Ashtavakra Gita

स्वप्नेन्द्रजालवत् पश्य दिनानि त्रीणि पंच वा। मित्रक्षेत्रधनागारदारदायादिसंपदः

See the days—three or five—as like a dream or illusion: friends, lands, wealth, houses, wives, heirs, and possessions.

यत्र यत्र भवेत्तृष्णा संसारं विद्धि तत्र वै। प्रौढवैराग्यमाश्रित्य वीततृष्णः सुखी भव

Wherever there is craving, know that there is worldly existence; relying on mature dispassion, become happy, free from craving.

तृष्णामात्रात्मको बन्धस्तन्नाशो मोक्ष उच्यते। भवासंसक्तिमात्रेण प्राप्तितुष्टिर्मुहुर्मुहुः

Bondage consists only of craving; its destruction is called liberation. By mere non-attachment to existence, satisfaction is attained again and again.

त्वमेकश्चेतनः शुद्धो जडं विश्वमसत्तथा। अविद्यापि न किंचित्सा का बुभुत्सा तथापि ते

You alone are conscious, pure; the world is inert and unreal. Even ignorance is nothing; so why this curiosity of yours?

राज्यं सुताः कलत्राणि शरीराणि सुखानि च। संसक्तस्यापि नष्टानि तव जन्मनि जन्मनि

Kingdoms, sons, wives, bodies, and pleasures—even for one attached, these are lost in every birth of yours.

अलमर्थेन कामेन सुकृतेनापि कर्मणा। एभ्यः संसारकान्तारे न विश्रान्तमभून् मनः

Enough of wealth, desire, and even virtuous deeds; among these, in the desert of worldly existence, the mind has never found rest.

कृतं न कति जन्मानि कायेन मनसा गिरा। दुःखमायासदं कर्म तदद्याप्युपरम्यताम्

How many births have passed in body, mind, and speech, performing actions that bring suffering and toil? Let that cease today.

अष्टावक्र उवाच॥ भावाभावविकारश्च स्वभावादिति निश्चयी। निर्विकारो गतक्लेशः सुखेनैवोपशाम्यति

Ashtavakra said: Knowing that arising, non-arising, and change are all natural, one who is changeless and free from distress attains peace effortlessly.

ईश्वरः सर्वनिर्माता नेहान्य इति निश्चयी। अन्तर्गलितसर्वाशः शान्तः क्वापि न सज्जते

Knowing that the Lord is the creator of all and there is no other, one whose hopes have dissolved within is peaceful and does not become attached anywhere.

आपदः संपदः काले दैवादेवेति निश्चयी। तृप्तः स्वस्थेन्द्रियो नित्यं न वान्छति न शोचति

Knowing that misfortune and fortune come in time and by fate, one who is content and whose senses are steady never desires nor grieves.

सुखदुःखे जन्ममृत्यू दैवादेवेति निश्चयी। साध्यादर्शी निरायासः कुर्वन्नपि न लिप्यते

Knowing that happiness and sorrow, birth and death, are by fate, one who sees what is to be done, without effort, is not tainted even while acting.

चिन्तया जायते दुःखं नान्यथेहेति निश्चयी। तया हीनः सुखी शान्तः सर्वत्र गलितस्पृहः

Knowing that suffering arises from thought and not otherwise, one who is free from it is happy, peaceful, and everywhere devoid of longing.

नाहं देहो न मे देहो बोधोऽहमिति निश्चयी। कैवल्यं इव संप्राप्तो न स्मरत्यकृतं कृतम्

Knowing 'I am not the body, nor is the body mine; I am consciousness,' one attains isolation as if liberated, and does not remember what was done or not done.

आब्रह्मस्तंबपर्यन्तं अहमेवेति निश्चयी। निर्विकल्पः शुचिः शान्तः प्राप्ताप्राप्तविनिर्वृतः

Knowing 'I alone am,' from Brahma down to a blade of grass, one who is undivided, pure, peaceful, and free from concern for attainment or non-attainment.

नाश्चर्यमिदं विश्वं न किंचिदिति निश्चयी। निर्वासनः स्फूर्तिमात्रो न किंचिदिव शाम्यति

Knowing 'This world is not wondrous, nor is anything,' one who is free from desires, consisting only of awareness, becomes peaceful as if nothing exists.

