Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Aṣṭāvakra (अध्याय १८) / 18.46
18.46
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
निर्वासनं हरिं दृष्ट्वा तूष्णीं विषयदन्तिनः ।
पलायन्ते न शक्तास् ते सेवन्ते कृतचाटवः nirvāsanaṃ hariṃ dṛṣṭvā tūṣṇīṃ viṣayadantinaḥ |
palāyante na śaktās te sevante kṛtacāṭavaḥ
The line
Seeing Hari free of lingering want, and silent, the elephants of the sense objects flee. They are not able. They attend him as ones who have made their flattery.
नेपालीमा
वासना नभएको हरिलाई चुपचाप देखेर विषयरूपी हात्ती भाग्छन्। तिनीहरू सक्दैनन्। चाप्लुसी गरेर सेवा गर्छन्।
Where it sits
Astavakra is still speaking. Hari is the one seen in the picture. The elephants are the sense objects.
Split: nirvāsanam (निर्वासनम्) + harim (हरिम्) + dṛṣṭvā (दृष्ट्वा) + tūṣṇīm (तूष्णीम्) + viṣayadantinaḥ (विषयदन्तिनः) + palāyante (पलायन्ते) + na (न) + śaktāḥ (शक्ताः) + te (ते) + sevante (सेवन्ते) + kṛtacāṭavaḥ (कृतचाटवः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| nirvāsanam (निर्वासनम्) | accusative singular, masculine | free of lingering want. Agrees with harim (हरिम्). |
| harim (हरिम्) | accusative singular, masculine | Hari. |
| dṛṣṭvā (दृष्ट्वा) | gerund | having seen. |
| tūṣṇīm (तूष्णीम्) | indeclinable | in silence. |
| viṣayadantinaḥ (विषयदन्तिनः) | nominative plural, masculine | elephants that are the sense objects. |
| palāyante (पलायन्ते) | present third person plural | they flee. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| śaktāḥ (शक्ताः) | nominative plural, masculine | able. Recited śaktās (शक्तास्) before te (ते). |
| te (ते) | nominative plural | they. |
| sevante (सेवन्ते) | present third person plural | they attend. |
| kṛtacāṭavaḥ (कृतचाटवः) | nominative plural, masculine | those who have made flattery. Agrees with te (ते). |
The phrases
dṛṣṭvā (दृष्ट्वा) takes harim nirvāsanam (हरिम् निर्वासनम्). tūṣṇīm (तूष्णीम्) is the manner of that seeing. viṣayadantinaḥ (विषयदन्तिनः) is the subject of palāyante (पलायन्ते), of na śaktāḥ (न शक्ताः), and of sevante (सेवन्ते). te (ते) resumes them. kṛtacāṭavaḥ (कृतचाटवः) agrees.
Sanskrit in this line
śaktāḥ (शक्ताः) plus te is śaktās (शक्तास्) te. Visarga before t becomes s.
Say it back
What flees on seeing Hari?