Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Aṣṭāvakra (अध्याय १८) / 18.4
18.4
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
भवोऽयं भावनामात्रो न किञ्चित् परमार्थतः ।
नास्त्यभावः स्वभावानां भावाभावविभाविनाम् bhavo 'yaṃ bhāvanāmātro na kiñcit paramārthataḥ |
nāsty abhāvaḥ svabhāvānāṃ bhāvābhāvavibhāvinām
The line
This becoming is mere imagining, nothing in the highest sense. There is no absence of the own natures of what makes being and nonbeing appear.
नेपालीमा
यो भव भावना मात्र हो परमार्थमा केही होइन। भाव र अभाव देखाउने स्वभावहरूको अभाव छैन।
Where it sits
Astavakra is still speaking. Becoming is reduced to imagining, then absence is denied of own natures.
Split: bhavaḥ (भवः) + ayam (अयम्) + bhāvanāmātraḥ (भावनामात्रः) + na (न) + kiñcit (किञ्चित्) + paramārthataḥ (परमार्थतः) + na (न) + asti (अस्ति) + abhāvaḥ (अभावः) + svabhāvānām (स्वभावानाम्) + bhāvābhāvavibhāvinām (भावाभावविभाविनाम्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| bhavaḥ (भवः) | nominative singular, masculine | becoming, this world process. Recited bhavo (भवो) before the avagraha. |
| ayam (अयम्) | nominative singular, masculine | this. Agrees with bhavaḥ (भवः). |
| bhāvanāmātraḥ (भावनामात्रः) | nominative singular, masculine | mere imagining. Recited bhāvanāmātro (भावनामात्रो) before n (न्). |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| kiñcit (किञ्चित्) | nominative singular, neuter | anything. |
| paramārthataḥ (परमार्थतः) | indeclinable | in the highest sense. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. With asti (अस्ति) recited nāsti (नास्ति). |
| asti (अस्ति) | present third person singular | is. Recited asty (अस्त्य्) before abhāvaḥ (अभावः). |
| abhāvaḥ (अभावः) | nominative singular, masculine | absence. |
| svabhāvānām (स्वभावानाम्) | genitive plural, masculine | of own natures. |
| bhāvābhāvavibhāvinām (भावाभावविभाविनाम्) | genitive plural, masculine | of what makes being and nonbeing appear. Agrees with svabhāvānām (स्वभावानाम्). |
The phrases
ayam bhavaḥ (भवः) is identified with bhāvanāmātraḥ (भावनामात्रः), and na kiñcit (किञ्चित्) is the further claim paramārthataḥ (परमार्थतः). In the second half abhāvaḥ (अभावः) is the subject of nāsti (नास्ति), and the two genitive plurals say whose absence is denied.
Sanskrit in this line
bhavaḥ (भवः) ayam is bhavo 'yam. na asti abhāvaḥ (अभावः) is nāsty (नास्त्य्) abhāvaḥ (अभावः).
Say it back
What is this becoming, in the highest sense?