Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Janaka (अध्याय ४) / 4.3
4.3
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
तज्ज्ञस्य पुण्यपापाभ्यां स्पर्शो ह्यन्तर् न जायते ।
न ह्याकाशस्य धूमेन दृश्यमानापि सङ्गतिः tajjñasya puṇyapāpābhyāṃ sparśo hy antar na jāyate |
na hy ākāśasya dhūmena dṛśyamānāpi saṅgatiḥ
The line
For the knower of that, contact with merit and demerit does not arise within. Smoke does not join with space, even when the smoke is seen.
नेपालीमा
त्यसलाई जानेकोमा पुण्य र पापको स्पर्श भित्र जन्मिँदैन। धुवाँ देखिए पनि आकाशसँग संगति हुँदैन।
Where it sits
Janaka is still speaking. The knower of that state is compared with space.
Split: tajjñasya (तज्ज्ञस्य) + puṇyapāpābhyām (पुण्यपापाभ्याम्) + sparśaḥ (स्पर्शः) + hi (हि) + antaḥ (अन्तः) + na (न) + jāyate (जायते) + na (न) + hi (हि) + ākāśasya (आकाशस्य) + dhūmena (धूमेन) + dṛśyamānā (दृश्यमाना) + api (अपि) + saṅgatiḥ (सङ्गतिः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| tajjñasya (तज्ज्ञस्य) | genitive singular, masculine | of the knower of that. |
| puṇyapāpābhyām (पुण्यपापाभ्याम्) | instrumental dual, neuter | with merit and demerit. |
| sparśaḥ (स्पर्शः) | nominative singular, masculine | contact. Recited sparśo (स्पर्शो) before h (ह्). |
| hi (हि) | indeclinable | indeed. Recited hy (ह्य्) before a (अ). |
| antaḥ (अन्तः) | indeclinable | within. Recited antar (अन्तर्) before n (न्). |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| jāyate (जायते) | present third person singular | arises. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| hi (हि) | indeclinable | indeed. Recited hy (ह्य्) before ā (आ). |
| ākāśasya (आकाशस्य) | genitive singular, masculine | of space. |
| dhūmena (धूमेन) | instrumental singular, masculine | by smoke. |
| dṛśyamānā (दृश्यमाना) | present passive participle, nominative singular, feminine | being seen. Agrees with saṅgatiḥ (सङ्गतिः). |
| api (अपि) | indeclinable | even. |
| saṅgatiḥ (सङ्गतिः) | nominative singular, feminine | a joining. |
The phrases
sparśaḥ (स्पर्शः) is the subject of na jāyate (जायते), for tajjñasya (तज्ज्ञस्य), instrument puṇyapāpābhyām (पुण्यपापाभ्याम्), place antaḥ (अन्तः). The second na hi compares saṅgatiḥ (सङ्गतिः) of ākāśasya (आकाशस्य) with dhūmena (धूमेन), and dṛśyamānā (दृश्यमाना) api concedes that the smoke is seen.
Sanskrit in this line
tat before jña (ज्ञ) doubles as tajjña (तज्ज्ञ). sparśaḥ (स्पर्शः) before hi is sparśo (स्पर्शो), and hi before a vowel is hy. antaḥ (अन्तः) before na is antar.
Say it back
What does not arise within the knower?