Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Aṣṭāvakra (अध्याय १८) / 18.32
18.32
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
तत्त्वं यथार्थमाकर्ण्य मन्दः प्राप्नोति मूढताम् ।
अथवा याति सङ्कोचममूढः कोऽपि मूढवत् tattvaṃ yathārtham ākarṇya mandaḥ prāpnoti mūḍhatām |
athavā yāti saṅkocam amūḍhaḥ ko 'pi mūḍhavat
The line
Having heard reality as it truly is, the dull one obtains dullness. Or else someone who is not dull goes into shrinking, like a dull one.
नेपालीमा
तत्त्व यथार्थ सुनेर मन्दले मूढता पाउँछ। अथवा कुनै अमूढ पनि मूर्खझैँ खुम्चिन्छ।
Where it sits
Astavakra is still speaking. Hearing reality is the occasion of the line, not a method offered to the reader.
Split: tattvam (तत्त्वम्) + yathārtham (यथार्थम्) + ākarṇya (आकर्ण्य) + mandaḥ (मन्दः) + prāpnoti (प्राप्नोति) + mūḍhatām (मूढताम्) + athavā (अथवा) + yāti (याति) + saṅkocam (सङ्कोचम्) + amūḍhaḥ (अमूढः) + kaḥ (कः) + api (अपि) + mūḍhavat (मूढवत्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| tattvam (तत्त्वम्) | accusative singular, neuter | reality. |
| yathārtham (यथार्थम्) | indeclinable | as it truly is. |
| ākarṇya (आकर्ण्य) | gerund | having heard. |
| mandaḥ (मन्दः) | nominative singular, masculine | the dull one. |
| prāpnoti (प्राप्नोति) | present third person singular | obtains. |
| mūḍhatām (मूढताम्) | accusative singular, feminine | dullness. |
| athavā (अथवा) | indeclinable | or else. |
| yāti (याति) | present third person singular | he goes. |
| saṅkocam (सङ्कोचम्) | accusative singular, masculine | shrinking. |
| amūḍhaḥ (अमूढः) | nominative singular, masculine | one who is not dull. |
| kaḥ (कः) | nominative singular, masculine | someone. Recited ko (को) with the avagraha. |
| api (अपि) | indeclinable | even. With kaḥ (कः), someone. |
| mūḍhavat (मूढवत्) | indeclinable | like a dull one. |
The phrases
ākarṇya (आकर्ण्य) takes tattvam (तत्त्वम्), manner yathārtham (यथार्थम्). mandaḥ (मन्दः) is the subject of prāpnoti (प्राप्नोति), object mūḍhatām (मूढताम्). athavā (अथवा) opens the other clause. amūḍhaḥ kaḥ api (अमूढः कः अपि) is the subject of yāti (याति), object saṅkocam (सङ्कोचम्), manner mūḍhavat (मूढवत्).
Sanskrit in this line
kaḥ (कः) plus api is ko 'pi. The avagraha keeps the a of api.
Say it back
What does the dull one obtain after hearing reality?