Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Aṣṭāvakra (अध्याय १८) / 18.84
18.84
the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)
निःस्नेहः पुत्रदारादौ निष्कामो विषयेषु च ।
निश्चिन्तः स्वशरीरेऽपि निराशः शोभते बुधः niḥsnehaḥ putradārādau niṣkāmo viṣayeṣu ca |
niścintaḥ svaśarīre 'pi nirāśaḥ śobhate budhaḥ
The line
Without clinging among son, wife, and the rest, and without desire among objects, without worry even in his own body, without hope, the knowing one shines.
नेपालीमा
पुत्र र पत्नी आदिमा स्नेहरहित, विषयमा निष्काम, आफ्नै शरीरमा पनि चिन्तारहित, निराश बुध शोभा पाउँछ।
Where it sits
Aṣṭāvakra (अष्टावक्र) is still speaking, and the steady one who neither dies nor lives is now the knowing one without hope.
Split: niḥsnehaḥ (निःस्नेहः) + putradārādau (पुत्रदारादौ) + niṣkāmaḥ (निष्कामः) + viṣayeṣu (विषयेषु) + ca (च) + niścintaḥ (निश्चिन्तः) + svaśarīre (स्वशरीरे) + api (अपि) + nirāśaḥ (निराशः) + śobhate (शोभते) + budhaḥ (बुधः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| niḥsnehaḥ (निःस्नेहः) | nominative singular, masculine | without clinging. sneha (स्नेह) is oil, affection, clinging. Agrees with budhaḥ (बुधः). |
| putradārādau (पुत्रदारादौ) | locative singular, masculine | among son, wife, and the rest. putra (पुत्र) is a son. dāra (दार) is a wife. ādi (आदि) is the rest. |
| niṣkāmaḥ (निष्कामः) | nominative singular, masculine | without desire. Recited niṣkāmo (निष्कामो) before v (व्). |
| viṣayeṣu (विषयेषु) | locative plural, masculine | among objects. |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and. |
| niścintaḥ (निश्चिन्तः) | nominative singular, masculine | without worry. |
| svaśarīre (स्वशरीरे) | locative singular, neuter | in his own body. śarīra (शरीर) is the body. sva (स्व) is his own. |
| api (अपि) | indeclinable | even. Kept by the avagraha after e (ए). |
| nirāśaḥ (निराशः) | nominative singular, masculine | without hope. |
| śobhate (शोभते) | present third person singular | shines. From śubh (शुभ्). |
| budhaḥ (बुधः) | nominative singular, masculine | the knowing one. Subject of śobhate (शोभते). |
The phrases
budhaḥ (बुधः) is the subject of śobhate (शोभते). niḥsnehaḥ (निःस्नेहः) goes with putradārādau (पुत्रदारादौ), niṣkāmaḥ (निष्कामः) with viṣayeṣu (विषयेषु), and ca (च) joins those two. niścintaḥ (निश्चिन्तः) goes with svaśarīre (स्वशरीरे) api (अपि), and nirāśaḥ (निराशः) stands with the rest.
Sanskrit in this line
niṣkāmaḥ (निष्कामः) before v (व्) is niṣkāmo (निष्कामो). svaśarīre (स्वशरीरे) plus api (अपि) keeps the avagraha, recited svaśarīre (स्वशरीरे) 'pi.
Say it back
Among which people is he without clinging, and what is absent even in his own body?