Ashtavakra Gita 11.4 — Wisdom, Chapter 11, Verse 4

Devanagari script

सुखदुःखे जन्ममृत्यू दैवादेवेति निश्चयी ।

साध्यादर्शी निरायासः कुर्वन्नपि न लिप्यते ॥ ११-४॥

Transliteration

sukhaduḥkhe janmamṛtyū daivādeveti niścayī .

sādhyādarśī nirāyāsaḥ kurvannapi na lipyate .. 11-4..

Translation

Sesiapa yang yakin bahawa suka dan duka, kelahiran dan kematian semuanya kerana takdir, tetap tanpa payah, melihatnya sebagai pasti, dan walau berbuat tidak terlekat.

Word by Word

• सुखदुःखे: pleasure and pain
• सुखदुःखे: कर्ता/विषयः in understood predication
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख + दुःख
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचनम्

• जन्ममृत्यू: birth and death
• जन्ममृत्यू: कर्ता/विषयः in understood predication
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् + मृत्यु
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग-प्रधान द्वन्द्व, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचनम्

• दैवात्: from fate, by destiny
• दैवात्: अपादानम्/हेतुः (apādāna/hetu)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव-शब्दः
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: निपातः; no kāraka role
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव-अव्ययम्
• Form: अव्ययम्; emphasis particle

• इति: thus
• इति: वाक्यार्थ-समाप्ति-सूचकः
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति-अव्ययम्
• Form: अव्ययम्; quotation marker

• निश्चयी: one firmly convinced
• निश्चयी: कर्ता-विशेषणम्
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चयिन्-शब्दः
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्

• साध्य-अदर्शी: not seeing anything to be accomplished
• साध्य-अदर्शी: कर्ता-विशेषणम्
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साध्य + अदर्शिन्; दृश्-धातु with negative अ-
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्

• निरायासः: effortless, free from exertion
• निरायासः: कर्ता-विशेषणम्
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + आयास
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्

• कुर्वन्: doing, acting
• कुर्वन्: कर्ता-विशेषणम्; participial action of the implied subject
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ-धातुः, शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्

• अपि: even, although
• अपि: निपातः; no kāraka role
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि-अव्ययम्
• Form: अव्ययम्; concessive particle

• न: not
• न: निषेधः
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न-अव्ययम्
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम्

• लिप्यते: is tainted, becomes attached
• लिप्यते: क्रिया; implied कर्ता is निश्चयी
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप्-धातुः
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्/passive sense

Speaker

• Ashtavakra

Listener

• Janaka

Tags

• pleasure pain
• birth death
• fate
• effortlessness
• non attachment
• karma
• untainted action

Entities Mentioned

• Sukha
• Duḥkha
• Janma
• Mṛtyu
• Daiva
• Niścaya
• Nirāyāsa
• Sādhyādarśī
• Karma
• Asaṅga
• Lepa

FAQs

What are pleasure, pain, birth, and death attributed to here?

The verse states that the wise one is certain they arise through fate, and therefore does not become inwardly bound by them.

How can one act and yet not be attached?

By performing actions without identifying with outcomes or being inwardly marked by pleasure and pain, one is said to act without being tainted.

What does 'without effort' mean in this context?

It indicates freedom from inner strain and compulsive striving, not necessarily the absence of outward activity.