Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Aṣṭāvakra (अध्याय १७) / 17.9
17.9
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
शून्या दृष्टिर् वृथा चेष्टा विकलानीन्द्रियाणि च ।
न स्पृहा न विरक्तिर् वा क्षीणसंसारसागरे śūnyā dṛṣṭir vṛthā ceṣṭā vikalānīndriyāṇi ca |
na spṛhā na viraktir vā kṣīṇasaṃsārasāgare
The line
Seeing is empty, effort is vain, and the senses are impaired. In the one whose ocean of the world has dried there is no longing and no turning away.
नेपालीमा
दृष्टि शून्य छ, चेष्टा व्यर्थ छ र इन्द्रियहरू विकल छन्। संसारसागर सुकेको मानिसमा न स्पृहा छ न विरक्ति।
Where it sits
Astavakra is still speaking. Sight, effort, and the senses are named, then longing and turning away.
Split: śūnyā (शून्या) + dṛṣṭiḥ (दृष्टिः) + vṛthā (वृथा) + ceṣṭā (चेष्टा) + vikalāni (विकलानि) + indriyāṇi (इन्द्रियाणि) + ca (च) + na (न) + spṛhā (स्पृहा) + na (न) + viraktiḥ (विरक्तिः) + vā (वा) + kṣīṇasaṃsārasāgare (क्षीणसंसारसागरे)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| śūnyā (शून्या) | nominative singular, feminine | empty. Agrees with dṛṣṭiḥ (दृष्टिः). |
| dṛṣṭiḥ (दृष्टिः) | nominative singular, feminine | seeing. Recited dṛṣṭir (दृष्टिर्) before v (व्). |
| vṛthā (वृथा) | indeclinable | in vain. |
| ceṣṭā (चेष्टा) | nominative singular, feminine | effort. |
| vikalāni (विकलानि) | nominative plural, neuter | impaired. Agrees with indriyāṇi (इन्द्रियाणि). With that noun recited vikalānīndriyāṇi (विकलानीन्द्रियाणि). |
| indriyāṇi (इन्द्रियाणि) | nominative plural, neuter | the senses. |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| spṛhā (स्पृहा) | nominative singular, feminine | longing. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| viraktiḥ (विरक्तिः) | nominative singular, feminine | turning away. Recited viraktir (विरक्तिर्) before v (व्). |
| vā (वा) | indeclinable | or. |
| kṣīṇasaṃsārasāgare (क्षीणसंसारसागरे) | locative singular, masculine | in one whose ocean of the world has dried. |
The phrases
śūnyā (शून्या) agrees with dṛṣṭiḥ (दृष्टिः). vṛthā (वृथा) modifies ceṣṭā (चेष्टा). vikalāni (विकलानि) agrees with indriyāṇi (इन्द्रियाणि), and ca adds that clause. na spṛhā (स्पृहा) and na viraktiḥ (विरक्तिः) are the two nominatives denied, both located in kṣīṇasaṃsārasāgare (क्षीणसंसारसागरे).
Sanskrit in this line
dṛṣṭiḥ (दृष्टिः) before vṛthā (वृथा) is dṛṣṭir (दृष्टिर्). vikalāni (विकलानि) indriyāṇi (इन्द्रियाणि) is vikalānīndriyāṇi (विकलानीन्द्रियाणि). viraktiḥ (विरक्तिः) before vā (वा) is viraktir.
Say it back
What is empty, and what is vain?