Aṣṭāvakra Saṃhitā
A Dialogue on Self-realization
Chapter 18, Verse 13
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Ashtavakra Gita 18.13 -
कृत्यं किमपि नैवास्ति न कापि हृदि रञ्जना ।
यथा जीवनमेवेह जीवन्मुक्तस्य योगिन:
kṛtyaṃ kimapi naivāsti na kāpi hṛdi rañjanā .
yathā jīvanameveha jīvanmuktasya yoginaḥ .. 18-13..
For the yogi who has become a jeevanmukta, liberated while alive, there is no duty to perform, there is no lingering taste in his heart. He just lives as his life propels, for whatever reason it may be.
Commentary by Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha
Jeevan-mukti does not mean that one is freed from the body. It denotes him, who is liberated while yet living. Liberation is not from body. It is getting liberated inwardly, while still alive. What is the one factor which brings such liberation, fullness of freedom?
The entire spiritual life is experiential to oneself (sva-samvedyam), not evident for others (na para-pratyaksham). Whether one is liberated or not is known only to him, not to any other. The factor that imposes bondage is desire. When desires fall, liberation results in full. For such a one, how can there be any duty to perform or any wrong act to avoid? When desires become extinct, possessiveness also will drop, making the mind free, light and poised.
What will happen to such a poised individual? Will his body drop, or his activities come to a stop, as he has no desire? Not at all.
The body was not born of his volition. Body takes birth first, thereafter shape the mind and intelligence. So, it is clear that there are other independent factors that govern life, not only ours but also of all other life forms, including the herbal kingdom.
As Gita describes, the three guṇas of Nature propel and preserve the active life of all. That overall process continues irresistibly. The yogi does not interfere in the matter. He remains harmonious with whatever is, comes and goes.
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