16. Chapter 16 — Special Instruction

16.1

अष्टावक्र उवाच — aṣṭāvakra uvāca

आचक्ष्व शृणु वा तात नानाशास्त्राण्यनेकशः ।
तथापि न तव स्वास्थ्यं सर्वविस्मरणाद् ऋते ॥

ācakṣva śṛṇu vā tāta nānāśāstrāṇyanekaśaḥ ।
tathāpi na tava svāsthyaṃ sarvavismaraṇād ṛte ॥

My child, you may often speak upon various scriptures or hear them. But you cannot be established in the Self unless you forget ali.

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16.2

भोगं कर्म समाधिं वा कुरु विज्ञ तथापि ते ।
चित्तं निरस्तसर्वाशमत्यर्थं रोचयिष्यति ॥

bhogaṃ karma samādhiṃ vā kuru vijña tathāpi te ।
cittaṃ nirastasarvāśamatyarthaṃ rocayiṣyati ॥

O Sage, you may enjoy, or work, or practise mental concentration. But your mind will still yearn for That which is beyond all objects and in which all desires are extinguished.

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16.3

आयासात्सकलो दुःखी नैनं जानाति कश्चन ।
अनेनैवोपदेशेन धन्यः प्राप्नोति निर्वृतिम् ॥

āyāsātsakalo duḥkhī nainaṃ jānāti kaścana ।
anenaivopadeśena dhanyaḥ prāpnoti nirvṛtim ॥

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16.4

व्यापारे खिद्यते यस्तु निमेषोन्मेषयोरपि ।
तस्यालस्य धुरीणस्य सुखं नन्यस्य कस्यचित् ॥

vyāpāre khidyate yastu nimeṣonmeṣayorapi ।
tasyālasya dhurīṇasya sukhaṃ nanyasya kasyacit ॥

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16.5

इदं कृतमिदं नेति द्वंद्वैर्मुक्तं यदा मनः ।
धर्मार्थकाममोक्षेषु निरपेक्षं तदा भवेत् ॥

idaṃ kṛtamidaṃ neti dvaṃdvairmuktaṃ yadā manaḥ ।
dharmārthakāmamokṣeṣu nirapekṣaṃ tadā bhavet ॥

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16.6

विरक्तो विषयद्वेष्टा रागी विषयलोलुपः ।
ग्रहमोक्षविहीनस्तु न विरक्तो न रागवान् ॥

virakto viṣayadveṣṭā rāgī viṣayalolupaḥ ।
grahamokṣavihīnastu na virakto na rāgavān ॥

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16.7

हेयोपादेयता तावत्संसारविटपांकुरः ।
स्पृहा जीवति यावद् वै निर्विचारदशास्पदम् ॥

heyopādeyatā tāvatsaṃsāraviṭapāṃkuraḥ ।
spṛhā jīvati yāvad vai nirvicāradaśāspadam ॥

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16.8

प्रवृत्तौ जायते रागो निर्वृत्तौ द्वेष एव हि ।
निर्द्वन्द्वो बालवद् धीमान् एवमेव व्यवस्थितः ॥

pravṛttau jāyate rāgo nirvṛttau dveṣa eva hi ।
nirdvandvo bālavad dhīmān evameva vyavasthitaḥ ॥

All are unhappy because they exert themselves. But none knows this. The blessed one attains emancipation through this very instruction.

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16.9

हातुमिच्छति संसारं रागी दुःखजिहासया ।
वीतरागो हि निर्दुःखस्तस्मिन्नपि न खिद्यति ॥

hātumicchati saṃsāraṃ rāgī duḥkhajihāsayā ।
vītarāgo hi nirduḥkhastasminnapi na khidyati ॥

Happiness belongs to that master idler to whom even the closing and opening of eyelids is an affliction, to none else.

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16.10

यस्याभिमानो मोक्षेऽपि देहेऽपि ममता तथा ।
न च ज्ञानी न वा योगी केवलं दुःखभागसौ ॥

yasyābhimāno mokṣe'pi dehe'pi mamatā tathā ।
na ca jñānī na vā yogī kevalaṃ duḥkhabhāgasau ॥

When the mind is free from such pairs of opposites as ‘this is done and ‘this is not done, it becomes indifferent to religious merit, worldly prosperity, sensual enjoyment and liberation.

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16.11

हरो यद्युपदेष्टा ते हरिः कमलजोऽपि वा ।
तथापि न तव स्वाथ्यं सर्वविस्मरणादृते ॥

haro yadyupadeṣṭā te hariḥ kamalajo'pi vā ।
tathāpi na tava svāthyaṃ sarvavismaraṇādṛte ॥

One who abhors the sense-objects, becomes non-attached, and one who covets them, becomes attached to them. But he who does not accept or reject, is neither unattached nor attached.