जनक उवाच॥ कायकृत्यासहः पूर्वं ततो वाग्विस्तरासहः। अथ चिन्तासहस्तस्माद् एवमेवाहमास्थितः

Janaka said: First, I was unable to perform bodily actions; then, unable to elaborate in speech; then, unable to think—thus, I have settled in this way.

प्रीत्यभावेन शब्दादेरदृश्यत्वेन चात्मनः। विक्षेपैकाग्रहृदय एवमेवाहमास्थितः

By absence of delight in words and the like, and by the invisibility of the self, with a heart undisturbed and concentrated, thus I have settled.

समाध्यासादिविक्षिप्तौ व्यवहारः समाधये। एवं विलोक्य नियमं एवमेवाहमास्थितः

Observing the rule that activity such as the practice of samadhi is itself a distraction from samadhi, I have thus settled in this way.

हेयोपादेयविरहाद् एवं हर्षविषादयोः। अभावादद्य हे ब्रह्मन्न् एवमेवाहमास्थितः

O Brahman, recognizing that joy and sorrow do not arise due to the absence of anything to accept or reject, I have thus settled in this way.

आश्रमानाश्रमं ध्यानं चित्तस्वीकृतवर्जनं। विकल्पं मम वीक्ष्यैतैरेवमेवाहमास्थितः

Seeing that ashramas, non-ashramas, meditation, and even the acceptance of thoughts by the mind are all mere concepts, I have thus settled in this way.

कर्मानुष्ठानमज्ञानाद् यथैवोपरमस्तथा। बुध्वा सम्यगिदं तत्त्वं एवमेवाहमास्थितः

Just as the performance of action ceases through ignorance, so too, having rightly understood this truth, I have thus settled in this way.

अचिंत्यं चिंत्यमानोऽपि चिन्तारूपं भजत्यसौ। त्यक्त्वा तद्भावनं तस्माद् एवमेवाहमास्थितः

Even when one tries to think of the unthinkable, it takes the form of thought; therefore, abandoning such contemplation, I have thus settled in this way.

एवमेव कृतं येन स कृतार्थो भवेदसौ। एवमेव स्वभावो यः स कृतार्थो भवेदसौ

Whoever acts in this way becomes fulfilled; whoever has this very nature becomes fulfilled.

जनक उवाच॥ अकिंचनभवं स्वास्थं कौपीनत्वेऽपि दुर्लभं। त्यागादाने विहायास्मादहमासे यथासुखम्

Janaka said: The state of having nothing and being established in oneself is rare, even for one with only a loincloth; having abandoned both acceptance and renunciation, I sit here at ease.

कुत्रापि खेदः कायस्य जिह्वा कुत्रापि खेद्यते। मनः कुत्रापि तत्त्यक्त्वा पुरुषार्थे स्थितः सुखम्

Fatigue comes to the body somewhere, the tongue is tired somewhere, the mind elsewhere; having abandoned these, I remain happily established in the Self.

कृतं किमपि नैव स्याद् इति संचिन्त्य तत्त्वतः। यदा यत्कर्तुमायाति तत् कृत्वासे यथासुखम्

Reflecting truly that nothing whatsoever is ever done, whenever something comes to be done, I do it and sit at ease.

कर्मनैष्कर्म्यनिर्बन्धभावा देहस्थयोगिनः। संयोगायोगविरहादहमासे यथासुखम्

For the yogi abiding in the body, the insistence on action or inaction is absent; due to the absence of union or separation, I sit here at ease.

अर्थानर्थौ न मे स्थित्या गत्या न शयनेन वा। तिष्ठन् गच्छन् स्वपन् तस्मादहमासे यथासुखम्

Gain and loss are not mine by standing, going, or lying down; whether standing, going, or sleeping, therefore I sit here at ease.

स्वपतो नास्ति मे हानिः सिद्धिर्यत्नवतो न वा। नाशोल्लासौ विहायास्मदहमासे यथासुखम्

There is no loss for me when asleep, nor accomplishment when striving; having abandoned both decline and elation, I sit here at ease.