Ashtavakra Gita

निर्वासनं हरिं दृष्ट्वा तूष्णीं विषयदन्तिनः। पलायन्ते न शक्तास्ते सेवन्ते कृतचाटवः

Seeing the desireless Lord, the elephants of sense objects fall silent; they flee, unable to serve, even when coaxed with artificial enticements.

न मुक्तिकारिकां धत्ते निःशङ्को युक्तमानसः। पश्यन् शृण्वन् स्पृशन् जिघ्रन्नश्नन्नास्ते यथासुखम्

The fearless one, whose mind is balanced, does not engage in the pursuit of liberation; seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, he abides as he pleases.

वस्तुश्रवणमात्रेण शुद्धबुद्धिर्निराकुलः। नैवाचारमनाचारमौदास्यं वा प्रपश्यति

By merely hearing the truth, the pure-minded, undisturbed, sees neither proper nor improper conduct, nor even indifference.

यदा यत्कर्तुमायाति तदा तत्कुरुते ऋजुः। शुभं वाप्यशुभं वापि तस्य चेष्टा हि बालवत्

Whenever it comes to act, he acts straightforwardly; whether the action is auspicious or inauspicious, his conduct is like that of a child.

स्वातंत्र्यात्सुखमाप्नोति स्वातंत्र्याल्लभते परं। स्वातंत्र्यान्निर्वृतिं गच्छेत्स्वातंत्र्यात् परमं पदम्

By freedom he attains happiness, by freedom he gains the highest; by freedom he reaches fulfillment, by freedom the supreme state.

अकर्तृत्वमभोक्तृत्वं स्वात्मनो मन्यते यदा। तदा क्षीणा भवन्त्येव समस्ताश्चित्तवृत्तयः

When one considers oneself neither agent nor enjoyer, then all mental modifications indeed become exhausted.

उच्छृंखलाप्यकृतिका स्थितिर्धीरस्य राजते। न तु सस्पृहचित्तस्य शान्तिर्मूढस्य कृत्रिमा

Even unrestrained and spontaneous, the state of the wise shines; but the peace of the confused, whose mind is attached, is artificial.

विलसन्ति महाभोगैर्विशन्ति गिरिगह्वरान्। निरस्तकल्पना धीरा अबद्धा मुक्तबुद्धयः

They revel in great enjoyments, enter mountain caves; the wise, free from imagination, unbound, with liberated understanding.

श्रोत्रियं देवतां तीर्थमङ्गनां भूपतिं प्रियं। दृष्ट्वा संपूज्य धीरस्य न कापि हृदि वासना

Seeing and honoring a learned one, deity, sacred place, woman, king, or beloved, the wise has no lingering impression in the heart.

भृत्यैः पुत्रैः कलत्रैश्च दौहित्रैश्चापि गोत्रजैः। विहस्य धिक्कृतो योगी न याति विकृतिं मनाक्

Mocked and scorned by servants, sons, wives, grandsons, and relatives, the yogi laughs and is not disturbed in the least.

सन्तुष्टोऽपि न सन्तुष्टः खिन्नोऽपि न च खिद्यते। तस्याश्चर्यदशां तां तां तादृशा एव जानते

Though content, he is not content; though afflicted, he does not grieve. Only those like him know his wondrous state.

कर्तव्यतैव संसारो न तां पश्यन्ति सूरयः। शून्याकारा निराकारा निर्विकारा निरामयाः

Obligation alone is worldly existence; the wise do not see it, being of empty form, formless, changeless, and free from affliction.

अकुर्वन्नपि संक्षोभाद् व्यग्रः सर्वत्र मूढधीः। कुर्वन्नपि तु कृत्यानि कुशलो हि निराकुलः

Even without acting, due to agitation, the confused mind is restless everywhere; but acting, the skillful remains undisturbed.

सुखमास्ते सुखं शेते सुखमायाति याति च। सुखं वक्ति सुखं भुंक्ते व्यवहारेऽपि शान्तधीः

He sits happily, sleeps happily, comes and goes happily; he speaks happily, eats happily—the one whose mind is at peace, even while engaged in action.

