Ashtavakra Gita 1.3 - Teachings on Self-Realization and Liberation

These are the only contents of the object-world. Nothing besides is there anywhere in creation. Why are you not these or included in them? Because, they are the ‘objects’ you see, feel and interact with. In all these processes, they remain as ‘objects’ and you remain as ‘Subject’, their witness. You are the witness of them all, says Aṣṭāvakra Maharshi. To witness is not to be witnessed. World is witnessed by us, it is never our witness. You are their witness, they are the ‘objects’ for you, and you are the ‘Subject’.

Subject and object are absolutely different, separate, distinct from each other. Witness, the Subject, can never become the object, nor vice versa. The distinction being clear, even to a child, where is the question of any doubt or confusion in this? Will anyone confuse between ‘I’ and ‘you’, ‘he, she, it and they’? Only because they are separate from each other, the ‘I’ is able to see the others, and others are being seen by the ‘I’.

Not only that. The five elements, earth, etc. fill the whole universe. The space, remaining as the ground for the other four, encircles and interleaves them. Both together constitute and exhaust the whole world, nay visible creation itself. And you are the singular witness of all of them. The whole sight, perception, is not in your body, but in your within, the non-bodily, non-material plane. Mind alone pictures the world, as an imprint it makes in itself.

It is on the basis of the mind-imprint that you have your perceptions, experiences. And you say the world is huge, endless, infinite. Where is the hugeness, endlessness and infinitude? Is it not within you, in your own mind? If the world is huge, as perceived and experienced by you, by your mind, what should be the magnitude of the mind, the witness that you are? Is it not even more infinite?

The object seen is inward and the witness seeing is also inward. And they are clearly distinct from one another. Subject witness cannot become the witnessed object. So you always remain the witness. Never do you ever turn to be the object.

All changes, affectations, rise and fall, birth and death, sorrow and grief, are in the objects seen, witnessed. You are the witness of objects, conditions, states and experiences. Where is the question of any of these touching or affecting you the least? Why lament then, for what? Every plight and fate is to the objects, the world, the witnessed entity, presence. Not to the Subject witnessing.
You cannot then grieve. At best, you can be the witness of grief. Equally of loss and gain. So you cannot think of losing anything or gaining something. You are devoid of both, above both, the transcendental indeed.

Can or will there be any occasion then for you, the witness, to become what the witnessed is or will be? Feel this fact, truth, finding. And remain established in its depth, beauty and ecstasy. Do no more grieve, lament, feel any lack, aspire for anything. Even if you get a planet-heap of gold, you will still be its witness alone. It can never become you, or allied to you, the witness. The difference is fundamental, eternal, absolute and unalterable.

Janaka, all seekers, be relaxed, light-hearted, clear in your insight, firm and unshakeable. You are the witness, never to be made otherwise by anything, anywhere any time indeed.
Unless you, the witness, are greater than the world, how can you have an imprint of it in your within? Yes, your mind, intelligence, ego, the Self, the ‘I’, all are greater in their magnitude than the world and its objects you see and interact with. “Be sure, firm and unshakeable, dear Janaka” says the Sage Knower.

The Sage has also described what or who this witness ‘I’ is. He says it is cid-rūpa, the sentience, Consciousness. Consciousness is a presence, which makes one conscious of itself and others. It is unlike any object. It is supra-material, supra-energial. It is the transcendental presence, which reveals and sustains all the creation. Know it, its cid-rūpa for gaining liberation. Moksha, thus, is the outcome of knowledge, yes, the reward Subject-knowledge bestows. Know the Subject and be liberated, says the Sage outright, in the very first statement of his.His words are meant for you, the reader, too!