Ashtavakra Gita

अष्टावक्र गीता॥
॥ श्री॥

अथ श्रीमदष्टावक्रगीता प्रारभ्यते॥

atha śrīmadaṣṭāvakragītā prārabhyate ||

जनक उवाच॥
कथं ज्ञानमवाप्नोति कथं मुक्तिर्भविष्यति।
वैराग्यं च कथं प्राप्तं एतद्‌ ब्रूहि मम प्रभो॥ १-१॥

janaka uvāca ||
kathaṁ jñānamavāpnoti kathaṁ muktirbhaviṣyati |
vairāgyaṁ ca kathaṁ prāptaṁ etad brūhi mama prabho || 1-1||

Janaka said:

How is one to acquire knowledge? How is one to attain liberation? And how is one to reach dispassion? Tell me this, sir. 1.1

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जनक उवाच॥
कथं ज्ञानमवाप्नोति कथं मुक्तिर्भविष्यति।
वैराग्यं च कथं प्राप्तं एतद्‌ ब्रूहि मम प्रभो॥ १-१॥

aṣṭāvakra uvāca ||
muktiṁ icchasi cettāta viṣayān viṣavattyaja |
kṣamārjavadayātoṣasatyaṁ pīyūṣavad bhaja || 1-2||

Ashtavakra said:

If you are seeking liberation, my son, avoid the objects of the senses like poison and cultivate tolerance, sincerity, compassion, contentment, and truthfulness as the antidote. 1.2

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Ashtavakra continues..

न पृथ्वी न जलं नाग्निर्न वायुर्द्यौर्न वा भवान्‌।
एषां साक्षिणमात्मानं चिद्रूपं विद्धि मुक्तये॥ १-३॥

na pṛthvī na jalaṁ nāgnirna vāyurdyaurna vā bhavān |
eṣāṁ sākṣiṇamātmānaṁ cidrūpaṁ viddhi muktaye || 1-3||

You do not consist of any of the elements -- earth, water, fire, air, or even ether. To be liberated, know yourself as consisting of consciousness, the witness of these. 1.3

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यदि देहं पृथक्‌ कृत्य चिति विश्राम्य तिष्ठसि।
अधुनैव सुखी शान्तो बन्धमुक्तो भविष्यसि॥ १-४॥

yadi dehaṁ pṛthak kṛtya citi viśrāmya tiṣṭhasi |
adhunaiva sukhī śānto bandhamukto bhaviṣyasi || 1-4||

If only you will remain resting in consciousness, seeing yourself as distinct from the body, then even now you will become happy, peaceful and free from bonds. 1.4

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न त्वं विप्रादिको वर्णो नाश्रमी नाक्षगोचरः।
असङ्गोऽसि निराकारो विश्वसाक्षी सुखी भव॥ १-५॥

na tvaṁ viprādiko varṇo nāśramī nākṣagocaraḥ |
asaṅgo'si nirākāro viśvasākṣī sukhī bhava || 1-5||

You do not belong to the brahmin or any other caste, you are not at any stage, nor are you anything that the eye can see. You are unattached and formless, the witness of everything -- so be happy. 1.5

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धर्माधर्मौ सुखं दुःखं मानसानि न ते विभो।
न कर्तासि न भोक्तासि मुक्त एवासि सर्वदा॥ १-६॥

dharmādharmau sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ mānasāni na te vibho |
na kartāsi na bhoktāsi mukta evāsi sarvadā || 1-6||

Righteousness and unrighteousness, pleasure and pain are purely of the mind and are no concern of yours. You are neither the doer nor the reaper of the consequences, so you are always free. 1.6

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एको द्रष्टासि सर्वस्य मुक्तप्रायोऽसि सर्वदा।
अयमेव हि ते बन्धो द्रष्टारं पश्यसीतरम्‌॥ १-७॥

eko draṣṭāsi sarvasya muktaprāyo'si sarvadā |
ayameva hi te bandho draṣṭāraṁ paśyasītaram || 1-7||

You are the one witness of everything and are always completely free. The cause of your bondage is that you see the witness as something other than this. 1.7

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अहं कर्तेत्यहंमानमहाकृष्णाहिदंशितः।
नाहं कर्तेति विश्वासामृतं पीत्वा सुखी भव॥ १-८॥

ahaṁ kartetyahaṁmānamahākṛṣṇāhidaṁśitaḥ |
nāhaṁ karteti viśvāsāmṛtaṁ pītvā sukhī bhava || 1-8||

Since you have been bitten by the black snake, the opinion about yourself that "I am the doer," drink the antidote of faith in the fact that "I am not the doer," and be happy. 1.8

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एको विशुद्धबोधोऽहं इति निश्चयवह्निना।
प्रज्वाल्याज्ञानगहनं वीतशोकः सुखी भव॥ १-९॥

eko viśuddhabodho'haṁ iti niścayavahninā |
prajvālyājñānagahanaṁ vītaśokaḥ sukhī bhava || 1-9||


Burn down the forest of ignorance with the fire of the understanding that "I am the one pure awareness," and be happy and free from distress. 1.9

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यत्र विश्वमिदं भाति कल्पितं रज्जुसर्पवत्‌।
आनन्दपरमानन्दः स बोधस्त्वं सुखं भव॥ १-१०॥

yatra viśvamidaṁ bhāti kalpitaṁ rajjusarpavat |
ānandaparamānandaḥ sa bodhastvaṁ sukhaṁ bhava || 1-10||

