Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Janaka (अध्याय २) / 2.21
2.21
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
अहो जनसमूहेऽपि न द्वैतं पश्यतो मम ।
अरण्यमिव संवृत्तं क्व रतिं करवाण्यहम् aho janasamūhe 'pi na dvaitaṃ paśyato mama |
araṇyam iva saṃvṛttaṃ kva ratiṃ karavāṇy aham
The line
Ah, for me who see no duality even in a crowd of people, it has turned into something like a forest. Where am I to make a delight?
नेपालीमा
अहो, जनसमूहमा पनि द्वैत नदेख्ने मलाई यो वन जस्तै भयो। म कहाँ रमाऊँ?
Where it sits
Janaka is still speaking. The crowd is where duality is not seen.
Split: aho (अहो) + janasamūhe (जनसमूहे) + api (अपि) + na (न) + dvaitam (द्वैतम्) + paśyataḥ (पश्यतः) + mama (मम) + araṇyam (अरण्यम्) + iva (इव) + saṃvṛttam (संवृत्तम्) + kva (क्व) + ratim (रतिम्) + karavāṇi (करवाणि) + aham (अहम्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| aho (अहो) | indeclinable | ah. |
| janasamūhe (जनसमूहे) | locative singular, masculine | in a crowd of people. jana (जन) is a person. samūha (समूह) is a crowd. |
| api (अपि) | indeclinable | even. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| dvaitam (द्वैतम्) | accusative singular, neuter | duality. |
| paśyataḥ (पश्यतः) | genitive singular, masculine | of one who sees. Present participle of dṛś (दृश्). |
| mama (मम) | genitive singular | of me. |
| araṇyam (अरण्यम्) | nominative singular, neuter | a forest. |
| iva (इव) | indeclinable | like. |
| saṃvṛttam (संवृत्तम्) | nominative singular, neuter | become, turned. |
| kva (क्व) | indeclinable | where. |
| ratim (रतिम्) | accusative singular, feminine | delight. |
| karavāṇi (करवाणि) | imperative first person singular | let me make, I shall make. From kṛ (कृ). |
| aham (अहम्) | nominative singular | I. |
The phrases
mama paśyataḥ (मम पश्यतः) is the person who does na (न) see dvaitam (द्वैतम्), even janasamūhe (जनसमूहे). saṃvṛttam (संवृत्तम्) with araṇyam iva (अरण्यमिव) is the result, with no separate subject named. karavāṇi (करवाणि) takes ratim (रतिम्), and kva (क्व) asks the place.
Sanskrit in this line
janasamūhe (जनसमूहे) plus api is janasamūhe (जनसमूहे) 'pi. The a of api is the avagraha after e. karavāṇi (करवाणि) plus aham is karavāṇy (करवाण्य्) aham.
Say it back
Where is duality not seen, and what has the place become like?