Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Aṣṭāvakra (अध्याय १७) / 17.14
17.14
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
सानुरागां स्त्रियं दृष्ट्वा मृत्युं वा समुपस्थितम् ।
अविह्वलमनाः स्वस्थो मुक्त एव महाशयः sānurāgāṃ striyaṃ dṛṣṭvā mṛtyuṃ vā samupasthitam |
avihvalamanāḥ svastho mukta eva mahāśayaḥ
The line
Having seen a woman who has passion, or death standing near, the great minded one, mind unshaken and settled in himself, is simply free.
नेपालीमा
अनुराग भएकी स्त्रीलाई अथवा नजिक आइपुगेको मृत्युलाई देखेर पनि मन नडगमगाएको, आफैँमा स्थित महाशय मुक्त नै हो।
Where it sits
Astavakra is still speaking. The line sets a passionate woman and death arrived side by side.
Split: sānurāgām (सानुरागाम्) + striyam (स्त्रियम्) + dṛṣṭvā (दृष्ट्वा) + mṛtyum (मृत्युम्) + vā (वा) + samupasthitam (समुपस्थितम्) + avihvalamanāḥ (अविह्वलमनाः) + svasthaḥ (स्वस्थः) + muktaḥ (मुक्तः) + eva (एव) + mahāśayaḥ (महाशयः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| sānurāgām (सानुरागाम्) | accusative singular, feminine | one who has passion. Agrees with striyam (स्त्रियम्). |
| striyam (स्त्रियम्) | accusative singular, feminine | a woman. |
| dṛṣṭvā (दृष्ट्वा) | indeclinable | having seen. |
| mṛtyum (मृत्युम्) | accusative singular, masculine | death. |
| vā (वा) | indeclinable | or. |
| samupasthitam (समुपस्थितम्) | accusative singular, masculine | come near, standing by. Agrees with mṛtyum (मृत्युम्). |
| avihvalamanāḥ (अविह्वलमनाः) | nominative singular, masculine | one whose mind is unshaken. |
| svasthaḥ (स्वस्थः) | nominative singular, masculine | settled in himself. Recited svastho (स्वस्थो) before m (म्). |
| muktaḥ (मुक्तः) | nominative singular, masculine | free. Recited mukta (मुक्त) before eva (एव), visarga dropped. |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | simply. |
| mahāśayaḥ (महाशयः) | nominative singular, masculine | the great minded one. |
The phrases
dṛṣṭvā (दृष्ट्वा) takes two objects joined by vā (वा): sānurāgām (सानुरागाम्) striyam, and mṛtyum (मृत्युम्) samupasthitam. avihvalamanāḥ (अविह्वलमनाः), svasthaḥ (स्वस्थः), and muktaḥ (मुक्तः) eva agree with mahāśayaḥ (महाशयः).
Sanskrit in this line
svasthaḥ (स्वस्थः) before muktaḥ (मुक्तः) is svastho. muktaḥ (मुक्तः) eva is mukta eva, vowels unjoined.
Say it back
What two sights leave him unshaken?