Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Janaka asks (अध्याय १) / 1.14
1.14
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
देहाभिमानपाशेन चिरं बद्धोऽसि पुत्रक ।
बोधोऽहं ज्ञानखड्गेन तन् निकृत्य सुखी भव dehābhimānapāśena ciraṃ baddho 'si putraka |
bodho 'haṃ jñānakhaḍgena tan nikṛtya sukhī bhava
The line
Child, you are long bound by the snare of the conceit of the body. With the sword of the knowledge that I am awareness, cut that and be happy.
नेपालीमा
हे बालक, देहको अभिमानरूपी पासोले लामो समय बाँधिएको छौ। म बोध हुँ भन्ने ज्ञानको खड्गले त्यो काटेर सुखी होऊ।
Where it sits
Aṣṭāvakra (अष्टावक्र) is still speaking. The body conceit is the snare, and the sword is the sentence I am awareness.
Split: dehābhimānapāśena (देहाभिमानपाशेन) + ciram (चिरम्) + baddhaḥ (बद्धः) + asi (असि) + putraka (पुत्रक) + bodhaḥ (बोधः) + aham (अहम्) + jñānakhaḍgena (ज्ञानखड्गेन) + tat (तत्) + nikṛtya (निकृत्य) + sukhī (सुखी) + bhava (भव)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| dehābhimānapāśena (देहाभिमानपाशेन) | instrumental singular, masculine | by the snare of the conceit of the body. deha (देह) is the body. abhimāna (अभिमान) is conceit. pāśa (पाश) is a snare. |
| ciram (चिरम्) | accusative singular, neuter | for a long time. |
| baddhaḥ (बद्धः) | nominative singular, masculine | bound. Recited baddho (बद्धो) before asi (असि). |
| asi (असि) | present second person singular | you are. |
| putraka (पुत्रक) | vocative singular, masculine | O child. |
| bodhaḥ (बोधः) | nominative singular, masculine | awareness. Recited bodho (बोधो) before aham (अहम्). |
| aham (अहम्) | nominative singular | I. |
| jñānakhaḍgena (ज्ञानखड्गेन) | instrumental singular, masculine | by the sword of knowledge. jñāna (ज्ञान) is knowledge. khaḍga (खड्ग) is a sword. |
| tat (तत्) | accusative singular, neuter | that. |
| nikṛtya (निकृत्य) | absolutive | having cut. ni (नि) plus kṛt (कृत्). |
| sukhī (सुखी) | nominative singular, masculine | happy. |
| bhava (भव) | imperative second person singular | be. |
The phrases
asi (असि) takes baddhaḥ (बद्धः), and the instrumental is the means of the binding. ciram (चिरम्) is the length of time. bodhaḥ aham (बोधः अहम्) names the knowledge. nikṛtya (निकृत्य) takes tat (तत्), the snare, and its instrument is jñānakhaḍgena (ज्ञानखड्गेन). bhava (भव) takes sukhī (सुखी).
Sanskrit in this line
baddhaḥ (बद्धः) plus asi is baddho 'si. bodhaḥ (बोधः) plus aham is bodho 'ham. tat plus nikṛtya (निकृत्य) is written with a doubled n.
Say it back
What binds, and what cuts it?