Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Janaka (अध्याय ४) / 4.4
4.4
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
आत्मैवेदं जगत् सर्वं ज्ञातं येन महात्मना ।
यदृच्छया वर्तमानं तं निषेद्धुं क्षमेत कः ātmaivedaṃ jagat sarvaṃ jñātaṃ yena mahātmanā |
yadṛcchayā vartamānaṃ taṃ niṣeddhuṃ kṣameta kaḥ
The line
The great one by whom this whole world is known as the self alone: who would be able to restrain him as he lives by his own accord?
नेपालीमा
जुन महात्माले यो सारा जगत् आत्मा नै हो भनी जान्यो, आफ्नै इच्छामा चलेको त्यसलाई रोक्न को सक्छ?
Where it sits
Janaka is still speaking. The question is who could restrain the one who knows.
Split: ātmā (आत्मा) + eva (एव) + idam (इदम्) + jagat (जगत्) + sarvam (सर्वम्) + jñātam (ज्ञातम्) + yena (येन) + mahātmanā (महात्मना) + yadṛcchayā (यदृच्छया) + vartamānam (वर्तमानम्) + tam (तम्) + niṣeddhum (निषेद्धुम्) + kṣameta (क्षमेत) + kaḥ (कः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| ātmā (आत्मा) | nominative singular, masculine | the self. |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | alone. |
| idam (इदम्) | nominative singular, neuter | this. |
| jagat (जगत्) | nominative singular, neuter | the world. Agrees with idam (इदम्). |
| sarvam (सर्वम्) | nominative singular, neuter | whole. Agrees with jagat (जगत्). |
| jñātam (ज्ञातम्) | past participle, nominative singular, neuter | known. Agrees with jagat (जगत्). |
| yena (येन) | instrumental singular, masculine | by whom. |
| mahātmanā (महात्मना) | instrumental singular, masculine | by the great one. Agrees with yena (येन). |
| yadṛcchayā (यदृच्छया) | instrumental singular, feminine | by its own accord. |
| vartamānam (वर्तमानम्) | present participle, accusative singular, masculine | going on. Agrees with tam (तम्). |
| tam (तम्) | accusative singular, masculine | him. |
| niṣeddhum (निषेद्धुम्) | infinitive | to restrain. From ni (नि) plus sidh (सिध्). |
| kṣameta (क्षमेत) | optative third person singular | would be able. From kṣam (क्षम्). |
| kaḥ (कः) | nominative singular, masculine | who? |
The phrases
yena mahātmanā (महात्मना) is the knower, and jñātam (ज्ञातम्) agrees with idam jagat sarvam, predicate ātmā (आत्मा) eva. kaḥ (कः) is the subject of kṣameta (क्षमेत), niṣeddhum (निषेद्धुम्) the complement, tam the object, vartamānam (वर्तमानम्) agreeing, yadṛcchayā (यदृच्छया) the manner.
Sanskrit in this line
ātmā (आत्मा) plus eva plus idam is ātmaivedam (आत्मैवेदम्). tam before niṣeddhum (निषेद्धुम्) keeps the anusvara.
Say it back
Who is asked about as able to restrain him?