Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Janaka (अध्याय ६) / 6.1
6.1
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
आकाशवदनन्तोऽहं घटवत् प्राकृतं जगत् ।
इति ज्ञानं तथैतस्य न त्यागो न ग्रहो लयः ākāśavad ananto 'haṃ ghaṭavat prākṛtaṃ jagat |
iti jñānaṃ tathaitasya na tyāgo na graho layaḥ
The line
I am endless like space. The world is natural like a pot. Such is the knowledge. So for this there is no abandonment, no grasping, no dissolution.
नेपालीमा
म आकाशझैँ अनन्त हुँ। जगत् घडाझैँ प्राकृतिक हो। यस्तो ज्ञान हो। यसको त्याग छैन, ग्रहण छैन, लय छैन।
Where it sits
Janaka speaks. janaka uvāca (उवाच) is printed before the verse and is not numbered. Chapter 6 opens on this knowledge.
Split: ākāśavat (आकाशवत्) + anantaḥ (अनन्तः) + aham (अहम्) + ghaṭavat (घटवत्) + prākṛtam (प्राकृतम्) + jagat (जगत्) + iti (इति) + jñānam (ज्ञानम्) + tathā (तथा) + etasya (एतस्य) + na (न) + tyāgaḥ (त्यागः) + na (न) + grahaḥ (ग्रहः) + layaḥ (लयः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| ākāśavat (आकाशवत्) | indeclinable | like space. Recited ākāśavad (आकाशवद्) before a (अ). |
| anantaḥ (अनन्तः) | nominative singular, masculine | endless. Recited ananto (अनन्तो) before the avagraha. |
| aham (अहम्) | nominative singular | I. |
| ghaṭavat (घटवत्) | indeclinable | like a pot. |
| prākṛtam (प्राकृतम्) | nominative singular, neuter | natural, of nature. Agrees with jagat (जगत्). |
| jagat (जगत्) | nominative singular, neuter | the world. |
| iti (इति) | indeclinable | thus. |
| jñānam (ज्ञानम्) | nominative singular, neuter | the knowledge. |
| tathā (तथा) | indeclinable | so. |
| etasya (एतस्य) | genitive singular, neuter | of this. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| tyāgaḥ (त्यागः) | nominative singular, masculine | abandonment. Recited tyāgo (त्यागो) before n (न्). |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| grahaḥ (ग्रहः) | nominative singular, masculine | grasping. Recited graho (ग्रहो) before l (ल्). |
| layaḥ (लयः) | nominative singular, masculine | dissolution. |
The phrases
iti quotes two claims: aham anantaḥ (अनन्तः) in the manner ākāśavat (आकाशवत्), and jagat prākṛtam (प्राकृतम्) in the manner ghaṭavat (घटवत्). jñānam (ज्ञानम्) is that quotation. etasya depends on the three nominatives, and each na covers the list tyāgaḥ (त्यागः), grahaḥ (ग्रहः), layaḥ (लयः).
Sanskrit in this line
ākāśavat (आकाशवत्) before a vowel is voiced to ākāśavad (आकाशवद्). anantaḥ (अनन्तः) before aham is ananto with the avagraha. tathā (तथा) plus etasya is tathaitasya. tyāgaḥ (त्यागः) before n is tyāgo (त्यागो), and grahaḥ (ग्रहः) before l is graho.
Say it back
What three things are denied of this knowledge?