Ashtavakra Gita

भ्रान्तिमात्रमिदं विश्वं न किंचिदिति निश्चयी। निर्वासनः स्फूर्तिमात्रो न किंचिदिव शाम्यति

Be certain that this world is mere illusion and nothing else. Free of desires, consisting only of awareness, you become as if nothing, and are at peace.

एक एव भवांभोधावासीदस्ति भविष्यति। न ते बन्धोऽस्ति मोक्षो वा कृत्यकृत्यः सुखं चर

In the one ocean of existence, there is only one—past, present, and future. For you, there is no bondage or liberation, nothing to do or not do—move about happily.

मा सङ्कल्पविकल्पाभ्यां चित्तं क्षोभय चिन्मय। उपशाम्य सुखं तिष्ठ स्वात्मन्यानन्दविग्रहे

Do not disturb your mind with thoughts and doubts, O embodiment of consciousness. Be calm, remain happily in your own Self, the very form of bliss.

त्यजैव ध्यानं सर्वत्र मा किंचिद् हृदि धारय। आत्मा त्वं मुक्त एवासि किं विमृश्य करिष्यसि

Abandon meditation entirely; do not hold anything in your heart. You are the Self, already free—what will you accomplish by deliberation?

अष्टावक्र उवाच॥ आचक्ष्व शृणु वा तात नानाशास्त्राण्यनेकशः। तथापि न तव स्वास्थ्यं सर्वविस्मरणाद् ऋते

Ashtavakra said: You may explain or listen to countless scriptures, my dear, yet you will not find your own ease except by forgetting everything.

भोगं कर्म समाधिं वा कुरु विज्ञ तथापि ते। चित्तं निरस्तसर्वाशमत्यर्थं रोचयिष्यति

Enjoyment, action, or meditation—do as you wish, wise one, yet your mind, freed from all desires, will delight exceedingly.

आयासात्सकलो दुःखी नैनं जानाति कश्चन। अनेनैवोपदेशेन धन्यः प्राप्नोति निर्वृतिम्

Everyone suffers from effort; no one knows this truth. By this very teaching, the fortunate attain peace.

व्यापारे खिद्यते यस्तु निमेषोन्मेषयोरपि। तस्यालस्य धुरीणस्य सुखं नन्यस्य कस्यचित्

He who is troubled even by activity in the blink of an eye is the foremost among the lazy; happiness belongs to him, not to anyone else.

इदं कृतमिदं नेति द्वंद्वैर्मुक्तं यदा मनः। धर्मार्थकाममोक्षेषु निरपेक्षं तदा भवेत्

When the mind is freed from the dualities of 'this is done, this is not,' it becomes indifferent to righteousness, wealth, pleasure, and liberation.

विरक्तो विषयद्वेष्टा रागी विषयलोलुपः। ग्रहमोक्षविहीनस्तु न विरक्तो न रागवान्

The detached one rejects sense objects; the passionate one craves them. But one who is free from grasping and releasing is neither detached nor passionate.

हेयोपादेयता तावत्संसारविटपांकुरः। स्पृहा जीवति यावद् वै निर्विचारदशास्पदम्

The notion of accepting and rejecting remains as long as desire lives—the sprout of worldly existence—until the state of pure inquiry is attained.

प्रवृत्तौ जायते रागो निर्वृत्तौ द्वेष एव हि। निर्द्वन्द्वो बालवद् धीमान् एवमेव व्यवस्थितः

Attachment arises in activity, aversion in inactivity; but the wise, free from duality, remain established like a child.

हातुमिच्छति संसारं रागी दुःखजिहासया। वीतरागो हि निर्दुःखस्तस्मिन्नपि न खिद्यति

The passionate seeks to abandon the world out of a desire to escape suffering; but the dispassionate, being free from sorrow, is not troubled even in it.

यस्याभिमानो मोक्षेऽपि देहेऽपि ममता तथा। न च ज्ञानी न वा योगी केवलं दुःखभागसौ

One who has pride even in liberation, and attachment to the body as 'mine,' is neither a knower nor a yogi, but merely shares in suffering.

