Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Janaka asks (अध्याय १) / 1.6
1.6
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
धर्माधर्मौ सुखं दुःखं मानसानि न ते विभो ।
न कर्तासि न भोक्तासि मुक्त एवासि सर्वदा dharmādharmau sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ mānasāni na te vibho |
na kartāsi na bhoktāsi mukta evāsi sarvadā
The line
Right and wrong, pleasure and pain, are of the mind. They are not yours, O pervasive one. You are not the doer. You are not the enjoyer. You are free, always.
नेपालीमा
धर्म र अधर्म, सुख र दुःख मनका हुन्, तिम्रा होइनन्, हे विभो। तिमी कर्ता होइनौ, भोक्ता होइनौ। सधैँ मुक्त नै छौ।
Where it sits
Aṣṭāvakra (अष्टावक्र) is still speaking. Doing and enjoying are set beside the mental pairs.
Split: dharmādharmau (धर्माधर्मौ) + sukham (सुखम्) + duḥkham (दुःखम्) + mānasāni (मानसानि) + na (न) + te (ते) + vibho (विभो) + na (न) + kartā (कर्ता) + asi (असि) + na (न) + bhoktā (भोक्ता) + asi (असि) + muktaḥ (मुक्तः) + eva (एव) + asi (असि) + sarvadā (सर्वदा)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| dharmādharmau (धर्माधर्मौ) | nominative dual, masculine | right and its opposite. dharma (धर्म) and adharma (अधर्म). |
| sukham (सुखम्) | nominative singular, neuter | pleasure. |
| duḥkham (दुःखम्) | nominative singular, neuter | pain. |
| mānasāni (मानसानि) | nominative plural, neuter | belonging to the mind. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| te (ते) | genitive singular | of you, yours. |
| vibho (विभो) | vocative singular, masculine | O pervasive one. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| kartā (कर्ता) | nominative singular, masculine | the doer. |
| asi (असि) | present second person singular | you are. From as (अस्). |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| bhoktā (भोक्ता) | nominative singular, masculine | the enjoyer. |
| asi (असि) | present second person singular | you are. |
| muktaḥ (मुक्तः) | nominative singular, masculine | freed. The visarga drops before eva (एव). |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | indeed. |
| asi (असि) | present second person singular | you are. |
| sarvadā (सर्वदा) | indeclinable | always. |
The phrases
mānasāni (मानसानि) predicates the whole list, though the dual and the singulars are gathered under a neuter plural. na te (न ते) denies that they are yours. Each later na (न) negates a nominative with asi (असि). muktaḥ eva (मुक्तः एव) is the positive predicate.
Sanskrit in this line
kartā (कर्ता) plus asi is kartāsi (कर्तासि), and bhoktā (भोक्ता) plus asi is bhoktāsi (भोक्तासि). muktaḥ (मुक्तः) before eva loses the visarga. eva plus asi is evāsi (एवासि).
Say it back
What is said to be mental, and what two roles are denied?