Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Aṣṭāvakra (अध्याय १८) / 18.28
18.28
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
असमाधेरविक्षेपान् न मुमुक्षुर् न चेतरः ।
निश्चित्य कल्पितं पश्यन् ब्रह्मैवास्ते महाशयः asamādher avikṣepān na mumukṣur na cetaraḥ |
niścitya kalpitaṃ paśyan brahmaivāste mahāśayaḥ
The line
He is not from the lack of absorption, nor from the lack of distraction, neither one who seeks release nor the other. Having determined, and seeing what is imagined, the great minded one simply remains as Brahman.
नेपालीमा
ऊ असमाधिबाट होइन, अविक्षेपबाट होइन। मुमुक्षु होइन, अर्को पनि होइन। निश्चय गरेर कल्पितलाई हेर्दै महाशय ब्रह्म नै भएर बस्छ।
Where it sits
Astavakra is still speaking. The line refuses both absorption and distraction as the name of the great minded one.
Split: asamādheḥ (असमाधेः) + avikṣepāt (अविक्षेपात्) + na (न) + mumukṣuḥ (मुमुक्षुः) + na (न) + ca (च) + itaraḥ (इतरः) + niścitya (निश्चित्य) + kalpitam (कल्पितम्) + paśyan (पश्यन्) + brahma (ब्रह्म) + eva (एव) + āste (आस्ते) + mahāśayaḥ (महाशयः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| asamādheḥ (असमाधेः) | ablative singular, masculine | from the lack of absorption. Recited asamādher (असमाधेर्) before the vowel. |
| avikṣepāt (अविक्षेपात्) | ablative singular, masculine | from the lack of distraction. Recited avikṣepān (अविक्षेपान्) before na (न). |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| mumukṣuḥ (मुमुक्षुः) | nominative singular, masculine | one who seeks release. Recited mumukṣur (मुमुक्षुर्) before na (न). |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and. Joined with itaraḥ (इतरः) as cetaraḥ (चेतरः). |
| itaraḥ (इतरः) | nominative singular, masculine | the other. |
| niścitya (निश्चित्य) | gerund | having determined. |
| kalpitam (कल्पितम्) | accusative singular, neuter | what is imagined. |
| paśyan (पश्यन्) | nominative singular, masculine | seeing. Agrees with mahāśayaḥ (महाशयः). |
| brahma (ब्रह्म) | nominative singular, neuter | Brahman. |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | alone. |
| āste (आस्ते) | present third person singular | he remains. From ās (आस्). |
| mahāśayaḥ (महाशयः) | nominative singular, masculine | the great minded one. |
The phrases
The two ablatives are both denied. na mumukṣuḥ na ca itaraḥ (न मुमुक्षुः न च इतरः) denies both names. kalpitam (कल्पितम्) is the object of paśyan (पश्यन्). brahma eva (ब्रह्म एव) is how mahāśayaḥ (महाशयः) āste (आस्ते).
Sanskrit in this line
asamādheḥ (असमाधेः) before a vowel is asamādher (असमाधेर्). avikṣepāt (अविक्षेपात्) plus na is avikṣepān (अविक्षेपान्). mumukṣuḥ (मुमुक्षुः) plus na is mumukṣur (मुमुक्षुर्). ca plus itaraḥ (इतरः) is cetaraḥ (चेतरः). brahma plus eva plus āste (आस्ते) is brahmaivāste (ब्रह्मैवास्ते).
Say it back
As what does the great minded one remain?