Ashtavakra Gita · Verse 1.2 · Ashtavakra answers
If you aspire after liberation, my child, shun the objects of the senses as poison and seek forgiveness, sincerity, kindness, contentment and truth as nectar.
Word by word
मुक्तिम्
muktim
liberation
noun, feminine, accusative singular
इच्छसि
icchasi
you desire, you wish for
verb, 2nd person singular, present indicative, iṣ
चेत्
cet
if
indeclinable conditional particle
तात
tāta
my child, dear one
noun, masculine, vocative singular
विषयान्
viṣayān
objects of the senses, sense-pleasures
noun, masculine, accusative plural
Attachment to worldly sense-objects is a great bar to spiritual progress. They should be shunned as bitter poison, implying removal of body-identification that generates 'this is mine' etc.
विषवत्
viṣavat
like poison, as poison
indeclinable, comparative adverb
त्यज
tyaja
abandon, give up, shun
verb, imperative 2nd person singular, tyaj
क्षमा
kṣamā
forgiveness, forbearance
noun, feminine (compound first member)
आर्जव
ārjava
sincerity, straightforwardness, being one in mind and speech
noun, neuter (compound member)
Sincerity: 'to be one in mind and speech,' as emphasized by Sri Ramakrishna as an essential virtue of spiritual discipline.
दया
dayā
compassion, kindness
noun, feminine (compound member)
तोष
toṣa
contentment, satisfaction
noun, masculine (compound member)
सत्यम्
satyam
truth
noun, neuter, accusative singular (compound final member)
Truth: greatly emphasized by Sri Ramakrishna as a precious possession of the spiritual aspirant.
पीयूषवद्
pīyūṣavad
like nectar, as nectar
indeclinable, comparative adverb
भज
bhaja
seek, cultivate, resort to
verb, imperative 2nd person singular, bhaj