Aṣṭāvakra Saṃhitā
A Dialogue on Self-realization
Chapter 15, Verse 4
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Ashtavakra Gita 15.4 -
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.
Commentary by Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha
The entire spiritual effort, sādhanā, is to shift the mind from the visible world to its invisible witness, from the gross body to the subtle sentient presence in it. This is not easy, because right from birth, every one was trying to see the outside world, not caring to know what is present in the body, seeing everything.
It is an undeniable fact that all feelings, instigations and motivations come from within. The interactions commence from inside, subsist inside, and dissolve also inside. But this fact somehow does not catch our attention. It has to be brought home by a Sadguru, and the seeker has to cling to it with exclusiveness. Once he begins to do so, his insight and evaluation change drastically.
Mind being the only source and terminus of all experiences and activities, everything has to be traced to its presence and prevalence. Once the seeker does this tenaciously, he will know that everything is mental alone. Obviously, mind cannot host a physical body or activity. You are then not the body, nor have you a body.
You are verily sentience, Consciousness, witnessing what takes place. As a witness, how can you expect anything? For, you will only be a witness of your expectation. “Be firm in this truth”, says the Sage, and “live freely and comfortably.”
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