Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Aṣṭāvakra (अध्याय १७) / 17.13
17.13
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
न निन्दति न च स्तौति न हृष्यति न कुप्यति ।
न ददाति न गृह्णाति मुक्तः सर्वत्र नीरसः na nindati na ca stauti na hṛṣyati na kupyati |
na dadāti na gṛhṇāti muktaḥ sarvatra nīrasaḥ
The line
The free one does not blame and does not praise, does not thrill and does not grow angry, does not give and does not take. Everywhere he is without flavor.
नेपालीमा
मुक्त मानिस निन्दा गर्दैन, स्तुति गर्दैन, हर्षिँदैन, रिसाउँदैन, दिँदैन, लिँदैन। ऊ सर्वत्र नीरस छ।
Where it sits
Astavakra is still speaking. Six verbs are denied, then a predicate.
Split: na (न) + nindati (निन्दति) + na (न) + ca (च) + stauti (स्तौति) + na (न) + hṛṣyati (हृष्यति) + na (न) + kupyati (कुप्यति) + na (न) + dadāti (ददाति) + na (न) + gṛhṇāti (गृह्णाति) + muktaḥ (मुक्तः) + sarvatra (सर्वत्र) + nīrasaḥ (नीरसः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| nindati (निन्दति) | present third person singular | blames. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and. |
| stauti (स्तौति) | present third person singular | praises. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| hṛṣyati (हृष्यति) | present third person singular | thrills, is glad. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| kupyati (कुप्यति) | present third person singular | grows angry. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| dadāti (ददाति) | present third person singular | gives. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| gṛhṇāti (गृह्णाति) | present third person singular | takes. |
| muktaḥ (मुक्तः) | nominative singular, masculine | the free one. |
| sarvatra (सर्वत्र) | indeclinable | everywhere. |
| nīrasaḥ (नीरसः) | nominative singular, masculine | without flavor. Agrees with muktaḥ (मुक्तः). |
The phrases
muktaḥ (मुक्तः) is the subject of all six negated verbs. nīrasaḥ (नीरसः) agrees with muktaḥ (मुक्तः), and sarvatra locates that predicate.
Sanskrit in this line
Each na stands before its verb without further sandhi. muktaḥ (मुक्तः) keeps its visarga before sarvatra.
Say it back
Name the six acts he does not do.