15.3
न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते
नान्तो न चादिर्न च सम्प्रतिष्ठा ।
अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूलं
असङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा ॥
na rūpam asyeha tathopalabhyate nānto na cādir na ca sampratiṣṭhā
aśvattham enaṃ suvirūḍhamūlaṃ asaṅgaśastreṇa dṛḍhena chittvā
Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण) continues, and the sentence does not finish in this verse. Meter: upajāti (उपजाति). The first quarter has twelve syllables, jagatī (जगती): na rūpam asyeha tathopalabhyate (न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते). The other three have eleven, triṣṭubh (त्रिष्टुभ्).
The verse
Its form is not found here as it was said, no end and no beginning and no firm standing; having cut this well-rooted aśvattha (अश्वत्थ) with the firm axe of non-attachment.
नेपालीमा
यसको रूप यहाँ भनिएझैँ पाइँदैन, न अन्त छ न आदि छ न दृढ अडान, बलियो जरा भएको यो अश्वत्थलाई अनासक्तिको दृढ बञ्चरोले काटेर।
Where it sits
The tree cannot be mapped, so the next move is a cut, not a better description. chittvā (छित्त्वा) waits for a main verb. That verb is the seeking in 15.4.
Split: न + रूपम् + अस्य + इह + तथा + उपलभ्यते + न + अन्तः + न + च + आदिः + न + च + सम्प्रतिष्ठा + अश्वत्थम् + एनम् + सु-विरूढ-मूलम् + असङ्ग-शस्त्रेण + दृढेन + छित्त्वा
na + rūpam + asya + iha + tathā + upalabhyate + na + antaḥ + na + ca + ādiḥ + na + ca + sampratiṣṭhā + aśvattham + enam + su-virūḍha-mūlam + asaṅga-śastreṇa + dṛḍhena + chittvā
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| न | na | indeclinable | not. |
| रूपम् | rūpam | nominative singular | form. The shape one could look at. |
| अस्य | asya | genitive singular | of this. Of this tree. |
| इह | iha | indeclinable | here. |
| तथा | tathā | indeclinable | so. In the way just said. |
| उपलभ्यते | upalabhyate | present passive, 3rd singular of upa-labh (उप-लभ्) | is found. Is perceived. |
| न | na | indeclinable | not. |
| अन्तः | antaḥ | nominative singular | an end. |
| न | na | indeclinable | not. |
| च | ca | indeclinable | and. |
| आदिः | ādiḥ | nominative singular | a beginning. |
| न | na | indeclinable | not. |
| च | ca | indeclinable | and. |
| सम्प्रतिष्ठा | sampratiṣṭhā | nominative singular | a firm standing. A foundation one could set it on. |
| अश्वत्थम् | aśvattham | accusative singular | the aśvattha (अश्वत्थ). |
| एनम् | enam | accusative singular | this. |
| सु-विरूढ-मूलम् | su-virūḍha-mūlam | accusative singular, bahuvrīhi (बहुव्रीहि) | whose root is well grown. virūḍha (विरूढ) is "grown," from vi-ruh (वि-रुह्). su (सु) is "well." |
| असङ्ग-शस्त्रेण | asaṅga-śastreṇa | instrumental singular | by the weapon of non-attachment. asaṅga (असङ्ग) is a (अ) plus saṅga (सङ्ग), "not clinging." śastra (शस्त्र) is a weapon. |
| दृढेन | dṛḍhena | instrumental singular | firm. Strong. Agrees with śastreṇa (शस्त्रेण). |
| छित्त्वा | chittvā | gerund of chid (छिद्) | having cut. |
The phrases
न रूपम् अस्य इह तथा उपलभ्यते na rūpam asya iha tathā upalabhyate says the picture cannot be seen from inside it. Its form is not found here in the way the verses have described it. अस्य + इह asya + iha is asyeha (अस्येह), अ + इ a + i becoming e (ए). तथा + उपलभ्यते tathā + upalabhyate is tathopalabhyate (तथोपलभ्यते), आ + उ ā + u becoming o (ओ).
na antaḥ na ca ādiḥ na ca sampratiṣṭhā (न अन्तः न च आदिः न च सम्प्रतिष्ठा) is what fails: no end, no beginning, no place it is fixed. न + अन्तः na + antaḥ is nāntaḥ (नान्तः), and that visarga before na (न) becomes o (ओ): nānto na (नान्तो न). ādiḥ (आदिः) before na (न) becomes ādir (आदिर्), because visarga after i (इ) before a voiced consonant becomes r (र्).
अश्वत्थम् एनम् सुविरूढमूलम् असङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा aśvattham enam suvirūḍhamūlam asaṅgaśastreṇa dṛḍhena chittvā is the act, still unfinished. Having cut this aśvattha (अश्वत्थ), its root well grown, with the firm weapon of non-attachment. The quarter ends on the anusvāra of mūlam (मूलम्): सुविरूढमूलं suvirūḍhamūlam. The next quarter begins asaṅga (असङ्ग).
Sanskrit in this line
chittvā (छित्त्वा) is "having cut." The ending --tvā (त्वा) is the gerund of a verb with no prefix, as dṛṣṭvā (दृष्ट्वा) was in 1.2. It does not show person, and it does not finish the sentence. The one who cuts is the one who will do the main act of the next verse. dṛḍhena (दृढेन) is instrumental with asaṅga-śastreṇa (असङ्ग-शस्त्रेण): the weapon, and the weapon's firmness, are one instrument.
Say it back
What is not found, then the cut. If asaṅga-śastreṇa (असङ्ग-शस्त्रेण) comes out as a mood rather than the weapon in the hand, stay here.