Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Janaka (अध्याय १२) / 12.7
12.7
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
acintyaṃ cintyamāno 'pi cintārūpaṃ bhajaty asau | tyaktvā tadbhāvanaṃ tasmādएvam evāham āsthitaḥ
The line
Even while thinking the unthinkable, that one takes on the form of a thought. Therefore, having left that imagining, I am settled just so.
नेपालीमा
अचिन्त्यलाई चिन्तन गर्दागर्दै पनि त्यो चिन्तनकै रूप लिन्छ। त्यसैले त्यो भावना त्यागेर म यसरी नै स्थित छु।
Where it sits
Janaka is still speaking. Thinking itself is what he has left, and the refrain closes the chapter's pattern.
Split: acintyam (अचिन्त्यम्) + cintyamānaḥ (चिन्त्यमानः) + api (अपि) + cintārūpam (चिन्तारूपम्) + bhajati (भजति) + asau (असौ) + tyaktvā (त्यक्त्वा) + tadbhāvanam (तद्भावनम्) + tasmāt (तस्मात्) + evam (एवम्) + eva (एव) + aham (अहम्) + āsthitaḥ (आस्थितः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| acintyam (अचिन्त्यम्) | accusative singular, neuter | the unthinkable. Object of cintyamānaḥ (चिन्त्यमानः). |
| cintyamānaḥ (चिन्त्यमानः) | nominative singular, masculine | thinking. Present participle of cint (चिन्त्). Recited cintyamāno (चिन्त्यमानो) with avagraha before api (अपि). |
| api (अपि) | indeclinable | even. |
| cintārūpam (चिन्तारूपम्) | accusative singular, neuter | the form of a thought. Read from rūpam (रूपम्). Object of bhajati (भजति). |
| bhajati (भजति) | present third person singular | goes to, takes on. From bhaj (भज्). Recited bhajaty (भजत्य्) before asau (असौ). |
| asau (असौ) | nominative singular, masculine | that one. Subject of bhajati (भजति). |
| tyaktvā (त्यक्त्वा) | absolutive | having left. From tyaj (त्यज्). |
| tadbhāvanam (तद्भावनम्) | accusative singular, neuter | the imagining of that. Read from bhāvanam (भावनम्). Object of tyaktvā (त्यक्त्वा). tat (तत्) before bh (भ्) is tad (तद्). |
| tasmāt (तस्मात्) | ablative singular, neuter | from that, therefore. Recited tasmād (तस्माद्) before evam (एवम्). |
| evam (एवम्) | indeclinable | thus. |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | just. |
| aham (अहम्) | nominative singular | I. |
| āsthitaḥ (आस्थितः) | nominative singular, masculine | settled. |
The phrases
asau (असौ) is the subject of bhajati (भजति), even while cintyamānaḥ (चिन्त्यमानः) of acintyam (अचिन्त्यम्), and cintārūpam (चिन्तारूपम्) is what he takes on. tyaktvā (त्यक्त्वा) takes tadbhāvanam (तद्भावनम्), and tasmāt (तस्मात्) leads to the refrain.
Sanskrit in this line
cintyamānaḥ (चिन्त्यमानः) plus api (अपि) is cintyamāno (चिन्त्यमानो) 'pi (ऽपि). bhajati (भजति) plus asau (असौ) is bhajaty (भजत्य्) asau (असौ). tasmāt (तस्मात्) before evam (एवम्) is tasmād (तस्माद्), and this edition keeps the virama, so the consonant does not take the vowel of evam (एवम्).
Say it back
What happens even while the unthinkable is being thought, and what has he left?