Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Aṣṭāvakra (अध्याय ३) / 3.13
3.13
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
svabhāvādएva jānāno dṛśyam etan na kiñcana | idaṃ grāhyam idaṃ tyājyaṃ sa kiṃ paśyati dhīradhīḥ
The line
The one of steady mind, knowing from his own nature itself that this seen world is nothing at all, what does he see as 'this is to be taken, this is to be left'?
नेपालीमा
स्वभावबाटै यो दृश्य केही होइन भनी जान्ने स्थिर बुद्धिको मानिसले यो लिनुपर्ने हो, यो छाड्नुपर्ने हो भनी के देख्छ?
Where it sits
Astavakra is still speaking. The taking and the leaving are what the steady mind does not find.
Split: svabhāvāt (स्वभावात्) + eva (एव) + jānānaḥ (जानानः) + dṛśyam (दृश्यम्) + etat (एतत्) + na (न) + kiñcana (किञ्चन) + idam (इदम्) + grāhyam (ग्राह्यम्) + idam (इदम्) + tyājyam (त्याज्यम्) + saḥ (सः) + kim (किम्) + paśyati (पश्यति) + dhīradhīḥ (धीरधीः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| svabhāvāt (स्वभावात्) | ablative singular, masculine | from his own nature. The edition keeps a space after the voiced final. |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | itself. |
| jānānaḥ (जानानः) | present participle, nominative singular, masculine | knowing. Recited jānāno (जानानो) before d (द्). |
| dṛśyam (दृश्यम्) | nominative singular, neuter | the seen. |
| etat (एतत्) | nominative singular, neuter | this. Agrees with dṛśyam (दृश्यम्). Recited etan (एतन्) before n (न्). |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| kiñcana (किञ्चन) | indeclinable | anything at all. |
| idam (इदम्) | nominative singular, neuter | this. |
| grāhyam (ग्राह्यम्) | nominative singular, neuter | to be taken. Agrees with the first idam (इदम्). |
| idam (इदम्) | nominative singular, neuter | this. |
| tyājyam (त्याज्यम्) | nominative singular, neuter | to be left. Agrees with the second idam (इदम्). |
| saḥ (सः) | nominative singular, masculine | he. Recited sa (स) before k (क्). |
| kim (किम्) | accusative singular, neuter | what? |
| paśyati (पश्यति) | present third person singular | sees. |
| dhīradhīḥ (धीरधीः) | nominative singular, masculine | the one of steady mind. Agrees with saḥ (सः). |
The phrases
jānānaḥ (जानानः) agrees with dhīradhīḥ (धीरधीः) and knows the clause dṛśyam (दृश्यम्) etat na kiñcana (किञ्चन), source svabhāvāt (स्वभावात्) eva. The two idam clauses are what kim paśyati (पश्यति) asks him to see. saḥ (सः) is the same subject.
Sanskrit in this line
svabhāvāt (स्वभावात्) before eva is voiced to d, and the file keeps a space, so the halant stands. etat before na is etan. jānānaḥ (जानानः) before d is jānāno (जानानो). saḥ (सः) before k loses the visarga.
Say it back
What two labels does he not put on things?