Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Aṣṭāvakra (अध्याय १७) / 17.16
17.16
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
न हिंसा नैव कारुण्यं नौद्धत्यं न च दीनता ।
नाश्चर्यं नैव च क्षोभः क्षीणसंसरणे नरे na hiṃsā naiva kāruṇyaṃ nauddhatyaṃ na ca dīnatā |
nāścaryaṃ naiva ca kṣobhaḥ kṣīṇasaṃsaraṇe nare
The line
In the man whose wandering on has dwindled there is no harm and no compassion, no arrogance and no wretchedness, no wonder and no agitation.
नेपालीमा
संसरण क्षीण भएको नरमा हिंसा छैन, करुणा छैन, औद्धत्य छैन, दीनता छैन, आश्चर्य छैन, क्षोभ छैन।
Where it sits
Astavakra is still speaking. The line lists six states and denies each in that man.
Split: na (न) + hiṃsā (हिंसा) + na (न) + eva (एव) + kāruṇyam (कारुण्यम्) + na (न) + auddhatyam (औद्धत्यम्) + na (न) + ca (च) + dīnatā (दीनता) + na (न) + āścaryam (आश्चर्यम्) + na (न) + eva (एव) + ca (च) + kṣobhaḥ (क्षोभः) + kṣīṇasaṃsaraṇe (क्षीणसंसरणे) + nare (नरे)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| hiṃsā (हिंसा) | nominative singular, feminine | harm. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. With eva (एव) recited naiva (नैव). |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | indeed. |
| kāruṇyam (कारुण्यम्) | nominative singular, neuter | compassion. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. With auddhatyam (औद्धत्यम्) recited nauddhatyam (नौद्धत्यम्). |
| auddhatyam (औद्धत्यम्) | nominative singular, neuter | arrogance. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and. |
| dīnatā (दीनता) | nominative singular, feminine | wretchedness. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. With āścaryam (आश्चर्यम्) recited nāścaryam (नाश्चर्यम्). |
| āścaryam (आश्चर्यम्) | nominative singular, neuter | wonder. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. With eva (एव) recited naiva (नैव). |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | indeed. |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and. |
| kṣobhaḥ (क्षोभः) | nominative singular, masculine | agitation. |
| kṣīṇasaṃsaraṇe (क्षीणसंसरणे) | locative singular, neuter | in one whose wandering on has dwindled. Agrees with nare (नरे). |
| nare (नरे) | locative singular, masculine | in the man. |
The phrases
Six nominatives are each denied by na: hiṃsā (हिंसा), kāruṇyam (कारुण्यम्), auddhatyam, dīnatā (दीनता), āścaryam (आश्चर्यम्), and kṣobhaḥ (क्षोभः). kṣīṇasaṃsaraṇe (क्षीणसंसरणे) nare locates all of them. eva presses two of the negations.
Sanskrit in this line
na auddhatyam is nauddhatyam. na āścaryam (आश्चर्यम्) is nāścaryam (नाश्चर्यम्). na eva is naiva.
Say it back
In whom are harm and compassion both absent?