Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Aṣṭāvakra (अध्याय १८) / 18.20
18.20
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
प्रवृत्तौ वा निवृत्तौ वा नैव धीरस्य दुर्ग्रहः ।
यदा यत् कर्तुमायाति तत्कृत्वा तिष्ठतः सुखम् pravṛttau vā nivṛttau vā naiva dhīrasya durgrahaḥ |
yadā yat kartum āyāti tatkṛtvā tiṣṭhataḥ sukham
The line
The steady one has no hard grasp in going forth or in turning back. When something comes to be done, there is ease for the one who stands having done it.
नेपालीमा
प्रवृत्तिमा होस् वा निवृत्तिमा धीरको दुर्ग्रह छैन। जब जे गर्न आउँछ त्यो गरेर बस्नेको सुख हुन्छ।
Where it sits
Astavakra is still speaking. Activity and withdrawal are both without a hard grasp.
Split: pravṛttau (प्रवृत्तौ) + vā (वा) + nivṛttau (निवृत्तौ) + vā (वा) + na (न) + eva (एव) + dhīrasya (धीरस्य) + durgrahaḥ (दुर्ग्रहः) + yadā (यदा) + yat (यत्) + kartum (कर्तुम्) + āyāti (आयाति) + tat (तत्) + kṛtvā (कृत्वा) + tiṣṭhataḥ (तिष्ठतः) + sukham (सुखम्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| pravṛttau (प्रवृत्तौ) | locative singular, feminine | in going forth, in activity. |
| vā (वा) | indeclinable | or. |
| nivṛttau (निवृत्तौ) | locative singular, feminine | in turning back. |
| vā (वा) | indeclinable | or. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. With eva (एव) recited naiva (नैव). |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | indeed. |
| dhīrasya (धीरस्य) | genitive singular, masculine | of the steady one. |
| durgrahaḥ (दुर्ग्रहः) | nominative singular, masculine | a hard grasp. |
| yadā (यदा) | indeclinable | when. |
| yat (यत्) | nominative singular, neuter | what. Subject of āyāti (आयाति). |
| kartum (कर्तुम्) | infinitive | to do. |
| āyāti (आयाति) | present third person singular | comes. |
| tat (तत्) | accusative singular, neuter | that. Object of kṛtvā (कृत्वा). |
| kṛtvā (कृत्वा) | indeclinable | having done. |
| tiṣṭhataḥ (तिष्ठतः) | genitive singular, masculine | of one who stands. |
| sukham (सुखम्) | nominative singular, neuter | ease. |
The phrases
durgrahaḥ (दुर्ग्रहः) is denied of dhīrasya (धीरस्य), whether in pravṛttau (प्रवृत्तौ) or in nivṛttau (निवृत्तौ). yat is the subject of āyāti (आयाति), with kartum as its purpose, and yadā (यदा) times it. tat is the object of kṛtvā (कृत्वा). sukham belongs to tiṣṭhataḥ (तिष्ठतः).
Sanskrit in this line
na eva is naiva. yat kartum āyāti (आयाति) joins as yatkartumāyāti (यत्कर्तुमायाति). tat kṛtvā (कृत्वा) is tatkṛtvā (तत्कृत्वा).
Say it back
When is there ease for the one who stands?