Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Aṣṭāvakra (अध्याय १८) / 18.37
18.37
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
मूढो नाप्नोति तद् ब्रह्म यतो भवितुमिच्छति ।
अनिच्छन्नपि धीरो हि परब्रह्मस्वरूपभाक् mūḍho nāpnoti tad brahma yato bhavitum icchati |
anicchann api dhīro hi parabrahmasvarūpabhāk
The line
The dull one does not obtain that Brahman, because he wants to become it. Even without wanting, the steady one has the own form of the supreme Brahman.
नेपालीमा
बन्न चाहेकोले मूढले त्यो ब्रह्म पाउँदैन। नचाहँदा पनि धीर परब्रह्मको स्वरूपको भागी हुन्छ।
Where it sits
Astavakra is still speaking. Wanting to become Brahman is the reason the dull one misses it.
Split: mūḍhaḥ (मूढः) + na (न) + āpnoti (आप्नोति) + tad (तद्) + brahma (ब्रह्म) + yataḥ (यतः) + bhavitum (भवितुम्) + icchati (इच्छति) + anicchan (अनिच्छन्) + api (अपि) + dhīraḥ (धीरः) + hi (हि) + parabrahmasvarūpabhāk (परब्रह्मस्वरूपभाक्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| mūḍhaḥ (मूढः) | nominative singular, masculine | the dull one. Recited mūḍho (मूढो) before na (न). |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. Joined with āpnoti (आप्नोति) as nāpnoti (नाप्नोति). |
| āpnoti (आप्नोति) | present third person singular | obtains. |
| tad (तद्) | accusative singular, neuter | that. |
| brahma (ब्रह्म) | accusative singular, neuter | Brahman. |
| yataḥ (यतः) | indeclinable | because. Recited yato (यतो) before b (ब्). |
| bhavitum (भवितुम्) | infinitive | to become. |
| icchati (इच्छति) | present third person singular | he wants. |
| anicchan (अनिच्छन्) | nominative singular, masculine | not wanting. The print doubles n (न्) before api (अपि). |
| api (अपि) | indeclinable | even. |
| dhīraḥ (धीरः) | nominative singular, masculine | the steady one. Recited dhīro (धीरो) before hi (हि). |
| hi (हि) | indeclinable | indeed. |
| parabrahmasvarūpabhāk (परब्रह्मस्वरूपभाक्) | nominative singular, masculine | one who has the own form of the supreme Brahman. |
The phrases
mūḍhaḥ (मूढः) is the subject of na āpnoti (न आप्नोति), object tad brahma (तद् ब्रह्म). yataḥ (यतः) gives the reason, with infinitive bhavitum (भवितुम्) and icchati (इच्छति). anicchan api (अनिच्छनपि) modifies dhīraḥ (धीरः), who is parabrahmasvarūpabhāk (परब्रह्मस्वरूपभाक्).
Sanskrit in this line
mūḍhaḥ (मूढः) plus na plus āpnoti (आप्नोति) is mūḍho (मूढो) nāpnoti (नाप्नोति). yataḥ (यतः) before bhavitum is yato. anicchan plus api doubles n. dhīraḥ (धीरः) plus hi is dhīro (धीरो) hi.
Say it back
Why does the dull one miss that Brahman?