Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Aṣṭāvakra (अध्याय १८) / 18.64
18.64
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
सर्वारम्भेषु निष्कामो यश् चरेद् बालवन् मुनिः ।
न लेपस् तस्य शुद्धस्य क्रियमाणेऽपि कर्मणि sarvārambheṣu niṣkāmo yaś cared bālavan muniḥ |
na lepas tasya śuddhasya kriyamāṇe 'pi karmaṇi
The line
The silent one who would move without desire in every undertaking, as a child moves, has no stain, pure as he is, even while an action is being done.
नेपालीमा
सबै आरम्भमा निष्काम भई बालकझैँ चल्ने मुनिको, त्यस शुद्धको, कर्म हुँदै गर्दा पनि लेप हुँदैन।
Where it sits
Aṣṭāvakra (अष्टावक्र) is still speaking, and the steady one is now the silent one who moves among undertakings.
Split: sarvārambheṣu (सर्वारम्भेषु) + niṣkāmaḥ (निष्कामः) + yaḥ (यः) + caret (चरेत्) + bālavat (बालवत्) + muniḥ (मुनिः) + na (न) + lepaḥ (लेपः) + tasya (तस्य) + śuddhasya (शुद्धस्य) + kriyamāṇe (क्रियमाणे) + api (अपि) + karmaṇi (कर्मणि)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| sarvārambheṣu (सर्वारम्भेषु) | locative plural, masculine | in all undertakings. ārambha (आरम्भ) is an undertaking. sarva (सर्व) is all. |
| niṣkāmaḥ (निष्कामः) | nominative singular, masculine | without desire. Recited niṣkāmo (निष्कामो) before y (य्). Agrees with muniḥ (मुनिः). |
| yaḥ (यः) | nominative singular, masculine | who. Recited yaś (यश्) before c (च्). |
| caret (चरेत्) | optative third person singular | would move. From car (चर्). The final t (त्) is recited before b (ब्). |
| bālavat (बालवत्) | indeclinable | in the manner of a child. Recited bālavan (बालवन्) before m (म्). |
| muniḥ (मुनिः) | nominative singular, masculine | the silent one. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| lepaḥ (लेपः) | nominative singular, masculine | stain, smear. Recited lepas before t (त्). |
| tasya (तस्य) | genitive singular, masculine | of him. |
| śuddhasya (शुद्धस्य) | genitive singular, masculine | of the pure one. Agrees with tasya (तस्य). |
| kriyamāṇe (क्रियमाणे) | locative singular, neuter | being done. Present participle of kṛ (कृ), agreeing with karmaṇi (कर्मणि). |
| api (अपि) | indeclinable | even. The a (अ) is kept by the avagraha after e (ए). |
| karmaṇi (कर्मणि) | locative singular, neuter | in the action. |
The phrases
yaḥ (यः) plus caret (चरेत्) is the relative clause, with muniḥ (मुनिः) and niṣkāmaḥ (निष्कामः) as its subject, bālavat (बालवत्) the manner, and sarvārambheṣu (सर्वारम्भेषु) the place. na (न) lepaḥ (लेपः) is the main claim. tasya (तस्य) śuddhasya (शुद्धस्य) names whose stain is absent. kriyamāṇe (क्रियमाणे) api (अपि) karmaṇi (कर्मणि) is a locative absolute.
Sanskrit in this line
niṣkāmaḥ (निष्कामः) before y (य्) is niṣkāmo (निष्कामो). yaḥ (यः) before c (च्) is yaś (यश्). bālavat (बालवत्) before m (म्) is bālavan (बालवन्). lepaḥ (लेपः) before t (त्) is recited lepas. kriyamāṇe (क्रियमाणे) plus api (अपि) keeps the avagraha.
Say it back
When is there no stain for the pure silent one?