That in which all this appears is imagined like the snake in a rope; that joy, supreme joy, and awareness is what you are, so be happy. 1.10

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मुक्ताभिमानी मुक्तो हि बद्धो बद्धाभिमान्यपि।
किंवदन्तीह सत्येयं या मतिः सा गतिर्भवेत्‌॥ १-११॥

muktābhimānī mukto hi baddho baddhābhimānyapi |
kiṁvadantīha satyeyaṁ yā matiḥ sā gatirbhavet || 1-11||

If one thinks of oneself as free, one is free, and if one thinks of oneself as bound, one is bound. Here this saying is true, "Thinking makes it so." 1.11

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आत्मा साक्षी विभुः पूर्ण एको मुक्तश्चिदक्रियः।
असंगो निःस्पृहः शान्तो भ्रमात्संसारवानिव॥ १-१२॥

ātmā sākṣī vibhuḥ pūrṇa eko muktaścidakriyaḥ |
asaṁgo niḥspṛhaḥ śānto bhramātsaṁsāravāniva || 1-12||

Your real nature is as the one perfect, free, and actionless consciousness, the all-pervading witness -- unattached to anything, desireless and at peace. It is from illusion that you seem to be involved in samsara. 1.12

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कूटस्थं बोधमद्वैतमात्मानं परिभावय।
आभासोऽहं भ्रमं मुक्त्वा भावं बाह्यमथान्तरम्‌॥ १-१३॥

kūṭasthaṁ bodhamadvaitamātmānaṁ paribhāvaya |
ābhāso'haṁ bhramaṁ muktvā bhāvaṁ bāhyamathāntaram || 1-13||

Meditate on yourself as motionless awareness, free from any dualism, giving up the mistaken idea that you are just a derivative consciousness or anything external or internal. 1.13

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देहाभिमानपाशेन चिरं बद्धोऽसि पुत्रक।
बोधोऽहं ज्ञानखंगेन तःनिकृत्य सुखी भव॥ १-१४॥

dehābhimānapāśena ciraṁ baddho'si putraka |
bodho'haṁ jñānakhaṁgena taḥnikṛtya sukhī bhava || 1-14||

You have long been trapped in the snare of identification with the body. Sever it with the knife of knowledge that "I am awareness," and be happy, my son. 1.14

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निःसंगो निष्क्रियोऽसि त्वं स्वप्रकाशो निरंजनः।
अयमेव हि ते बन्धः समाधिमनुतिष्ठति॥ १-१५॥

niḥsaṁgo niṣkriyo'si tvaṁ svaprakāśo niraṁjanaḥ |
ayameva hi te bandhaḥ samādhimanutiṣṭhati || 1-15||

You are really unbound and actionless, self-illuminating and spotless already. The cause of your bondage is that you are still resorting to stilling the mind. 1.15

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त्वया व्याप्तमिदं विश्वं त्वयि प्रोतं यथार्थतः।
शुद्धबुद्धस्वरूपस्त्वं मा गमः क्षुद्रचित्तताम्‌॥ १-१६॥

tvayā vyāptamidaṁ viśvaṁ tvayi protaṁ yathārthataḥ |
śuddhabuddhasvarūpastvaṁ mā gamaḥ kṣudracittatām || 1-16||

All of this is really filled by you and strung out in you, for what you consist of is pure awareness -- so don't be small-minded. 1.16

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निरपेक्षो निर्विकारो निर्भरः शीतलाशयः।
अगाधबुद्धिरक्षुब्धो भव चिन्मात्रवासनः॥ १-१७॥

nirapekṣo nirvikāro nirbharaḥ śītalāśayaḥ |
agādhabuddhirakṣubdho bhava cinmātravāsanaḥ || 1-17||

You are unconditioned and changeless, formless and immovable, unfathomable awareness, unperturbable: so hold to nothing but consciousness. 1.17

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साकारमनृतं विद्धि निराकारं तु निश्चलं।
एतत्तत्त्वोपदेशेन न पुनर्भवसंभवः॥ १-१८॥

sākāramanṛtaṁ viddhi nirākāraṁ tu niścalaṁ |
etattattvopadeśena na punarbhavasaṁbhavaḥ || 1-18||

Recognise that the apparent is unreal, while the unmanifest is abiding. Through this initiation into truth you will escape falling into unreality again. 1.18

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यथैवादर्शमध्यस्थे रूपेऽन्तः परितस्तु सः।
तथैवाऽस्मिन्‌ शरीरेऽन्तः परितः परमेश्वरः॥ १-१९॥

yathaivādarśamadhyasthe rūpe'ntaḥ paritastu saḥ |
tathaivā'smin śarīre'ntaḥ paritaḥ parameśvaraḥ || 1-19||

Just as a mirror exists everywhere both within and apart from its reflected images, so the Supreme Lord exists everywhere within and apart from this body. 1.19

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एकं सर्वगतं व्योम बहिरन्तर्यथा घटे।
नित्यं निरन्तरं ब्रह्म सर्वभूतगणे तथा॥ १-२०॥

ekaṁ sarvagataṁ vyoma bahirantaryathā ghaṭe |
nityaṁ nirantaraṁ brahma sarvabhūtagaṇe tathā || 1-20||

Just as one and the same all-pervading space exists within and without a jar, so the eternal, everlasting God exists in the totality of things. 1.20