2. Chapter 2 — Joy of Self-Realization
Verses 1–25
2.1
जनक उवाच — janaka uvāca
अहो निरंजनः शान्तो बोधोऽहं प्रकृतेः परः ।
एतावन्तमहं कालं मोहेनैव विडंबितः ॥
aho niraṃjanaḥ śānto bodho'haṃ prakṛteḥ paraḥ ।
etāvantamahaṃ kālaṃ mohenaiva viḍaṃbitaḥ ॥
O, I am spotless, tranquil, Pure Consciousness and beyond Nature. All this time I have been duped by illusion.
2.2
यथा प्रकाशयाम्येको देहमेनं तथा जगत् ।
अतो मम जगत्सर्वमथवा न च किंचन ॥
yathā prakāśayāmyeko dehamenaṃ tathā jagat ।
ato mama jagatsarvamathavā na ca kiṃcana ॥
As I alone reveal this body, even so do I reveal this universe. Therefore mine is all this universe, or verily nothing is mine.
2.3
स शरीरमहो विश्वं परित्यज्य मयाधुना ।
कुतश्चित् कौशलाद् एव परमात्मा विलोक्यते ॥
sa śarīramaho viśvaṃ parityajya mayādhunā ।
kutaścit kauśalād eva paramātmā vilokyate ॥
2.4
यथा न तोयतो भिन्नास्तरंगाः फेनबुद्बुदाः ।
आत्मनो न तथा भिन्नं विश्वमात्मविनिर्गतम् ॥
yathā na toyato bhinnāstaraṃgāḥ phenabudbudāḥ ।
ātmano na tathā bhinnaṃ viśvamātmavinirgatam ॥
2.5
तन्तुमात्रो भवेद् एव पटो यद्वद् विचारितः ।
आत्मतन्मात्रमेवेदं तद्वद् विश्वं विचारितम् ॥
tantumātro bhaved eva paṭo yadvad vicāritaḥ ।
ātmatanmātramevedaṃ tadvad viśvaṃ vicāritam ॥
2.6
यथैवेक्षुरसे क्लृप्ता तेन व्याप्तैव शर्करा ।
तथा विश्वं मयि क्लृप्तं मया व्याप्तं निरन्तरम् ॥
yathaivekṣurase klṛptā tena vyāptaiva śarkarā ।
tathā viśvaṃ mayi klṛptaṃ mayā vyāptaṃ nirantaram ॥
2.7
आत्मज्ञानाज्जगद् भाति आत्मज्ञानान्न भासते ।
रज्ज्वज्ञानादहिर्भाति तज्ज्ञानाद् भासते न हि ॥
ātmajñānājjagad bhāti ātmajñānānna bhāsate ।
rajjvajñānādahirbhāti tajjñānād bhāsate na hi ॥
2.8
प्रकाशो मे निजं रूपं नातिरिक्तोऽस्म्यहं ततः ।
यदा प्रकाशते विश्वं तदाहं भास एव हि ॥
prakāśo me nijaṃ rūpaṃ nātirikto'smyahaṃ tataḥ ।
yadā prakāśate viśvaṃ tadāhaṃ bhāsa eva hi ॥
QO, having renounced the universe along with the body, I am now perceiving
2.9
अहो विकल्पितं विश्वमज्ञानान्मयि भासते ।
रूप्यं शुक्तौ फणी रज्जौ वारि सूर्यकरे यथा ॥
aho vikalpitaṃ viśvamajñānānmayi bhāsate ।
rūpyaṃ śuktau phaṇī rajjau vāri sūryakare yathā ॥
As waves, foam and bubbles are not different from water, even so the universe emanating from the Self is not different from it.
2.10
मत्तो विनिर्गतं विश्वं मय्येव लयमेष्यति ।
मृदि कुंभो जले वीचिः कनके कटकं यथा ॥
matto vinirgataṃ viśvaṃ mayyeva layameṣyati ।
mṛdi kuṃbho jale vīciḥ kanake kaṭakaṃ yathā ॥
As cloth when analysed is found to be nothing but thread, even so this universe, duly considered, is nothing but the Self.
2.11
अहो अहं नमो मह्यं विनाशो यस्य नास्ति मे ।
ब्रह्मादिस्तंबपर्यन्तं जगन्नाशोऽपि तिष्ठतः ॥
aho ahaṃ namo mahyaṃ vināśo yasya nāsti me ।
brahmādistaṃbaparyantaṃ jagannāśo'pi tiṣṭhataḥ ॥
Just as sugar generated in sugarcane juice is wholly pervaded by it (juice), even so the universe produced in me is permeated by me through and through.
2.12
अहो अहं नमो मह्यं एकोऽहं देहवानपि ।
क्वचिन्न गन्ता नागन्ता व्याप्य विश्वमवस्थितः ॥
aho ahaṃ namo mahyaṃ eko'haṃ dehavānapi ।
kvacinna gantā nāgantā vyāpya viśvamavasthitaḥ ॥
The world appears from the ignorance of the Self and disappears with the knowledge of the Self, even as the snake appears from the non-cognition of the rope and disappears with its recognition.
2.13
अहो अहं नमो मह्यं दक्षो नास्तीह मत्समः ।
असंस्पृश्य शरीरेण येन विश्वं चिरं धृतम् ॥
aho ahaṃ namo mahyaṃ dakṣo nāstīha matsamaḥ ।
asaṃspṛśya śarīreṇa yena viśvaṃ ciraṃ dhṛtam ॥
Light is my very nature and I am no other than that. When the universe manifests itself verily then it is I that shine.
