः) | nominative singular, masculine | what lies in the range of the eye. akṣa (अक्ष) is the eye. gocara (गोचर) is the range. |
| asaṅgaḥ (असङ्गः) | nominative singular, masculine | unattached. Recited asaṅgo (असङ्गो) before asi (असि). |
| asi (असि) | present second person singular | you are. From as (अस्). |
| nirākāraḥ (निराकारः) | nominative singular, masculine | without form. Recited nirākāro (निराकारो) before viśvasākṣī (विश्वसाक्षी). |
| viśvasākṣī (विश्वसाक्षी) | nominative singular, masculine | witness of the world. viśva (विश्व) is the world. sākṣin (साक्षिन्) is a witness. |
| sukhī (सुखी) | nominative singular, masculine | happy. |
| bhava (भव) | imperative second person singular | be. From bhū (भू). |
The phrases
The three na (न) clauses negate varṇaḥ (वर्णः), āśramī (आश्रमी), and akṣagocaraḥ (अक्षगोचरः) of tvam (त्वम्). asi (असि) then takes asaṅgaḥ (असङ्गः), nirākāraḥ (निराकारः), and viśvasākṣī (विश्वसाक्षी). bhava (भव) takes sukhī (सुखी).
Sanskrit in this line
asaṅgaḥ (असङ्गः) plus asi is asaṅgo (असङ्गो) 'si. The visarga becomes o, and the a of asi is the avagraha. The same o appears in viprādiko (विप्रादिको), varṇo (वर्णो), and nirākāro (निराकारो).
Say it back
Which three labels are denied, and which three remain with asi?