1. Chapter 1 — Instruction on Self-Realization
Verses 1–20
1.1
जनक उवाच — janaka uvāca
कथं ज्ञानमवाप्नोति कथं मुक्तिर्भविष्यति ।
वैराग्यं च कथं प्राप्तं एतद् ब्रूहि मम प्रभो ॥
kathaṃ jñānamavāpnoti kathaṃ muktirbhaviṣyati ।
vairāgyaṃ ca kathaṃ prāptaṃ etad brūhi mama prabho ॥
How can knowledge be acquired? How can liberation be attained? How is renunciation possible?—Tell me this, O Lord.
1.2
अष्टावक्र उवाच — aṣṭāvakra uvāca
मुक्तिं इच्छसि चेत्तात विषयान् विषवत्त्यज ।
क्षमार्जवदयातोषसत्यं पीयूषवद् भज ॥
muktiṃ icchasi cettāta viṣayān viṣavattyaja ।
kṣamārjavadayātoṣasatyaṃ pīyūṣavad bhaja ॥
If you aspire after liberation, my child, shun the objects of the senses as poison and seek forgiveness, sincerity, kindness, contentment and truth as nectar.
1.3
न पृथ्वी न जलं नाग्निर्न वायुर्द्यौर्न वा भवान् ।
एषां साक्षिणमात्मानं चिद्रूपं विद्धि मुक्तये ॥
na pṛthvī na jalaṃ nāgnirna vāyurdyaurna vā bhavān ।
eṣāṃ sākṣiṇamātmānaṃ cidrūpaṃ viddhi muktaye ॥
1.4
यदि देहं पृथक् कृत्य चिति विश्राम्य तिष्ठसि ।
अधुनैव सुखी शान्तो बन्धमुक्तो भविष्यसि ॥
yadi dehaṃ pṛthak kṛtya citi viśrāmya tiṣṭhasi ।
adhunaiva sukhī śānto bandhamukto bhaviṣyasi ॥
1.5
न त्वं विप्रादिको वर्णो नाश्रमी नाक्षगोचरः ।
असङ्गोऽसि निराकारो विश्वसाक्षी सुखी भव ॥
na tvaṃ viprādiko varṇo nāśramī nākṣagocaraḥ ।
asaṅgo'si nirākāro viśvasākṣī sukhī bhava ॥
1.6
धर्माधर्मौ सुखं दुःखं मानसानि न ते विभो ।
न कर्तासि न भोक्तासि मुक्त एवासि सर्वदा ॥
dharmādharmau sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ mānasāni na te vibho ।
na kartāsi na bhoktāsi mukta evāsi sarvadā ॥
1.7
एको द्रष्टासि सर्वस्य मुक्तप्रायोऽसि सर्वदा ।
अयमेव हि ते बन्धो द्रष्टारं पश्यसीतरम् ॥
eko draṣṭāsi sarvasya muktaprāyo'si sarvadā ।
ayameva hi te bandho draṣṭāraṃ paśyasītaram ॥
1.8
अहं कर्तेत्यहंमानमहाकृष्णाहिदंशितः ।
नाहं कर्तेति विश्वासामृतं पीत्वा सुखी भव ॥
ahaṃ kartetyahaṃmānamahākṛṣṇāhidaṃśitaḥ ।
nāhaṃ karteti viśvāsāmṛtaṃ pītvā sukhī bhava ॥
You are neither earth, nor water, nor fire, nor air, nor ether. In order to attain liberation, know the Self as the witness of all these and Consciousness itself,
1.9
एको विशुद्धबोधोऽहं इति निश्चयवह्निना ।
प्रज्वाल्याज्ञानगहनं वीतशोकः सुखी भव ॥
eko viśuddhabodho'haṃ iti niścayavahninā ।
prajvālyājñānagahanaṃ vītaśokaḥ sukhī bhava ॥
If you detach (yourself from) the body and rest in Intelligence, you will at once be happy, peaceful and free from bondage.
1.10
यत्र विश्वमिदं भाति कल्पितं रज्जुसर्पवत् ।
आनन्दपरमानन्दः स बोधस्त्वं सुखं भव ॥
yatra viśvamidaṃ bhāti kalpitaṃ rajjusarpavat ।
ānandaparamānandaḥ sa bodhastvaṃ sukhaṃ bhava ॥
You do not belong to the Brahmana or any other caste or to any Ashrama. You are not perceived by the eyes. Unattached, formless and witness of all are you. Be happy.
1.11
मुक्ताभिमानी मुक्तो हि बद्धो बद्धाभिमान्यपि ।
किंवदन्तीह सत्येयं या मतिः सा गतिर्भवेत् ॥
muktābhimānī mukto hi baddho baddhābhimānyapi ।
kiṃvadantīha satyeyaṃ yā matiḥ sā gatirbhavet ॥
Virtue and vice, pleasure and pain, are of the mind, not of you, O allpervading one. You are neither doer nor enjoyer. Verily you are ever free.
