Aṣṭāvakra Saṃhitā
A Dialogue on Self-realization
Chapter 15
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Chapter 15 of Ashtavakra Samhita emphasizes that one with purified intelligence becomes enlightened and fulfilled when properly instructed by a Knower. For one whose mind is impure, delusion remains difficult to overcome. Sage Ashtavakra explains that spiritual knowledge in essence is simple: dispassion toward sensory objects is liberation, while attachment to them is bondage.
The Sage tells King Janaka that he is not the body but the Consciousness, the witness of all. Desire and hatred are fleeting mental impressions, and the mind itself is an object that is witnessed. Knowing the Self as present in all beings, and all beings as existing in the Self, one should live free of ego, possessiveness and inner disturbance.
Ashtavakra further declares that the Self is the sovereign and supreme Presence in which the universe shines. Though the body is a product of Nature’s three guṇas, and undergoes change, the Self remains eternal, untouched by growth, loss or danger. The world rises, prevails and subsides, but the Self remains singular and undiminished.
The Sage urges the seeker to abandon all dual notions and stand firmly in the non-dual Self. Knowing the universe to be an illusion, one must become desire-free, still and pure. The sage denounces everything and lodges the seeker in the Self. Knowing that one is the Self, ever-liberated, one must leave even meditation and deep deliberation.
पञ्चदशोऽध्याय: –
अष्टावक्र उवाच ।
यथातथोपदेशेन कृतार्थ: सत्त्वबुद्धिमान् ।
आजीवमपि जिज्ञासु: परस्तत्र विमुह्यति
pañcadaśo’dhyāyaḥ –
aṣṭāvakra uvāca ..
yathā-tathopadeśena kṛtārthaḥ sattva-buddhimān .
ājīvam-api jijñāsuḥ paras-tatra vimuhyati .. 15-1..
Ashtavakra said: One with purified intelligence becomes enlightened and fulfilled when properly instructed by a Knower. The other, even if a life-long seeker, remains deluded in the matter.
मोक्षो विषयवैरस्यं बन्धो वैषयिको रस: ।
एतावदेव विज्ञानं यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु
mokṣo viṣaya-vairasyaṃ bandho vaiṣayiko rasaḥ .
etāvad-eva vijñānaṃ yathecchasi tathā kuru .. 15-2..
Dispassion to sensory objects is liberation. Sensory ambrosia is bondage. This, indeed, is spiritual knowledge. Do as you wish.
वाग्मिप्राज्ञामहोद्योगं जनं मूकजडालसम् ।
करोति तत्त्वबोधोऽयमतस्त्यक्तो बुभुक्षुभि:
vāgmi-prājñā-mahodyogaṃ janaṃ mūka-jaḍālasam .
karoti tattva-bodho’yam-atas-tyakto bubhukṣubhiḥ .. 15-3..
This superb knowledge of Truth makes an eloquent, erudite and vibrantly active one immensely silent, inert and lazy; hence it is abandoned by those craving for sensory enjoyments.
न त्वं देहो न ते देहो भोक्ता कर्ता न वा भवान् ।
चिद्रूपोऽसि सदा साक्षी निरपेक्ष: सुखं चर
na tvaṃ deho na te deho bhoktā kartā na vā bhavān .
cid-rūpo’si sadā sākṣī nirapekṣaḥ sukhaṃ cara .. 15-4..
You are not the body, nor have you a body. Equally so, you are not an enjoyer or a doer. You are Consciousness by nature, always the witness, not expecting anything. Hence live and move freely.
रागद्वेषौ मनोधर्मौ न मनस्ते कदाचन ।
निर्विकल्पोऽसि बोधात्मा निर्विकार: सुखं चर
rāga-dveṣau mano-dharmau na manas-te kadācana .
nirvikalpo’si bodhātmā nirvikāraḥ sukhaṃ cara .. 15-5..
Desire and hatred are mental notes, and the mind is never yours, (as you are not the body). You are the doubt-free Consciousness, hence no modification or transformation for you. Live and move comfortably.
सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि ।
विज्ञाय निरहङ्कारो निर्ममस्त्वं सुखी भव
sarva-bhūteṣu cātmānaṃ sarva-bhūtāni cātmani .
vijñāya nirahaṅkāro nirmamas-tvaṃ sukhī bhava .. 15-6..
Knowing well the Self as present in all, and all beings as in the Self, free of ego and possessiveness, be happy, comfortable.
विश्वं स्फुरति यत्रेदं तरङ्गा इव सागरे ।
तत्त्वमेव न सन्देहश्चिन्मूर्ते विज्वरो भव
viśvaṃ sphurati yatredaṃ taraṅgā iva sāgare .
tat-tvam-eva na sandehaś-cin-mūrte vijvaro bhava .. 15-7..
You are that, no doubt, wherein this universe shines like waves in sea. You are Consciousness embodied. Be free of worldliness-fever.
श्रद्धस्व तात श्रद्धस्व नात्र मोहं कुरुष्व भो: ।
ज्ञानस्वरूपो भगवानात्मा त्वं प्रकृते: पर:
śraddhasva tāta śraddhasva nātra mohaṃ kuruṣva bhoḥ .
jñāna-svarūpo bhagavān-ātmā tvaṃ prakṛteḥ paraḥ .. 15-8..
Be attentive, O dear son, be attentive; do not give in to delusion here. Your nature is wisdom, you are Lord himself, the Self, the absolute, transcending nature.
गुणै: संवेष्ठितो देहस्तिष्ठत्यायाति याति च ।
आत्मा न गन्ता नागन्ता किमेनमनुशोचसि
guṇaiḥ saṃveṣṭhito dehas-tiṣṭhaty-āyāti yāti ca .
ātmā na gantā nāgantā kim-enam-anuśocasi .. 15-9..
