Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Aṣṭāvakra (अध्याय १८) / 18.7
18.7
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
समस्तं कल्पनामात्रमात्मा मुक्तः सनातनः ।
इति विज्ञाय धीरो हि किमभ्यस्यति बालवत् samastaṃ kalpanāmātram ātmā muktaḥ sanātanaḥ |
iti vijñāya dhīro hi kim abhyasyati bālavat
The line
The whole is mere imagining, and the self is free and eternal. Having understood this, what does the steady one practice, like a child?
नेपालीमा
सबै कल्पनामात्र हो, आत्मा मुक्त र सनातन हो। यसो बुझेर धीरले बालकजस्तै के अभ्यास गर्छ?
Where it sits
Astavakra is still speaking. A question follows the two claims closed by iti.
Split: samastam (समस्तम्) + kalpanāmātram (कल्पनामात्रम्) + ātmā (आत्मा) + muktaḥ (मुक्तः) + sanātanaḥ (सनातनः) + iti (इति) + vijñāya (विज्ञाय) + dhīraḥ (धीरः) + hi (हि) + kim (किम्) + abhyasyati (अभ्यस्यति) + bālavat (बालवत्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| samastam (समस्तम्) | nominative singular, neuter | the whole. |
| kalpanāmātram (कल्पनामात्रम्) | nominative singular, neuter | mere imagining. Agrees with samastam (समस्तम्). |
| ātmā (आत्मा) | nominative singular, masculine | the self. |
| muktaḥ (मुक्तः) | nominative singular, masculine | free. Agrees with ātmā (आत्मा). |
| sanātanaḥ (सनातनः) | nominative singular, masculine | eternal. Agrees with ātmā (आत्मा). |
| iti (इति) | indeclinable | thus. It closes both claims. |
| vijñāya (विज्ञाय) | indeclinable | having understood. |
| dhīraḥ (धीरः) | nominative singular, masculine | the steady one. Recited dhīro (धीरो) before h (ह्). |
| hi (हि) | indeclinable | indeed. |
| kim (किम्) | accusative singular, neuter | what. |
| abhyasyati (अभ्यस्यति) | present third person singular | practices. |
| bālavat (बालवत्) | indeclinable | like a child. |
The phrases
iti closes two identifications: samastam is kalpanāmātram (कल्पनामात्रम्), and ātmā (आत्मा) is muktaḥ (मुक्तः) sanātanaḥ (सनातनः). vijñāya (विज्ञाय) belongs to dhīraḥ (धीरः), the subject of kim abhyasyati. bālavat (बालवत्) marks the manner.
Sanskrit in this line
kalpanāmātram (कल्पनामात्रम्) ātmā (आत्मा) keeps m before ā (आ), kalpanāmātramātmā (कल्पनामात्रमात्मा). dhīraḥ (धीरः) before hi is dhīro (धीरो). kim abhyasyati keeps m before a.
Say it back
What two claims does he understand before the question?