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 XX

Janaka:

1 In my unblemished nature there are no elements, no body, no faculties, no mind. There is no void and no anguish.

2 For me, free from the sense of dualism, there are no scriptures, no self-knowledge, no mind free from an object, no satisfaction and no freedom from desire.

3 There is no knowledge or ignorance, no 'me', 'this' or 'mine', no bondage, no liberation, and no property of self-nature.

4 For him who is always free from individual characteristics there is no antecedent causal action, no liberation during life, and no fulfilment at death.

5 For me, free from individuality, there is no doer and no reaper of the consequences, no cessation of action, no arising of thought, no immediate object, and no idea of results.

6 There is no world, no seeker for liberation, no yogi, no seer, no-one bound and no-one liberated. I remain in my own non-dual nature.

7 There is no emanation or return, no goal, means, seeker or achievement. I remain in my own non-dual nature.

8 For me who am forever unblemished, there is no judge, no standard, nothing to judge, and no judgement.

9 For me who am forever actionless, there is no distraction or one-pointedness of mind, no lack of understanding, no stupidity, no joy and no sorrow.

10 For me who am always free from deliberations there is neither conventional truth nor absolute truth, no happiness and no suffering.

11 For me who am forever pure there is no illusion, no samsara, no attachment or detechment, no living being and no God.

12 For me who am forever unmovable and indivisible, established in myself, there is no activity or inactivity, no liberation and no bondage.

13 For me who am blessed and without limitation, there is no initiation or scripture, no disciple or teacher, and no goal of human existence.

14 There is no being or non-being, no unity or dualism. What more is there to say? Nothing arises out of me.

Like what you read? Consider supporting this website: