Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Aṣṭāvakra (अध्याय १८) / 18.43
18.43
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
शुद्धमद्वयमात्मानं भावयन्ति कुबुद्धयः ।
न तु जानन्ति संमोहाद् यावज् जीवमनिर्वृताः śuddham advayam ātmānaṃ bhāvayanti kubuddhayaḥ |
na tu jānanti saṃmohād yāvaj jīvam anirvṛtāḥ
The line
Those of poor understanding contemplate the pure self without a second. But from complete confusion they do not know it, and for as long as they live they are not at peace.
नेपालीमा
खराब बुद्धि भएकाहरू शुद्ध अद्वय आत्मालाई भाव गर्छन्। संमोहले चिन्दैनन्। बाँचेसम्म अनिर्वृत रहन्छन्।
Where it sits
Astavakra is still speaking. Contemplating the self is what poor understanding does here, and knowing is what it does not do.
Split: śuddham (शुद्धम्) + advayam (अद्वयम्) + ātmānam (आत्मानम्) + bhāvayanti (भावयन्ति) + kubuddhayaḥ (कुबुद्धयः) + na (न) + tu (तु) + jānanti (जानन्ति) + saṃmohāt (संमोहात्) + yāvat (यावत्) + jīvam (जीवम्) + anirvṛtāḥ (अनिर्वृताः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| śuddham (शुद्धम्) | accusative singular, masculine | pure. Agrees with ātmānam (आत्मानम्). |
| advayam (अद्वयम्) | accusative singular, masculine | without a second. Agrees with ātmānam (आत्मानम्). |
| ātmānam (आत्मानम्) | accusative singular, masculine | the self. |
| bhāvayanti (भावयन्ति) | present third person plural | they contemplate, they bring to mind. |
| kubuddhayaḥ (कुबुद्धयः) | nominative plural, masculine | those of poor understanding. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| tu (तु) | indeclinable | but. |
| jānanti (जानन्ति) | present third person plural | they know. |
| saṃmohāt (संमोहात्) | ablative singular, masculine | from complete confusion. Recited saṃmohād (संमोहाद्) before y (य्). |
| yāvat (यावत्) | indeclinable | as long as. Recited yāvaj (यावज्) before j (ज्). |
| jīvam (जीवम्) | accusative singular, masculine | life. With yāvat (यावत्), for the span of life. |
| anirvṛtāḥ (अनिर्वृताः) | nominative plural, masculine | not at peace. Agrees with kubuddhayaḥ (कुबुद्धयः). |
The phrases
kubuddhayaḥ (कुबुद्धयः) is the subject of bhāvayanti (भावयन्ति) and of na tu jānanti (न तु जानन्ति). śuddham advayam ātmānam (शुद्धमद्वयमात्मानम्) is the object. saṃmohāt (संमोहात्) is the cause of the not knowing. yāvat jīvam (यावत् जीवम्) is the span of anirvṛtāḥ (अनिर्वृताः).
Sanskrit in this line
saṃmohāt (संमोहात्) plus yāvat (यावत्) is saṃmohād (संमोहाद्) yāvat (यावत्). yāvat (यावत्) plus jīvam (जीवम्) is yāvaj (यावज्) jīvam (जीवम्).
Say it back
How long do those of poor understanding stay without peace?