Aṣṭāvakra Gītā / Janaka (अध्याय १९) / 19.3

19.3

the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (अष्टावक्र गीता)

क्व भूतं क्व भविष्यद् वा वर्तमानमपि क्व वा ।
क्व देशः क्व च वा नित्यं स्वमहिम्नि स्थितस्य मे
kva bhūtaṃ kva bhaviṣyad vā vartamānam api kva vā |
kva deśaḥ kva ca vā nityaṃ svamahimni sthitasya me

The line

Where is the past, where or the future, and where even the present? Where is place, and where or the eternal, of me who stand in my own greatness?

नेपालीमा

आफ्नै महिमामा उभिएको मेरो लागि बितेको समय कहाँ, भविष्य कहाँ, वर्तमान पनि कहाँ? देश कहाँ, नित्य कहाँ?

Where it sits

Janaka is still speaking. The same refrain of standing in his own greatness continues.

Split: kva (क्व) + bhūtam (भूतम्) + kva (क्व) + bhaviṣyat (भविष्यत्) + vā (वा) + vartamānam (वर्तमानम्) + api (अपि) + kva (क्व) + vā (वा) + kva (क्व) + deśaḥ (देशः) + kva (क्व) + ca (च) + vā (वा) + nityam (नित्यम्) + svamahimni (स्वमहिम्नि) + sthitasya (स्थितस्य) + me (मे)

Sanskrit, in depth

The words

WordGrammarSense
kva (क्व)indeclinablewhere?
bhūtam (भूतम्)nominative singular, neuterthe past, what has been.
kva (क्व)indeclinablewhere?
bhaviṣyat (भविष्यत्)nominative singular, neuterthe future, what will be. Recited bhaviṣyad (भविष्यद्) before vā (वा).
vā (वा)indeclinableor.
vartamānam (वर्तमानम्)nominative singular, neuterthe present, what is turning.
api (अपि)indeclinableeven.
kva (क्व)indeclinablewhere?
vā (वा)indeclinableor.
kva (क्व)indeclinablewhere?
deśaḥ (देशः)nominative singular, masculineplace.
kva (क्व)indeclinablewhere?
ca (च)indeclinableand.
vā (वा)indeclinableor.
nityam (नित्यम्)nominative singular, neuterthe eternal.
svamahimni (स्वमहिम्नि)locative singular, masculinein one's own greatness.
sthitasya (स्थितस्य)genitive singular, masculineof one who stands. Agrees with me (मे).
me (मे)genitive singularof me.

The phrases

bhūtam (भूतम्), bhaviṣyat (भविष्यत्), and vartamānam (वर्तमानम्) are three nominatives, and api (अपि) marks the present. deśaḥ (देशः) and nityam (नित्यम्) are the next pair. sthitasya (स्थितस्य) agrees with me (मे).

Sanskrit in this line

bhaviṣyat (भविष्यत्) before vā (वा) is recited bhaviṣyad (भविष्यद्), final t voiced before v.

Say it back

Name the three times that are questioned.