Ashtavakra Gita
Song of Ashtavakra
by Ashtavakra | 1994 | 8,560 words
The Ashtavakra Gita (अष्टावक्रगीता; aṣṭāvakragītā) or the 'Song of Ashtavakra' is a classical Advaita Vedanta scripture. Ashtavakra Gita (or 'Ashtavakra Samhita') is a dialogue between Ashtavakra and Janaka (king of Mithila) on the nature of soul, reality and bondage. It offers an extremely radical version of non-dualistic philosophy. The Gita ins...
Chapter IV
Ashtavakra:
1 Certainly the wise person of self-knowledge, playing the game of worldly enjoyment, bears no resemblance whatever to the world's bewildered beasts of burden.
2 Truly the yogi feels no excitement even at being established in that state which all the Devas from Indra down yearn for disconsolately.
3 He who has known That is untouched within by good deeds or bad, just as the sky is not touched by smoke, however much it may appear to be.
4 Who can prevent the great-souled person who has known this whole world as himself from living as he pleases?
5 Of all four categories of beings, from Brahma down to the last clump of grass, only the man of knowledge is capable of eliminating desire and aversion.
6 Rare is the man who knows himself as the undivided Lord of the world, and no fear occurs to him who knows this from anything.