1.12
आत्मा साक्षी विभुः पूर्ण एको मुक्तश्चिदक्रियः ।
असंगो निःस्पृहः शान्तो भ्रमात्संसारवानिव ॥
ātmā sākṣī vibhuḥ pūrṇa eko muktaścidakriyaḥ ।
asaṃgo niḥspṛhaḥ śānto bhramātsaṃsāravāniva ॥
You are the one seer of all and really ever free. Verily this alone is your bondage that you see the seer as other than such.
1.13
कूटस्थं बोधमद्वैतमात्मानं परिभावय ।
आभासोऽहं भ्रमं मुक्त्वा भावं बाह्यमथान्तरम् ॥
kūṭasthaṃ bodhamadvaitamātmānaṃ paribhāvaya ।
ābhāso'haṃ bhramaṃ muktvā bhāvaṃ bāhyamathāntaram ॥
Do you who have been bitten by the great black serpent of the egoism “I am the doer, drink the nectar of the faith “I am not the doer, and be happy.
1.14
देहाभिमानपाशेन चिरं बद्धोऽसि पुत्रक ।
बोधोऽहं ज्ञानखड्गेन तःनिकृत्य सुखी भव ॥
dehābhimānapāśena ciraṃ baddho'si putraka ।
bodho'haṃ jñānakhaḍgena taḥnikṛtya sukhī bhava ॥
One who considers oneself free is free indeed and one who considers oneself bound remains bound. “As one thinks, so one becomes, is a popular saying in this world, which is too true.
1.15
निःसंगो निष्क्रियोऽसि त्वं स्वप्रकाशो निरंजनः ।
अयमेव हि ते बन्धः समाधिमनुतिष्ठति ॥
niḥsaṃgo niṣkriyo'si tvaṃ svaprakāśo niraṃjanaḥ ।
ayameva hi te bandhaḥ samādhimanutiṣṭhati ॥
The Self is witness, all-pervading, perfect, One, free, Intelligence, actionless, unattached, desireless and quiet. Through illusion it appears as if of the world. f One—bereft of all differentiation from like or unlike objects and all attributes.
1.16
त्वया व्याप्तमिदं विश्वं त्वयि प्रोतं यथार्थतः ।
शुद्धबुद्धस्वरूपस्त्वं मा गमः क्षुद्रचित्तताम् ॥
tvayā vyāptamidaṃ viśvaṃ tvayi protaṃ yathārthataḥ ।
śuddhabuddhasvarūpastvaṃ mā gamaḥ kṣudracittatām ॥
Meditate on the Atman as immovable, Intelligence and non-dual, having given up external and internal self-modifications and the illusion “I am the reflected self (individual soul).
1.17
निरपेक्षो निर्विकारो निर्भरः शीतलाशयः ।
अगाधबुद्धिरक्षुब्धो भव चिन्मात्रवासनः ॥
nirapekṣo nirvikāro nirbharaḥ śītalāśayaḥ ।
agādhabuddhirakṣubdho bhava cinmātravāsanaḥ ॥
My child, you have long been in the noose of body-consciousness. Sever it with the sword of the knowledge “I am Intelligence and be happy.
1.18
साकारमनृतं विद्धि निराकारं तु निश्चलं ।
एतत्तत्त्वोपदेशेन न पुनर्भवसंभवः ॥
sākāramanṛtaṃ viddhi nirākāraṃ tu niścalaṃ ।
etattattvopadeśena na punarbhavasaṃbhavaḥ ॥
You are unattached, actionless, self-effulgent and without any blemish. This indeed is your bondage that vou practise Samadhi.
1.19
यथैवादर्शमध्यस्थे रूपेऽन्तः परितस्तु सः ।
तथैवाऽस्मिन् शरीरेऽन्तः परितः परमेश्वरः ॥
yathaivādarśamadhyasthe rūpe'ntaḥ paritastu saḥ ।
tathaivā'smin śarīre'ntaḥ paritaḥ parameśvaraḥ ॥
You pervade this universe and this universe exists in you. You are really Pure Consciousness by nature. Do not be small-minded.
1.20
एकं सर्वगतं व्योम बहिरन्तर्यथा घटे ।
नित्यं निरन्तरं ब्रह्म सर्वभूतगणे तथा ॥
ekaṃ sarvagataṃ vyoma bahirantaryathā ghaṭe ।
nityaṃ nirantaraṃ brahma sarvabhūtagaṇe tathā ॥
You are unconditioned, immutable, formless, unimpassioned, of unfathomable intelligence and unperturbed. Desire for Chit alone.