Ashtavakra Gita · Verse 12.6 · Janaka speaks
Cessation from action is as much an outcome of ignorance as the performance thereof. Knowing this truth fully, thus verily do I abide.
Word by word
कर्मानुष्ठानम्
karmānuṣṭhānam
performance of action
compound noun, neuter, nominative singular (karma + anuṣṭhāna)
अज्ञानात्
ajñānāt
from ignorance
noun, neuter, ablative singular (a + jñāna)
Ajñāna — ignorance of one's true nature as the Self. Both performing and ceasing from action presuppose the ego-consciousness and the reality of the external world, which IS ajñāna. The Self transcends both.
यथा
yathā
just as
indeclinable correlative conjunction
एव
eva
even, indeed
indeclinable emphasizing particle
उपरमः
uparamaḥ
cessation, withdrawal
noun, masculine, nominative singular (upa + √ram)
तथा
tathā
so also
indeclinable correlative adverb
बुध्वा
budhvā
having known, having realized
gerund (√budh)
सम्यक्
samyak
fully, correctly
indeclinable adverb
इदम्
idam
this
pronoun, neuter, accusative singular
तत्त्वम्
tattvam
truth, reality, principle
noun, neuter, accusative singular (tat + tva, 'that-ness')
Tattva — truth or reality. In Advaita, the ultimate tattva is that the ātman and Brahman are identical. Knowing this tattva dissolves the question of action vs. inaction, since both belong to the relative plane.
एवमेव
evameva
thus verily
compound indeclinable
अहम्
aham
I
pronoun, nominative singular, 1st person
आस्थितः
āsthitaḥ
abide, am established
past passive participle, masculine, nominative singular