Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Janaka (अध्याय २) / 2.24
2.24
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
मय्यनन्तमहाम्भोधौ चित्तवाते प्रशाम्यति ।
अभाग्याज् जीववणिजो जगत्पोतो विनश्वरः mayy anantamahāmbhodhau cittavāte praśāmyati |
abhāgyāj jīvavaṇijo jagatpoto vinaśvaraḥ
The line
In me, the endless great ocean, when the wind of the mind grows quiet, the world boat of the unlucky merchant who is the living one is perishable.
नेपालीमा
अनन्त महासागररूपी ममा चित्तको वायु शान्त हुँदा, अभागी जीवरूपी व्यापारीको जगत्रूपी नाव नाशवान् हुन्छ।
Where it sits
Janaka is still speaking. The same ocean, now with the wind growing quiet.
Split: mayi (मयि) + anantamahāmbhodhau (अनन्तमहाम्भोधौ) + cittavāte (चित्तवाते) + praśāmyati (प्रशाम्यति) + abhāgyāt (अभाग्यात्) + jīvavaṇijaḥ (जीववणिजः) + jagatpotaḥ (जगत्पोतः) + vinaśvaraḥ (विनश्वरः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| mayi (मयि) | locative singular | in me. |
| anantamahāmbhodhau (अनन्तमहाम्भोधौ) | locative singular, masculine | in the endless great ocean. |
| cittavāte (चित्तवाते) | locative singular, masculine | when the wind of the mind. |
| praśāmyati (प्रशाम्यति) | present third person singular | grows quiet. pra (प्र) plus śam (शम्). |
| abhāgyāt (अभाग्यात्) | ablative singular, neuter | from misfortune. Recited abhāgyāj (अभाग्याज्) before jīvavaṇijaḥ (जीववणिजः). |
| jīvavaṇijaḥ (जीववणिजः) | nominative singular, masculine | the merchant who is the living one. jīva (जीव) is the living one. vaṇij (वणिज्) is a merchant. Recited jīvavaṇijo (जीववणिजो) before jagatpotaḥ (जगत्पोतः). |
| jagatpotaḥ (जगत्पोतः) | nominative singular, masculine | the boat that is the world. jagat (जगत्) is the world. pota (पोत) is a boat. Recited jagatpoto (जगत्पोतो) before vinaśvaraḥ (विनश्वरः). |
| vinaśvaraḥ (विनश्वरः) | nominative singular, masculine | perishable. |
The phrases
The place repeats: mayi anantamahāmbhodhau (मयि अनन्तमहाम्भोधौ). praśāmyati (प्रशाम्यति) is the verb of cittavāte (चित्तवाते). The second half has no further finite verb. jagatpotaḥ (जगत्पोतः) is vinaśvaraḥ (विनश्वरः), and it belongs with jīvavaṇijaḥ (जीववणिजः), from abhāgyāt (अभाग्यात्).
Sanskrit in this line
abhāgyāt (अभाग्यात्) before jīva (जीव) is abhāgyāj (अभाग्याज्), because t before j becomes j. mayi plus ananta is mayy ananta.
Say it back
Whose boat is perishable, and when?