Ashtavakra Gita · Verse 12.1 · Janaka speaks

First I became intolerant of physical action, then of extensive speech, and then of thought. Thus verily do I therefore abide.

कायकृत्यासहः पूर्वं ततो वाग्विस्तरासहः ।अथ चिन्तासहस्तस्माद् एवमेवाहमास्थितः ॥ १२-१॥

kāyakṛtyāsahaḥ pūrvaṃ tato vāgvistārāsahaḥ |atha cintāsahas tasmād evamevāham āsthitaḥ ॥ 12-1 ॥

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कायकृत्यासहः

kāyakṛtyāsahaḥ

intolerant of bodily action

compound adjective, masculine, nominative singular (kāya + kṛtya + a-sahaḥ)

The beginning of discipline is made with the gross. Detachment from physical action — the most external layer — is the first stage of turning away from the relative plane.

पूर्वम्

pūrvam

first, at first

adverb

ततः

tataḥ

then, after that

adverb (ablative of demonstrative)

वाग्विस्तरासहः

vāgvistārāsahaḥ

intolerant of extensive speech

compound adjective, masculine, nominative singular (vāc + vistāra + a-sahaḥ)

अथ

atha

then, next

indeclinable particle

चिन्तासहः

cintāsahaḥ

intolerant of thought

compound adjective, masculine, nominative singular (cintā + a-sahaḥ)

The subtlest obstruction. Having transcended gross action and subtle speech, the sage becomes intolerant of even mental activity — pointing to the state beyond relativity.

तस्माद्

tasmāt

therefore

pronoun, ablative singular (demonstrative)

एवमेव

evameva

thus verily, even so

compound indeclinable (evam + eva)

The refrain of the entire chapter. 'Thus verily' (evameva āsthitaḥ) expresses the natural effortless abiding in the Self — not a state attained by practice but recognized as one's own nature.

अहम्

aham

pronoun, nominative singular, 1st person

आस्थितः

āsthitaḥ

abide, am established

past passive participle, masculine, nominative singular (ā + √sthā)

From ā + √sthā, meaning 'to be established in, to abide.' This is the key verb of the chapter — Janaka describes his state as one of effortless abiding in the Self, devoid of any action — physical, vocal, or mental.