2.14
अहो अहं नमो मह्यं यस्य मे नास्ति किंचन ।
अथवा यस्य मे सर्वं यद् वाङ्मनसगोचरम् ॥
aho ahaṃ namo mahyaṃ yasya me nāsti kiṃcana ।
athavā yasya me sarvaṃ yad vāṅmanasagocaram ॥
O, the universe appears in me being conceived through ignorance, even as silver appears in the mother-of-pearl, snake in the rope and water in the sunbeam.
2.15
ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं तथा ज्ञाता त्रितयं नास्ति वास्तवं ।
अज्ञानाद् भाति यत्रेदं सोऽहमस्मि निरंजनः ॥
jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ tathā jñātā tritayaṃ nāsti vāstavaṃ ।
ajñānād bhāti yatredaṃ so'hamasmi niraṃjanaḥ ॥
Just as a jug dissolves into earth, a wave into water or a bracelet into gold, even so the universe which has emanated from me will dissolve into me.
2.16
द्वैतमूलमहो दुःखं नान्यत्तस्याऽस्ति भेषजं ।
दृश्यमेतन् मृषा सर्वं एकोऽहं चिद्रसोमलः ॥
dvaitamūlamaho duḥkhaṃ nānyattasyā'sti bheṣajaṃ ।
dṛśyametan mṛṣā sarvaṃ eko'haṃ cidrasomalaḥ ॥
Wonderful am I! Adoration to myself who know no decay and survive even the destruction of the world from Brahma down to the clump of grass.
2.17
बोधमात्रोऽहमज्ञानाद् उपाधिः कल्पितो मया ।
एवं विमृशतो नित्यं निर्विकल्पे स्थितिर्मम ॥
bodhamātro'hamajñānād upādhiḥ kalpito mayā ।
evaṃ vimṛśato nityaṃ nirvikalpe sthitirmama ॥
Wonderful am I! Adoration to myself who, though with a body am one, who neither go anywhere nor come 24 ASHTAVAKRA SAMBITA from anywhere but abide pervading the universe.
2.18
न मे बन्धोऽस्ति मोक्षो वा भ्रान्तिः शान्तो निराश्रया ।
अहो मयि स्थितं विश्वं वस्तुतो न मयि स्थितम् ॥
na me bandho'sti mokṣo vā bhrāntiḥ śānto nirāśrayā ।
aho mayi sthitaṃ viśvaṃ vastuto na mayi sthitam ॥
Wonderful am I! Adoration to myself! There is none so capable as I, who am bearing the universe for all eternity without touching it with the body.
2.19
सशरीरमिदं विश्वं न किंचिदिति निश्चितं ।
शुद्धचिन्मात्र आत्मा च तत्कस्मिन् कल्पनाधुना ॥
saśarīramidaṃ viśvaṃ na kiṃciditi niścitaṃ ।
śuddhacinmātra ātmā ca tatkasmin kalpanādhunā ॥
Wonderful am I! Adoration to myself who have nothing or have all that is thought and spoken of.
2.20
शरीरं स्वर्गनरकौ बन्धमोक्षौ भयं तथा ।
कल्पनामात्रमेवैतत् किं मे कार्यं चिदात्मनः ॥
śarīraṃ svarganarakau bandhamokṣau bhayaṃ tathā ।
kalpanāmātramevaitat kiṃ me kāryaṃ cidātmanaḥ ॥
Knowledge, knower and knowable—these three do not in reality exist. I am that stainless (Self) in which this triad appears through ignorance.
2.21
अहो जनसमूहेऽपि न द्वैतं पश्यतो मम ।
अरण्यमिव संवृत्तं क्व रतिं करवाण्यहम् ॥
aho janasamūhe'pi na dvaitaṃ paśyato mama ।
araṇyamiva saṃvṛttaṃ kva ratiṃ karavāṇyaham ॥
Oh, duality is the root of misery. There is no other remedy for it except the realization that all opjects of experience are false and that I am one and pure, intelligence and bliss.
2.22
नाहं देहो न मे देहो जीवो नाहमहं हि चित् ।
अयमेव हि मे बन्ध आसीद्या जीविते स्पृहा ॥
nāhaṃ deho na me deho jīvo nāhamahaṃ hi cit ।
ayameva hi me bandha āsīdyā jīvite spṛhā ॥
Iam Pure Intelligence. Through ignorance I have imposed limitation (upon myself). Constantly reflecting in this way, I am abiding in the Absolute.
2.23
अहो भुवनकल्लोलैर्विचित्रैर्द्राक् समुत्थितं ।
मय्यनंतमहांभोधौ चित्तवाते समुद्यते ॥
aho bhuvanakallolairvicitrairdrāk samutthitaṃ ।
mayyanaṃtamahāṃbhodhau cittavāte samudyate ॥
I have neither bondage nor freedom. The illusion having lost its support has ceased. Oh, the universe, though existing in me, does not in reality SO exist.
2.24
मय्यनंतमहांभोधौ चित्तवाते प्रशाम्यति ।
अभाग्याज्जीववणिजो जगत्पोतो विनश्वरः ॥
mayyanaṃtamahāṃbhodhau cittavāte praśāmyati ।
abhāgyājjīvavaṇijo jagatpoto vinaśvaraḥ ॥
I have known for certain that the body and the universe are nothing and that the Self is only Pure consciousness. So on which now can imagination be possible?
2.25
मय्यनन्तमहांभोधावाश्चर्यं जीववीचयः ।
उद्यन्ति घ्नन्ति खेलन्ति प्रविशन्ति स्वभावतः ॥
mayyanantamahāṃbhodhāvāścaryaṃ jīvavīcayaḥ ।
udyanti ghnanti khelanti praviśanti svabhāvataḥ ॥
Body, heaven and hell, bondage and freedom, as also fear, all these are mere imagination. What have I to do with all these—I whose nature is Chit?