Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Aṣṭāvakra (अध्याय १८) / 18.57
18.57
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
कर्तव्यतैव संसारो न तां पश्यन्ति सूरयः ।
शून्याकारा निराकारा निर्विकारा निरामयाः kartavyataiva saṃsāro na tāṃ paśyanti sūrayaḥ |
śūnyākārā nirākārā nirvikārā nirāmayāḥ
The line
Having a duty is itself the wandering world. The wise do not see that. They are empty in form, without form, without change, and without illness.
नेपालीमा
कर्तव्यता नै संसार हो। सूरिहरूले त्यसलाई देख्दैनन्। तिनीहरू शून्याकार, निराकार, निर्विकार र निरामय हुन्छन्।
Where it sits
Astavakra is still speaking. Duty is identified with the wandering world, and the wise are said not to see it.
Split: kartavyatā (कर्तव्यता) + eva (एव) + saṃsāraḥ (संसारः) + na (न) + tām (ताम्) + paśyanti (पश्यन्ति) + sūrayaḥ (सूरयः) + śūnyākārāḥ (शून्याकाराः) + nirākārāḥ (निराकाराः) + nirvikārāḥ (निर्विकाराः) + nirāmayāḥ (निरामयाः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| kartavyatā (कर्तव्यता) | nominative singular, feminine | the state of having a duty. |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | itself. Joined with kartavyatā (कर्तव्यता) as kartavyataiva (कर्तव्यतैव). |
| saṃsāraḥ (संसारः) | nominative singular, masculine | the wandering world. Recited saṃsāro (संसारो) before na (न). |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| tām (ताम्) | accusative singular, feminine | that. Points to kartavyatā (कर्तव्यता). |
| paśyanti (पश्यन्ति) | present third person plural | they see. |
| sūrayaḥ (सूरयः) | nominative plural, masculine | the wise. |
| śūnyākārāḥ (शून्याकाराः) | nominative plural, masculine | those whose form is empty. The visarga is lost before the next word. |
| nirākārāḥ (निराकाराः) | nominative plural, masculine | those without form. The visarga is lost before the next word. |
| nirvikārāḥ (निर्विकाराः) | nominative plural, masculine | those without change. The visarga is lost before the next word. |
| nirāmayāḥ (निरामयाः) | nominative plural, masculine | those without illness. |
The phrases
kartavyatā eva (कर्तव्यता एव) is identified with saṃsāraḥ (संसारः). sūrayaḥ (सूरयः) is the subject of na paśyanti (न पश्यन्ति), object tām (ताम्). The four plural nominatives agree with sūrayaḥ (सूरयः).
Sanskrit in this line
kartavyatā (कर्तव्यता) plus eva is kartavyataiva. saṃsāraḥ (संसारः) plus na is saṃsāro (संसारो) na. The plural stems in āḥ (आः) lose visarga before the next voiced sound, until nirāmayāḥ (निरामयाः) at the end.
Say it back
What do the wise not see?