Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Aṣṭāvakra (अध्याय १५) / 15.3
15.3
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
वाग्मिप्राज्ञामहोद्योगं जनं मूकजडालसम् ।
करोति तत्त्वबोधोऽयमतस् त्यक्तो बुभुक्षभिः vāgmiprājñāmahodyogaṃ janaṃ mūkajaḍālasam |
karoti tattvabodho 'yam atas tyakto bubhukṣabhiḥ
The line
This knowledge of reality makes an eloquent, wise, hard working person mute, dull, and idle. Therefore it is left by those who hunger to enjoy.
नेपालीमा
यो तत्त्वबोध वाग्मी, प्राज्ञ, महोद्योगी जनलाई मूक, जड र अलसी बनाउँछ। त्यसैले भोग चाहनेहरूले त्यसलाई त्याग्छन्।
Where it sits
Aṣṭāvakra (अष्टावक्र) is still speaking. Knowledge is said to undo eloquence and effort, which is why the hungry leave it.
Split: vāgmiprājñāmahodyogam (वाग्मिप्राज्ञामहोद्योगम्) + janam (जनम्) + mūkajaḍālasam (मूकजडालसम्) + karoti (करोति) + tattvabodhaḥ (तत्त्वबोधः) + ayam (अयम्) + ataḥ (अतः) + tyaktaḥ (त्यक्तः) + bubhukṣabhiḥ (बुभुक्षभिः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| vāgmiprājñāmahodyogam (वाग्मिप्राज्ञामहोद्योगम्) | accusative singular, masculine | eloquent, wise, and of great exertion. Read from mahodyogam (महोद्योगम्). Agrees with janam (जनम्). |
| janam (जनम्) | accusative singular, masculine | a person. Object of karoti (करोति). |
| mūkajaḍālasam (मूकजडालसम्) | accusative singular, masculine | mute, dull, and idle. Read from alasam (अलसम्). Second object, the result. |
| karoti (करोति) | present third person singular | makes. From kṛ (कृ). |
| tattvabodhaḥ (तत्त्वबोधः) | nominative singular, masculine | knowledge of reality. Read from bodhaḥ (बोधः). Recited tattvabodho (तत्त्वबोधो) with avagraha before ayam (अयम्). |
| ayam (अयम्) | nominative singular, masculine | this. Agrees with tattvabodhaḥ (तत्त्वबोधः). Joined to ataḥ (अतः). |
| ataḥ (अतः) | indeclinable | therefore. Recited atas (अत) before tyaktaḥ (त्यक्तः). |
| tyaktaḥ (त्यक्तः) | nominative singular, masculine | left, abandoned. Agrees with tattvabodhaḥ (तत्त्वबोधः). Recited tyakto (त्यक्तो) before bubhukṣabhiḥ (बुभुक्षभिः). |
| bubhukṣabhiḥ (बुभुक्षभिः) | instrumental plural | by those who hunger to enjoy. The file prints bubhukṣabhiḥ (बुभुक्षभिः), where bubhukṣubhiḥ (बुभुक्षुभिः) would keep the u (उ). |
The phrases
tattvabodhaḥ (तत्त्वबोधः) ayam (अयम्) is the subject of karoti (करोति). janam (जनम्) is the person, vāgmiprājñāmahodyogam (वाग्मिप्राज्ञामहोद्योगम्) what he was and mūkajaḍālasam (मूकजडालसम्) what he is made. ataḥ (अतः) he is tyaktaḥ (त्यक्तः) by bubhukṣabhiḥ (बुभुक्षभिः).
Sanskrit in this line
tattvabodhaḥ (तत्त्वबोधः) plus ayam (अयम्) is tattvabodho (तत्त्वबोधो) 'yam (ऽयम्), and ayam (अयम्) plus ataḥ (अतः) joins m (म्) to a (अ). ataḥ (अतः) before tyaktaḥ (त्यक्तः) is atas (अत), and tyaktaḥ (त्यक्तः) before b (ब्) is tyakto (त्यक्तो). The instrumental is printed bubhukṣabhiḥ (बुभुक्षभिः).
Say it back
What does this knowledge make of the eloquent person, and who leaves it?