हरो यद्युपदेष्टा ते हरिः कमलजोऽपि वा। तथापि न तव स्वाथ्यं सर्वविस्मरणादृते

Even if Shiva, Vishnu, or Brahma teaches you, you will not find your own ease except by forgetting everything.

अष्टावक्र उवाच॥ तेन ज्ञानफलं प्राप्तं योगाभ्यासफलं तथा। तृप्तः स्वच्छेन्द्रियो नित्यं एकाकी रमते तु यः

Ashtavakra said: He who has attained the fruit of knowledge and the fruit of yoga practice, whose senses are always pure and satisfied, delights alone.

न कदाचिज्जगत्यस्मिन् तत्त्वज्ञा हन्त खिद्यति। यत एकेन तेनेदं पूर्णं ब्रह्माण्डमण्डलम्

Never does the knower of truth grieve in this world, for by him alone this entire sphere of the universe is fulfilled.

न जातु विषयाः केऽपि स्वारामं हर्षयन्त्यमी। सल्लकीपल्लवप्रीतमिवेभं निंबपल्लवाः

No sense objects ever please one who delights in himself, just as neem leaves do not please an elephant fond of sallaki shoots.

यस्तु भोगेषु भुक्तेषु न भवत्यधिवासिता। अभुक्तेषु निराकांक्षी तदृशो भवदुर्लभः

Rare is the one who, when enjoying pleasures, is not affected, and when not enjoying, has no longing.

बुभुक्षुरिह संसारे मुमुक्षुरपि दृश्यते। भोगमोक्षनिराकांक्षी विरलो हि महाशयः

In this world, there are those who desire enjoyment and those who desire liberation; but rare is the great soul who is free from longing for both.

धर्मार्थकाममोक्षेषु जीविते मरणे तथा। कस्याप्युदारचित्तस्य हेयोपादेयता न हि

For one of noble mind, there is no notion of accepting or rejecting in righteousness, wealth, pleasure, liberation, life, or death.

वांछा न विश्वविलये न द्वेषस्तस्य च स्थितौ। यथा जीविकया तस्माद् धन्य आस्ते यथा सुखम्

He has no desire at the dissolution of the universe, nor aversion at its existence; just as he lives, so he remains blessed, content as he is.

कृतार्थोऽनेन ज्ञानेनेत्येवं गलितधीः कृती। पश्यन् शृण्वन् स्पृशन् जिघ्रन्न् अश्नन्नस्ते यथा सुखम्

Fulfilled by this knowledge, with all thoughts dissolved, the accomplished one, seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, abides content as he is.

शून्या दृष्टिर्वृथा चेष्टा विकलानीन्द्रियाणि च। न स्पृहा न विरक्तिर्वा क्षीणसंसारसागरे

His vision is empty, his actions are futile, his senses are impaired; there is neither longing nor detachment in one whose ocean of worldly existence has dried up.

न जगर्ति न निद्राति नोन्मीलति न मीलति। अहो परदशा क्वापि वर्तते मुक्तचेतसः

He neither wakes nor sleeps, neither opens nor closes his eyes; ah, what a state—somewhere abides the one whose mind is liberated.

सर्वत्र दृश्यते स्वस्थः सर्वत्र विमलाशयः। समस्तवासना मुक्तो मुक्तः सर्वत्र राजते

Everywhere he is seen as self-possessed, everywhere with pure intention; freed from all desires, liberated, he shines everywhere.

पश्यन् शृण्वन् स्पृशन् जिघ्रन्न् अश्नन् गृण्हन् वदन् व्रजन्। ईहितानीहितैर्मुक्तो मुक्त एव महाशयः

Seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, taking, speaking, walking—freed from both action and inaction, the great-souled one is liberated indeed.

न निन्दति न च स्तौति न हृष्यति न कुप्यति। न ददाति न गृण्हाति मुक्तः सर्वत्र नीरसः

He neither criticizes nor praises, neither rejoices nor gets angry; he neither gives nor takes—liberated, he is indifferent everywhere.

सानुरागां स्त्रियं दृष्ट्वा मृत्युं वा समुपस्थितं। अविह्वलमनाः स्वस्थो मुक्त एव महाशयः

Seeing a woman with affection or death approaching, his mind remains undisturbed, self-possessed—such is the liberated great-souled one.