Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Aṣṭāvakra (अध्याय १८) / 18.25
18.25
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
कृतं देहेन कर्मेदं न मया शुद्धरूपिणा ।
इति चिन्तानुरोधी यः कुर्वन्नपि करोति न kṛtaṃ dehena karmedaṃ na mayā śuddharūpiṇā |
iti cintānurodhī yaḥ kurvann api karoti na
The line
This action was done by the body, not by me, whose form is pure. He who follows that thought, even while doing, does not do.
नेपालीमा
यो कर्म शरीरले गर्यो, शुद्ध रूप भएको मैले होइन। यस्तो चिन्ता पछ्याउने व्यक्ति कर्म गर्दा पनि गर्दैन।
Where it sits
Astavakra is still speaking. The thought that the body did the act is followed by doing and not doing.
Split: kṛtam (कृतम्) + dehena (देहेन) + karma (कर्म) + idam (इदम्) + na (न) + mayā (मया) + śuddharūpiṇā (शुद्धरूपिणा) + iti (इति) + cintānurodhī (चिन्तानुरोधी) + yaḥ (यः) + kurvan (कुर्वन्) + api (अपि) + karoti (करोति) + na (न)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| kṛtam (कृतम्) | nominative singular, neuter | done. Agrees with karma (कर्म). |
| dehena (देहेन) | instrumental singular, neuter | by the body. |
| karma (कर्म) | nominative singular, neuter | action. With idam (इदम्) recited karmedaṃ (कर्मेदं). |
| idam (इदम्) | nominative singular, neuter | this. Agrees with karma (कर्म). |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| mayā (मया) | instrumental singular | by me. |
| śuddharūpiṇā (शुद्धरूपिणा) | instrumental singular, masculine | by the one whose form is pure. Agrees with mayā (मया). |
| iti (इति) | indeclinable | thus. It closes the thought. |
| cintānurodhī (चिन्तानुरोधी) | nominative singular, masculine | one who follows that thought. |
| yaḥ (यः) | nominative singular, masculine | who. Agrees with cintānurodhī (चिन्तानुरोधी). |
| kurvan (कुर्वन्) | nominative singular, masculine | doing. The n (न्) doubles before api (अपि). |
| api (अपि) | indeclinable | even. |
| karoti (करोति) | present third person singular | does. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
The phrases
iti closes the thought kṛtam (कृतम्) karma idam dehena na mayā (मया) śuddharūpiṇā (शुद्धरूपिणा). yaḥ (यः) cintānurodhī (चिन्तानुरोधी) is the one who follows it, and he is the subject of na karoti. kurvan api modifies that same subject.
Sanskrit in this line
karma idam is karmedaṃ (कर्मेदं). kurvan api is kurvann api. mayā (मया) śuddharūpiṇā (शुद्धरूपिणा) agree in the instrumental.
Say it back
Who is said to have done the action, and who is said not to have done it?