Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Janaka (अध्याय ४) / 4.5
4.5
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
आब्रह्मस्तम्बपर्यन्ते भूतग्रामे चतुर्विधे ।
विज्ञस्यैव हि सामर्थ्यमिच्छानिच्छाविवर्जने ābrahmastambaparyante bhūtagrāme caturvidhe |
vijñasyaiva hi sāmarthyam icchānicchāvivarjane
The line
Only the one who knows has the capacity, among the four kinds of beings from Brahmā (ब्रह्मा) to a clump of grass, to set wanting and not wanting aside.
नेपालीमा
ब्रह्मादेखि तृणसम्मका चार प्रकारका भूतहरूमा इच्छा र अनिच्छा छोड्ने सामर्थ्य जान्नेको मात्र हुन्छ।
Where it sits
Janaka is still speaking. The capacity is limited to the one who knows.
Split: ābrahmastambaparyante (आब्रह्मस्तम्बपर्यन्ते) + bhūtagrāme (भूतग्रामे) + caturvidhe (चतुर्विधे) + vijñasya (विज्ञस्य) + eva (एव) + hi (हि) + sāmarthyam (सामर्थ्यम्) + icchānicchāvivarjane (इच्छानिच्छाविवर्जने)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| ābrahmastambaparyante (आब्रह्मस्तम्बपर्यन्ते) | locative singular, masculine | in the span from Brahmā (ब्रह्मा) to a clump of grass. |
| bhūtagrāme (भूतग्रामे) | locative singular, masculine | in the host of beings. |
| caturvidhe (चतुर्विधे) | locative singular, masculine | of four kinds. Agrees with bhūtagrāme (भूतग्रामे). |
| vijñasya (विज्ञस्य) | genitive singular, masculine | of the one who knows. |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | alone. |
| hi (हि) | indeclinable | indeed. |
| sāmarthyam (सामर्थ्यम्) | nominative singular, neuter | capacity. |
| icchānicchāvivarjane (इच्छानिच्छाविवर्जने) | locative singular, neuter | in the setting aside of wanting and of not wanting. |
The phrases
sāmarthyam (सामर्थ्यम्) is the subject, belonging to vijñasya (विज्ञस्य) eva. The locative icchānicchāvivarjane (इच्छानिच्छाविवर्जने) is the capacity's field. ābrahmastambaparyante (आब्रह्मस्तम्बपर्यन्ते) and bhūtagrāme (भूतग्रामे) caturvidhe locate the beings concerned. hi confirms the claim.
Sanskrit in this line
vijñasya (विज्ञस्य) plus eva is vijñasyaiva (विज्ञस्यैव). sāmarthyam (सामर्थ्यम्) before icchā (इच्छा) keeps the anusvara.
Say it back
Whose capacity is it to set wanting aside?