Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Janaka (अध्याय २) / 2.5
2.5
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
tantumātro bhavedएva paṭo yadvad vicāritaḥ | ātmatanmātram evedaṃ tadvad viśvaṃ vicāritam
The line
As cloth, when examined, would be thread alone, so this world, when examined, is the self alone.
नेपालीमा
जसरी विचार गर्दा कपडा धागो मात्र हुन्छ, त्यसै गरी विचार गर्दा यो विश्व आत्मा मात्र हो।
Where it sits
Janaka is still speaking. The water image is followed by cloth and thread.
Split: tantumātraḥ (तन्तुमात्रः) + bhavet (भवेत्) + eva (एव) + paṭaḥ (पटः) + yadvat (यद्वत्) + vicāritaḥ (विचारितः) + ātmatanmātram (आत्मतन्मात्रम्) + eva (एव) + idam (इदम्) + tadvat (तद्वत्) + viśvam (विश्वम्) + vicāritam (विचारितम्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| tantumātraḥ (तन्तुमात्रः) | nominative singular, masculine | thread alone. tantu (तन्तु) is thread. mātra (मात्र) is alone, only that. Recited tantumātro (तन्तुमात्रो) before bhavet (भवेत्). |
| bhavet (भवेत्) | optative third person singular | would be. Recited bhaved (भवेद्) before eva (एव). |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | indeed. |
| paṭaḥ (पटः) | nominative singular, masculine | cloth. Recited paṭo (पटो) before yadvat (यद्वत्). |
| yadvat (यद्वत्) | indeclinable | in the way that. |
| vicāritaḥ (विचारितः) | nominative singular, masculine | examined. Agrees with paṭaḥ (पटः). |
| ātmatanmātram (आत्मतन्मात्रम्) | nominative singular, neuter | the self and nothing further. ātman (आत्मन्) is the self. tanmātra (तन्मात्र) is that much only. |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | indeed. |
| idam (इदम्) | nominative singular, neuter | this. |
| tadvat (तद्वत्) | indeclinable | in that way. |
| viśvam (विश्वम्) | nominative singular, neuter | the world. |
| vicāritam (विचारितम्) | nominative singular, neuter | examined. Agrees with viśvam (विश्वम्). |
The phrases
yadvat (यद्वत्) and tadvat (तद्वत्) pair the two examinations. paṭaḥ vicāritaḥ (पटः विचारितः) would be tantumātraḥ (तन्तुमात्रः). idam viśvam vicāritam (इदम् विश्वम् विचारितम्) is ātmatanmātram (आत्मतन्मात्रम्).
Sanskrit in this line
bhavet before eva is bhaved, and this edition keeps the virama, so the consonant does not take the vowel. idam before tadvat is written with anusvara, idaṃ (इदं). ātmatanmātram (आत्मतन्मात्रम्) plus eva plus idam is ātmatanmātram (आत्मतन्मात्रम्) evedam.
Say it back
When examined, what is the cloth, and what is the world?