Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Aṣṭāvakra (अध्याय १५) / 15.4
15.4
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
न त्वं देहो न ते देहो भोक्ता कर्ता न वा भवान् ।
चिद्रूपोऽसि सदा साक्षी निरपेक्षः सुखं चर na tvaṃ deho na te deho bhoktā kartā na vā bhavān |
cidrūpo 'si sadā sākṣī nirapekṣaḥ sukhaṃ cara
The line
You are not the body, the body is not yours, and you are not the enjoyer or the doer. You are awareness, always the witness, without dependence. Move at ease.
नेपालीमा
तिमी देह होइनौ, देह तिम्रो होइन, तिमी भोक्ता वा कर्ता होइनौ। चिद्रूप हौ, सधैँ साक्षी, निरपेक्ष। सुखसँग हिँड।
Where it sits
Aṣṭāvakra (अष्टावक्र) is still speaking. The address turns to you, with the command to move at ease.
Split: na (न) + tvam (त्वम्) + dehaḥ (देहः) + na (न) + te (ते) + dehaḥ (देहः) + bhoktā (भोक्ता) + kartā (कर्ता) + na (न) + vā (वा) + bhavān (भवान्) + cidrūpaḥ (चिद्रूपः) + asi (असि) + sadā (सदा) + sākṣī (साक्षी) + nirapekṣaḥ (निरपेक्षः) + sukham (सुखम्) + cara (चर)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| tvam (त्वम्) | nominative singular | you. |
| dehaḥ (देहः) | nominative singular, masculine | the body. Recited deho (देहो) before na (न). |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| te (ते) | genitive singular | of you. |
| dehaḥ (देहः) | nominative singular, masculine | the body. Recited deho (देहो) before bhoktā (भोक्ता). |
| bhoktā (भोक्ता) | nominative singular, masculine | the enjoyer. |
| kartā (कर्ता) | nominative singular, masculine | the doer. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| vā (वा) | indeclinable | or. |
| bhavān (भवान्) | nominative singular, masculine | you, sir. Subject with bhoktā (भोक्ता) and kartā (कर्ता). |
| cidrūpaḥ (चिद्रूपः) | nominative singular, masculine | one whose form is awareness. Read from rūpaḥ (रूपः). Recited cidrūpo (चिद्रूपो) with avagraha before asi (असि). |
| asi (असि) | present second person singular | you are. From as (अस्). |
| sadā (सदा) | indeclinable | always. |
| sākṣī (साक्षी) | nominative singular, masculine | the witness. Agrees with tvam (त्वम्). |
| nirapekṣaḥ (निरपेक्षः) | nominative singular, masculine | without dependence. Agrees with tvam (त्वम्). |
| sukham (सुखम्) | accusative singular, neuter | at ease. |
| cara (चर) | imperative second person singular | move. From car (चर्). |
The phrases
na (न) tvam (त्वम्) dehaḥ (देहः) and na (न) te (ते) dehaḥ (देहः) deny the body. na (न) vā (वा) bhavān (भवान्) denies bhoktā (भोक्ता) and kartā (कर्ता). asi (असि) takes cidrūpaḥ (चिद्रूपः), sadā (सदा) sākṣī (साक्षी), and nirapekṣaḥ (निरपेक्षः). sukham (सुखम्) is the manner of cara (चर).
Sanskrit in this line
dehaḥ (देहः) before na (न) and before bhoktā (भोक्ता) is deho (देहो). cidrūpaḥ (चिद्रूपः) plus asi (असि) is cidrūpo (चिद्रूपो) 'si (ऽसि). sukham (सुखम्) before cara (चर) is written with anusvara.
Say it back
What three roles are denied, and what are you instead?