Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Janaka (अध्याय ६) / 6.3
6.3
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
अहं स शुक्तिसङ्काशो रूप्यवद् विश्वकल्पना ।
इति ज्ञानं तथैतस्य न त्यागो न ग्रहो लयः ahaṃ sa śuktisaṅkāśo rūpyavad viśvakalpanā |
iti jñānaṃ tathaitasya na tyāgo na graho layaḥ
The line
I am that, comparable to a shell. The imagining of the world is like silver. Such is the knowledge. So for this there is no abandonment, no grasping, no dissolution.
नेपालीमा
म त्यो शुक्तिजस्तो हुँ। विश्वको कल्पना चाँदीजस्तो हो। यस्तो ज्ञान हो। यसको त्याग छैन, ग्रहण छैन, लय छैन।
Where it sits
Janaka is still speaking. The shell and the silver are his third image, with the same refrain.
Split: aham (अहम्) + saḥ (सः) + śuktisaṅkāśaḥ (शुक्तिसङ्काशः) + rūpyavat (रूप्यवत्) + viśvakalpanā (विश्वकल्पना) + 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 |
|---|---|---|
| aham (अहम्) | nominative singular | I. |
| saḥ (सः) | nominative singular, masculine | that. Recited sa (स) before ś (श्). |
| śuktisaṅkāśaḥ (शुक्तिसङ्काशः) | nominative singular, masculine | comparable to a shell. Recited śuktisaṅkāśo (शुक्तिसङ्काशो) before r (र्). |
| rūpyavat (रूप्यवत्) | indeclinable | like silver. Recited rūpyavad (रूप्यवद्) before v (व्). |
| viśvakalpanā (विश्वकल्पना) | nominative singular, feminine | the imagining of 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
aham saḥ (सः) is qualified by śuktisaṅkāśaḥ (शुक्तिसङ्काशः). viśvakalpanā (विश्वकल्पना) is the second claim, manner rūpyavat (रूप्यवत्). iti closes both, and the refrain is unchanged.
Sanskrit in this line
śuktisaṅkāśaḥ (शुक्तिसङ्काशः) before r is śuktisaṅkāśo (शुक्तिसङ्काशो). rūpyavat (रूप्यवत्) before v is voiced to rūpyavad (रूप्यवद्). saḥ (सः) before ś (श्) loses the visarga.
Say it back
What is like silver?