Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Janaka (अध्याय २) / 2.15
2.15
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं तथा ज्ञाता त्रितयं नास्ति वास्तवम् ।
अज्ञानाद् भाति यत्रेदं सोऽहमस्मि निरञ्जनः jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ tathā jñātā tritayaṃ nāsti vāstavam |
ajñānād bhāti yatredaṃ so 'ham asmi nirañjanaḥ
The line
Knowledge, the knowable, and the knower: the triad is not real. Where this appears from unknowing, I am that, stainless.
नेपालीमा
ज्ञान, ज्ञेय र ज्ञाता, यो त्रय वास्तवमा छैन। जहाँ अज्ञानले यो चम्कन्छ, त्यो दागरहित म हुँ।
Where it sits
Janaka is still speaking. After nothing and all, he denies the triad of knowing.
Split: jñānam (ज्ञानम्) + jñeyam (ज्ञेयम्) + tathā (तथा) + jñātā (ज्ञाता) + tritayam (त्रितयम्) + na (न) + asti (अस्ति) + vāstavam (वास्तवम्) + ajñānāt (अज्ञानात्) + bhāti (भाति) + yatra (यत्र) + idam (इदम्) + saḥ (सः) + aham (अहम्) + asmi (अस्मि) + nirañjanaḥ (निरञ्जनः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| jñānam (ज्ञानम्) | nominative singular, neuter | knowledge. |
| jñeyam (ज्ञेयम्) | nominative singular, neuter | the knowable. |
| tathā (तथा) | indeclinable | and, so. |
| jñātā (ज्ञाता) | nominative singular, masculine | the knower. |
| tritayam (त्रितयम्) | nominative singular, neuter | the triad. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| asti (अस्ति) | present third person singular | is. |
| vāstavam (वास्तवम्) | nominative singular, neuter | real. Agrees with tritayam (त्रितयम्). |
| ajñānāt (अज्ञानात्) | ablative singular, neuter | from unknowing. Recited ajñānād (अज्ञानाद्) before bhāti (भाति). |
| bhāti (भाति) | present third person singular | appears. |
| yatra (यत्र) | indeclinable | where. |
| idam (इदम्) | nominative singular, neuter | this. |
| saḥ (सः) | nominative singular, masculine | that one. Recited so (सो) before aham (अहम्). |
| aham (अहम्) | nominative singular | I. |
| asmi (अस्मि) | present first person singular | I am. |
| nirañjanaḥ (निरञ्जनः) | nominative singular, masculine | without stain. |
The phrases
jñānam (ज्ञानम्), jñeyam (ज्ञेयम्), and jñātā (ज्ञाता) are named, then gathered as tritayam (त्रितयम्), which na asti (न अस्ति) as vāstavam (वास्तवम्). yatra idam bhāti (यत्र इदम् भाति) from ajñānāt (अज्ञानात्), there saḥ (सः) is aham (अहम्), and nirañjanaḥ (निरञ्जनः) agrees.
Sanskrit in this line
na plus asti is nāsti (नास्ति). yatra plus idam is yatredam, and idam before saḥ (सः) is written with anusvara. saḥ (सः) plus aham is so 'ham.
Say it back
Which three are not real?