स्वभावाद्यस्य नैवार्तिर्लोकवद् व्यवहारिणः। महाहृद इवाक्षोभ्यो गतक्लेशः स शोभते

He who, by his very nature, is untouched by suffering, unlike ordinary people engaged in the world, shines unmoved like a great lake, free from all distress.

निवृत्तिरपि मूढस्य प्रवृत्ति रुपजायते। प्रवृत्तिरपि धीरस्य निवृत्तिफलभागिनी

For the deluded, even withdrawal becomes a form of activity; for the wise, even activity bears the fruit of withdrawal.

परिग्रहेषु वैराग्यं प्रायो मूढस्य दृश्यते। देहे विगलिताशस्य क्व रागः क्व विरागता

Detachment from possessions is usually seen in the foolish; but for one whose hope in the body has fallen away, where is attachment and where is detachment?

भावनाभावनासक्ता दृष्टिर्मूढस्य सर्वदा। भाव्यभावनया सा तु स्वस्थस्यादृष्टिरूपिणी

The mind of the deluded is always attached to imagining or not imagining; but for the one who is established in himself, that very mind is free from any such vision, by the presence or absence of thought.

सर्वारंभेषु निष्कामो यश्चरेद् बालवन् मुनिः। न लेपस्तस्य शुद्धस्य क्रियमाणोऽपि कर्मणि

The sage who acts without desire in all undertakings, like a child, remains untouched by action, even while performing it, for he is pure.

स एव धन्य आत्मज्ञः सर्वभावेषु यः समः। पश्यन् शृण्वन् स्पृशन् जिघ्रन्न् अश्नन्निस्तर्षमानसः

He alone is blessed, the knower of the Self, who is equal in all situations, seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, with a mind free from craving.

क्व संसारः क्व चाभासः क्व साध्यं क्व च साधनं। आकाशस्येव धीरस्य निर्विकल्पस्य सर्वदा

Where is the world, where is illusion, where is attainment, and where is practice—for the steadfast one who is always without distinctions, like the sky?

स जयत्यर्थसंन्यासी पूर्णस्वरसविग्रहः। अकृत्रिमोऽनवच्छिन्ने समाधिर्यस्य वर्तते

He is victorious, the renouncer of possessions, whose nature is full and spontaneous, whose uncontrived and unbroken absorption abides.

बहुनात्र किमुक्तेन ज्ञाततत्त्वो महाशयः। भोगमोक्षनिराकांक्षी सदा सर्वत्र नीरसः

What more needs to be said? The great one who knows the truth, desiring neither enjoyment nor liberation, is always indifferent everywhere.

महदादि जगद्द्वैतं नाममात्रविजृंभितं। विहाय शुद्धबोधस्य किं कृत्यमवशिष्यते

Having abandoned the dualistic world, which arises only as names from the great principle downwards, what duty remains for the one of pure awareness?

भ्रमभृतमिदं सर्वं किंचिन्नास्तीति निश्चयी। अलक्ष्यस्फुरणः शुद्धः स्वभावेनैव शाम्यति

For the one convinced that all this, up to the mind's wanderings, is only illusion and nothing truly exists, the pure, ungraspable radiance settles by its own nature.

शुद्धस्फुरणरूपस्य दृश्यभावमपश्यतः। क्व विधिः क्व वैराग्यं क्व त्यागः क्व शमोऽपि वा

For the one whose nature is pure radiance and who does not see objects as real, where is rule, where is renunciation, where is abandonment, or even tranquility?

स्फुरतोऽनन्तरूपेण प्रकृतिं च न पश्यतः। क्व बन्धः क्व च वा मोक्षः क्व हर्षः क्व विषादिता

For the one who shines in infinite forms and does not see nature as real, where is bondage, where is liberation, where is joy, and where is sorrow?

बुद्धिपर्यन्तसंसारे मायामात्रं विवर्तते। निर्ममो निरहंकारो निष्कामः शोभते बुधः

In the world of mind, which is limited by intellect, only illusion appears; the wise one, free from possessiveness, ego, and desire, shines.

अक्षयं गतसन्तापमात्मानं पश्यतो मुनेः। क्व विद्या च क्व वा विश्वं क्व देहोऽहं ममेति वा

For the sage who sees the Self as imperishable and free from suffering, where is knowledge, where is the universe, where is the body, or the notions 'I' and 'mine'?