The body encased/comprehended by Nature’s three guṇas comes in, prevails and goes away. The Self comes not and goes not. Why then grieve at this?
देहस्तिष्ठतु कल्पान्तं गच्छत्वद्यैव वा पुन: ।
क्व वृद्धि: क्व च वा हानिस्तव चिन्मात्ररूपिण:
dehas-tiṣṭhatu kalpāntaṃ gacchatvadyaiva vā punaḥ .
kva vṛddhiḥ kva ca vā hānis-tava cin-mātra-rūpiṇaḥ ..
Let the body remain till the end of kalpa (cycle of creation), or again let it go today itself. For you, who is but sentience, where is any growth or even loss or danger?
त्वय्यनन्तमहाम्भोधौ विश्ववीचि: स्वभावत: ।
उदेतु वास्तमायातु न ते वृद्धिर्न वा क्षति:
tvayy-ananta-mahāmbhodhau viśva-vīciḥ svabhāvataḥ .
udetu vāstam-āyātu na te vṛddhir-na vā kṣatiḥ .. 15-11..
In you, the infinite great ocean, let the wave of the Universe emerge or subside naturally. You do not stand to gain or lose.
तात चिन्मात्ररूपोऽसि न ते भिन्नमिदं जगत् ।
अत: कस्य कथं कुत्र हेयोपादेयकल्पना
tāta cin-mātra-rūpo’si na te bhinnam-idaṃ jagat .
ataḥ kasya kathaṃ kutra heyopādeya-kalpanā .. 15-12..
O son, you are Consciousness by nature. This world is not different from you. Therefore, about what or whom, and how or where, comes the thought of rejecting and accepting at all?
एकस्मिन्नव्यये शान्ते चिदाकाशेऽमले त्वयि ।
कुतो जन्म कुतो कर्म कुतोऽहङ्कार एव च
ekasminn-avyaye śānte cid-ākāśe’male tvayi .
kuto janma kuto karma kuto’haṅkāra eva ca .. 15-13..
In you the singular, immutable, peaceful, immaculate sentient space, Consciousness, from where comes birth, whence is activity, and whence is even ego?
यत्त्वं पश्यसि तत्रैकस्त्वमेव प्रतिभाससे ।
किं पृथक् भासते स्वर्णात् कटकाङ्गदनूपुरम्
yat-tvaṃ paśyasi tatraikas-tvam-eva pratibhāsase .
kiṃ pṛthak bhāsate svarṇāt kaṭakāṅgada-nūpuram ..
Whatever you look at, there you alone are displayed as the non-dual. Do bracelet, armlet and anklet shine different from gold they are made of?
अयं सोऽहमयं नाहं विभागमिति सन्त्यज ।
सर्वमात्मेति निश्चित्य नि:सङ्कल्प: सुखी भव
ayaṃ so’hamayaṃ nāhaṃ vibhāgamiti santyaja .
sarvamātmeti niścitya niḥsaṅkalpaḥ sukhī bhava .. 15-15..
‘I am he’, ‘I am not this’; leave this kind of distinction. Resolving that all this is the Self, drop all desires and expectations and be cheerful.
तवैवाज्ञानतो विश्वं त्वमेक: परमार्थत: ।
त्वत्तोऽन्यो नास्ति संसारी नासंसारी च कश्चन
tavaivājñānato viśvaṃ tvam-ekaḥ paramārthataḥ .
tvatto’nyo nāsti saṃsārī nāsaṃsārī ca kaścana .. 15-16..
Universe is an outcome of your ignorance. In reality you, the Self, alone is. There is no embodied soul, nor disembodied one, different from you.
भ्रान्तिमात्रमिदं विश्वं न किञ्चिदिति निश्चयी ।
निर्वासन: स्फूर्तिमात्रो न किञ्चिदिव शाम्यति
bhrānti-mātram-idaṃ viśvaṃ na kiñcid-iti niścayī .
nirvāsanaḥ sphūrti-mātro na kiñcid-iva śāmyati .. 15-17..
This universe is no more than an illusion. Decide well that in right understanding nothing exists. Be desire-free, be the vibrant, conscious presence, gain peace as if nothing is present.
एक एव भवाम्भोधावासीदस्ति भविष्यति ।
न ते बन्धोऽस्ति मोक्षो वा कृतकृत्य: सुखं चर
eka eva bhavāmbhodhāvāsīd-asti bhaviṣyati .
na te bandho’sti mokṣo vā kṛtakṛtyaḥ sukhaṃ cara.. 15-18..
In the whole world-ocean, One alone was, is and will be. Hence you have no bondage or liberation. With no hindrance, live and move comfortably with fulfilment.
मा सङ्कल्पविकल्पाभ्यां चित्तं क्षोभय चिन्मय ।
उपशाम्य सुखं तिष्ठ स्वात्मन्यानन्दविग्रहे
mā saṅkalpa-vikalpābhyāṃ cittaṃ kṣobhaya cinmaya .
upaśāmya sukhaṃ tiṣṭha svātmany-ānanda-vigrahe. 15-19..
Do not agitate the mind with imagination and doubt. Become calm and be poised comfortably in your own Self, which is bliss incarnate.
त्यजैव ध्यानं सर्वत्र मा किञ्चिद्धृदि धारय ।
आत्मा त्वं मुक्त एवासि किं विमृश्य करिष्यसि
tyajaiva dhyānaṃ sarvatra mā kiñcidd-hṛdi dhāraya .
ātmā tvaṃ mukta evāsi kiṃ vimṛśya kariṣyasi .. 15-20..
Everywhere dispense with meditation, deep deliberation itself. Do not carry any thought in your heart. You are the Self, hence liberated indeed. By cogitating, what will you do or gain?
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