Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Aṣṭāvakra (अध्याय १८) / 18.49
18.49
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
यदा यत् कर्तुमायाति तदा तत् कुरुते ऋजुः ।
शुभं वाप्यशुभं वापि तस्य चेष्टा हि बालवत् yadā yat kartum āyāti tadā tat kurute ṛjuḥ |
śubhaṃ vāpy aśubhaṃ vāpi tasya ceṣṭā hi bālavat
The line
When something comes to be done, the straight one then does that. Whether it is good or not good, his movement is like a child's.
नेपालीमा
जे गर्न आउँछ, ऋजुले त्यही गर्छ। शुभ होस् वा अशुभ, उसको चेष्टा बालकझैँ हुन्छ।
Where it sits
Astavakra is still speaking. The straight one does what arrives. The line does not sort the good from the not good.
Split: yadā (यदा) + yat (यत्) + kartum (कर्तुम्) + āyāti (आयाति) + tadā (तदा) + tat (तत्) + kurute (कुरुते) + ṛjuḥ (ऋजुः) + śubham (शुभम्) + vā (वा) + api (अपि) + aśubham (अशुभम्) + vā (वा) + api (अपि) + tasya (तस्य) + ceṣṭā (चेष्टा) + hi (हि) + bālavat (बालवत्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| yadā (यदा) | indeclinable | when. |
| yat (यत्) | accusative singular, neuter | what. |
| kartum (कर्तुम्) | infinitive | to do. |
| āyāti (आयाति) | present third person singular | comes. |
| tadā (तदा) | indeclinable | then. |
| tat (तत्) | accusative singular, neuter | that. |
| kurute (कुरुते) | present third person singular | he does. |
| ṛjuḥ (ऋजुः) | nominative singular, masculine | the straight one. |
| śubham (शुभम्) | accusative singular, neuter | the good. |
| vā (वा) | indeclinable | or. |
| api (अपि) | indeclinable | even. Recited in vāpy (वाप्य्) before aśubham (अशुभम्). |
| aśubham (अशुभम्) | accusative singular, neuter | the not good. |
| vā (वा) | indeclinable | or. |
| api (अपि) | indeclinable | even. Joined with vā (वा) as vāpi (वापि). |
| tasya (तस्य) | genitive singular | of him. |
| ceṣṭā (चेष्टा) | nominative singular, feminine | movement. |
| hi (हि) | indeclinable | indeed. |
| bālavat (बालवत्) | indeclinable | like a child. |
The phrases
yadā (यदा) with yat kartum āyāti (यत् कर्तुमायाति) sets the time and the thing. tadā tat (तदा तत्) answers it. ṛjuḥ (ऋजुः) is the subject of kurute (कुरुते). śubham vā api aśubham vā api (शुभम् वा अपि अशुभम् वा अपि) is the range. tasya ceṣṭā (तस्य चेष्टा) is the subject of the nominal claim, manner bālavat (बालवत्).
Sanskrit in this line
vā (वा) plus api plus aśubham (अशुभम्) is vāpy (वाप्य्) aśubham (अशुभम्). kurute and ṛjuḥ (ऋजुः) stay side by side: the edition does not sandhi the final e into ṛ (ऋ).
Say it back
What is his movement like?