12.1
अर्जुन उवाच
एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते ।
ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः ॥
arjuna uvāca
evaṃ satatayuktā ye bhaktās tvāṃ paryupāsate
ye cāpy akṣaram avyaktaṃ teṣāṃ ke yogavittamāḥ
Arjuna (अर्जुन) is speaking, to Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण), and uvāca (उवाच), "he said," stands outside the meter.
The verse
Arjuna (अर्जुन) said: Those devotees, always yoked, who thus worship you, and those also who worship the imperishable unmanifest — of them, which are the best knowers of yoga?
नेपालीमा
अर्जुनले भने, सधैँ जोडिएका ती भक्त जसले यसरी तपाईंको पूजा गर्छन्, र जसले अविनाशी अव्यक्तको पूजा गर्छन्, तिनीहरूमध्ये योगका सर्वोत्तम ज्ञाता को हुन्।
Where it sits
The chapter opens on a comparison. One worship is aimed at him. The other is aimed at what has no form. He has not answered yet.
Split: एवम् + सतत-युक्ताः + ये + भक्ताः + त्वाम् + पर्युपासते + ये + च + अपि + अक्षरम् + अव्यक्तम् + तेषाम् + के + योग-वित्-तमाः
evam + satata-yuktāḥ + ye + bhaktāḥ + tvām + paryupāsate + ye + ca + api + akṣaram + avyaktam + teṣām + ke + yoga-vit-tamāḥ
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| एवम् | evam | indeclinable | thus. In the way already set. |
| सतत-युक्ताः | satata-yuktāḥ | nominative plural | always yoked. satata (सतत) "constant," yukta (युक्त) "joined, yoked." |
| ये | ye | nominative plural | who. The first group. |
| भक्ताः | bhaktāḥ | nominative plural | devotees. Those who have given themselves. |
| त्वाम् | tvām | accusative of tvam (त्वम्) | you. |
| पर्युपासते | paryupāsate | present, 3rd plural, middle | they worship. pari (परि) "fully," upa (उप) "near," ās (आस्) "sit." |
| ये | ye | nominative plural | who. The second group. |
| च | ca | indeclinable | and. |
| अपि | api | indeclinable | also. |
| अक्षरम् | akṣaram | accusative singular neuter | the imperishable. What does not wear away. |
| अव्यक्तम् | avyaktam | accusative singular neuter | the unmanifest. Not shown as a form. |
| तेषाम् | teṣām | genitive plural | of them. Of both groups. |
| के | ke | nominative plural of kim (किम्) | which ones? |
| योग-वित्-तमाः | yoga-vit-tamāḥ | nominative plural | the best knowers of yoga. vit (वित्) "knower," from vid (विद्). |
The phrases
evaṃ satatayuktā ye bhaktāḥ tvāṃ paryupāsate (एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्ताः त्वां पर्युपासते) is the first worship. Devotees, always yoked, who thus worship you, the person speaking, a lord with a form. satatayuktāḥ (सततयुक्ताः) before ye (ये) is recited satatayuktā (सततयुक्ता): the visarga drops before y (य्). bhaktāḥ tvām (भक्ताः त्वाम्) is bhaktās tvām (भक्तास्त्वाम्), and tvām (त्वाम्) before p (प्) is tvāṃ (त्वां).
ये च अपि अक्षरम् अव्यक्तम् ye ca api akṣaram avyaktam is the other worship, and the verb is the same paryupāsate (पर्युपासते). They worship the imperishable unmanifest. च + अपि + अक्षरम् ca + api + akṣaram is cāpy akṣaram (चाप्यक्षरम्): अ + अ a + a makes cāpi (चापि), then इ + अ i + a makes the y (य्).
teṣāṃ ke yogavittamāḥ (तेषां के योगवित्तमाः) is the question the two groups are for. Of them, which are the best knowers of yoga?
Sanskrit in this line
ke (के) is nominative plural, "which ones?" teṣām (तेषाम्) is genitive plural, "of them." The genitive holds the two groups; the nominative asks which of them win. -tama (तम) on yoga-vit (योग-वित्) is the superlative, "most, best." The t (त्) at the join is written double: yogavittamāḥ (योगवित्तमाः). A knower, and then the best of them.
Say it back
Cover the English. Name the two worships, then the question. If tvām (त्वाम्) and अक्षरम् अव्यक्तम् akṣaram avyaktam fall together into one object, stay here.