Ashtavakra Gita · Verse 1.7 · Ashtavakra speaks
You are the one seer of all and are really ever free. Verily this alone is your bondage: that you see the seer as something other than yourself.
Word by word
एकः
ekaḥ
one, sole, alone
adjective/numeral, masculine, nominative singular
द्रष्टा
draṣṭā
the seer, the pure seeing subject
noun, masculine, nominative singular (agent noun from dṛś)
You are the only subject; the entire universe is the object. The Self is pure witnessing awareness that can never become an object.
सर्वस्य
sarvasya
of all, of everything
pronoun/adjective, neuter, genitive singular
मुक्तप्रायः
muktaprāyaḥ
virtually free, almost as if free (i.e. essentially free)
compound adjective (mukta + prāya), masculine, nominative singular
बन्धः
bandhaḥ
bondage
noun, masculine, nominative singular
Bondage consists in regarding the eternal subject, the Witness of the universe, as belonging to the objective world — i.e. as other than the seer itself.
द्रष्टारम्
draṣṭāram
the seer (as object)
noun, masculine, accusative singular
पश्यसि
paśyasi
you see
verb, 2nd person singular, present indicative, dṛś
इतरम्
itaram
other, different
adjective, masculine, accusative singular