Aṣṭāvakra Saṃhitā
A Dialogue on Self-realization
Chapter 8, Verse 1
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Ashtavakra Gita 8.1 -
अष्टमोऽध्याय: –
अष्टावक्र उवाच ।
तदा बन्धो यदा चित्तं किञ्चिद्वाञ्छति शोचति ।
किञ्चिन्मुञ्चति गृह्णाति किञ्चिद्धृष्यति कुप्यति
aṣṭamo’dhyāyaḥ –
aṣṭāvakra uvāca ..
tadā bandho yadā cittaṃ kiñcid-vāñchati śocati .
kiñcin-muñcati gṛhṇāti kiñcidd-hṛṣyati kupyati .. 8-1..
Ashtavakra said: Then will be bondage when mind covets or grieves at anything; leaves or grabs anything; exults in or gets angry over anything.
Commentary by Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha
The Sage discusses the subject of spiritual wisdom and liberation in very simple but conclusive terms of the mind and its behaviour. This makes the subject easy to grasp and pursue in our daily life.
The world, we have seen, consists of dvandvas. Our interaction with them brings happiness and misery in various forms, giving rise to different emotions. Thus desire, dislike, irritation, jealousy, competition, enmity and the like surface within, leading to unhappiness of various kinds.
To live and act in the world without meeting these is impossible. It is like thinking of entering the sea after the waves cease. Take your boat, push it into the sea, get in and row on. Do not expect the waves to withdraw. Sea and waves go together.
Learn to be undisturbed by dvandvas. Sukha-duḥkhas are the outcomes interactions bring. Accept them alike, dropping preference and abhorrence together. Have no resistance, grumbling or complaint. When dislike to duḥkha drops, love to sukha will vaporise. Yet both will be, one leading to the other. Sukha follows duḥkha and brings it too. Is it preferable then? When preference drops, prejudice also will. And you can sail through comfortably.
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