Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Aṣṭāvakra (अध्याय १८) / 18.76
18.76
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
मन्दः श्रुत्वापि तद् वस्तु न जहाति विमूढताम् ।
निर्विकल्पो बहिर् यत्नादन्तर्विषयलालसः mandaḥ śrutvāpi tad vastu na jahāti vimūḍhatām |
nirvikalpo bahir yatnād antarviṣayalālasaḥ
The line
The slow one, even having heard that reality, does not drop his delusion. Without constructions on the outside by effort, he craves objects within.
नेपालीमा
मन्दले त्यो वस्तु सुनेर पनि विमूढता छाड्दैन। बाहिर प्रयत्नले निर्विकल्प देखिन्छ, भित्र चाहिँ विषयको लालसा भएको हुन्छ।
Where it sits
Aṣṭāvakra (अष्टावक्र) is still speaking, and the inert mind of the previous verse is now the slow one who has heard and still craves.
Split: mandaḥ (मन्दः) + śrutvā (श्रुत्वा) + api (अपि) + tat (तत्) + vastu (वस्तु) + na (न) + jahāti (जहाति) + vimūḍhatām (विमूढताम्) + nirvikalpaḥ (निर्विकल्पः) + bahiḥ (बहिः) + yatnāt (यत्नात्) + antarviṣayalālasaḥ (अन्तर्विषयलालसः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| mandaḥ (मन्दः) | nominative singular, masculine | the slow one, the dull one. Subject of jahāti (जहाति). |
| śrutvā (श्रुत्वा) | gerund, indeclinable | having heard. From śru (श्रु). Joined with api (अपि). |
| api (अपि) | indeclinable | even. |
| tat (तत्) | accusative singular, neuter | that. Recited tad (तद्) before v (व्). Agrees with vastu (वस्तु). |
| vastu (वस्तु) | accusative singular, neuter | thing, the real thing. Object of śrutvā (श्रुत्वा). |
| na (न) | indeclinable | not. |
| jahāti (जहाति) | present third person singular | abandons. From hā (हा). |
| vimūḍhatām (विमूढताम्) | accusative singular, feminine | delusion, the state of being thoroughly dull. Object of jahāti (जहाति). |
| nirvikalpaḥ (निर्विकल्पः) | nominative singular, masculine | without alternative constructions. Recited nirvikalpo (निर्विकल्पो) before b (ब्). Agrees with mandaḥ (मन्दः). |
| bahiḥ (बहिः) | indeclinable | on the outside. Recited bahir (बहिर्) before y (य्). |
| yatnāt (यत्नात्) | ablative singular, masculine | from effort. Recited yatnād (यत्नाद्) before the vowel. |
| antarviṣayalālasaḥ (अन्तर्विषयलालसः) | nominative singular, masculine | one who craves objects within. lālasa (लालस) is craving. viṣaya (विषय) is an object. antar (अन्तर्) is within. Agrees with mandaḥ (मन्दः). |
The phrases
śrutvā (श्रुत्वा) with its object tat (तत्) vastu (वस्तु) is prior to na (न) jahāti (जहाति), and api (अपि) concedes the hearing. vimūḍhatām (विमूढताम्) is what he does not drop. nirvikalpaḥ (निर्विकल्पः) agrees with mandaḥ (मन्दः), limited by bahiḥ (बहिः) and yatnāt (यत्नात्), while antarviṣayalālasaḥ (अन्तर्विषयलालसः) gives the inner state.
Sanskrit in this line
tat (तत्) before v (व्) is tad (तद्). śrutvā (श्रुत्वा) plus api (अपि) is śrutvāpi (श्रुत्वापि). nirvikalpaḥ (निर्विकल्पः) before b (ब्) is nirvikalpo (निर्विकल्पो). bahiḥ (बहिः) before y (य्) is bahir (बहिर्). yatnāt (यत्नात्) plus antar (अन्तर्) is yatnād (यत्नाद्) antar (अन्तर्), the t (त्) voiced before the vowel.
Say it back
What does the slow one fail to drop after hearing, and where does his craving sit?