Chapter III: Test of Self-Realization

#	Sanskrit Original	Translation by Bart Marshall	Translation by John Richards	Translation by Swami Nityaswarupananda
3.1	अष्टावक्र उवाच। अविनाशिनमात्मानमेकं विज्ञाय तत्त्वतः। तवात्मज्ञस्य धीरस्य कथमर्थार्जने रतिः॥	Ashtavakra said: Having realized yourself as One, being serene and indestructible, why do you desire wealth?	Ashtavakra: Knowing yourself as truly one and indestructible, how could a wise man possessing self-knowledge like you feel any pleasure in acquiring wealth?	Ashtavakra said: Having known yourself as really indestructible and one, how is it that you, serene and knower of Self, feel attached to the acquisition of wealth?
3.2	आत्माज्ञानादहो प्रीतिर्विषयभ्रमगोचरे। शुक्तेरज्ञानतो लोभो यथा रजतविभ्रमे॥	Just as imagining silver in mother-of-pearl causes greed to arise, so does ignorance of Self cause desire for illusion.	Truly, when one does not know oneself, one takes pleasure in the objects of mistaken perception, just as greed arises for the mistaken silver in one who does not know mother of pearl for what it is.	Alas, as greed arises from the illusion of silver caused by the ignorance of mother-of-pearl, even so arises the attachment to the objects of illusory perception from the ignorance of the Self.
3.3	विश्वं स्फुरति यत्रेदं तरङ्गा इव सागरे। सोऽहमस्मीति विज्ञाय किं दीन इव धावसि॥	Having realized yourself as That in which the waves of the world rise and fall, why do you run around in turmoil?	All this wells up like waves in the sea. Recognising, "I am That", why run around like someone in need?	Having known yourself to be That in which the universe appears like waves on the sea, why do you run about like a miserable being?
3.4	श्रुत्वापि शुद्धचैतन्यमात्मानमतिसुन्दरम्। उपस्थेऽत्यन्तसंसक्तो मालिन्यमधिगच्छति॥	Having realized yourself as pure Awareness, as beautiful beyond description, how can you remain a slave to lust?	After hearing of oneself as pure consciousness and the supremely beautiful, is one to go on lusting after sordid sexual objects?	Even after hearing oneself to be Pure Consciousness and surpassingly beautiful, how can one be attached to lust and thus become unclean?
3.5	सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि। मुनेर्जानत आश्चर्यं ममत्वमनुवर्त्तते॥	It is strange that in a sage who has realized Self in All and All in Self this sense of ownership should continue.	When the sage has realised that he himself is in all beings, and all beings are in him, it is astonishing that the sense of individuality should be able to continue.	It is strange that the sense of ownership should continue even in the sage who has realized the Self in all and all in the Self.
3.6	आस्थितः परमाद्वैतं मोक्षार्थेऽपि व्यवस्थितः। आश्चर्यं कामवशगो विकलः केलिशिक्षया॥	Strange that one abiding in the Absolute, intent on freedom, should be vulnerable to lust and weakened by amorous pastimes.	It is astonishing that a man who has reached the supreme non-dual state and is intent on the benefits of liberation should still be subject to lust and held back by sexual activity.	Strange that abiding in the supreme non-duality and intent on liberation, one should yet be subject to lust and be unsettled by the practice of amorous pastimes!
3.7	उद्भूतं ज्ञानदुर्मित्रमवधार्यातिदुर्बलः। आश्चर्यं काममाकाङ्क्षेत् कालमन्तमनुश्रितः॥	Strange that knowing lust as an enemy of knowledge, one so weak and nearing death should still crave sensual pleasure.	It is astonishing that one already very debilitated, and knowing very well that its arousal is the enemy of knowledge should still hanker after sensuality, even when approaching his last days.	It is strange that knowing lust to be an enemy of Knowledge, one who has grown extremely weak and reached one's last days, should yet be eager for sensual enjoyment.
3.8	इहामुत्र विरक्तस्य नित्यानित्यविवेकिनः। आश्चर्यं मोक्षकामस्य मोक्षादेव विभीषिका॥	Strange that one who is unattached to the things of this world and the next, who can discriminate between the transient and the timeless, who yearns for freedom, should yet fear the dissolution of the body.	It is astonishing that one who is unattached to the things of this world or the next, who discriminates between the permanent and the impermanent, and who longs for liberation, should still be afraid of liberation.	It is strange that one who is unattached to the objects of this world and the next, who discriminates the eternal from the transient and who longs for emancipation, should fear emancipation itself.
3.9	धीरस्तु भोज्यमानोऽपि पीड्यमानोऽपि सर्वदा। आत्मानं केवलं पश्यन् न तुष्यति न कुप्यति॥	Whether acclaimed or tormented the serene sage abides in the Self. He is neither gratified nor angered.	Whether feted or tormented, the wise man is always aware of his supreme self-nature and is neither pleased nor disappointed.	But feted and feasted or tormented, the serene person ever sees the absolute Self and is thus neither gratified nor angry.
3.10	चेष्टमानं शरीरं स्वं पश्यत्यन्यशरीरवत्। संस्तवे चापि निन्दायां कथं क्षुभ्येत् महाशयः॥	A great soul witnesses his body’s actions as if they were another's. How can praise or blame disturb him?	The great souled person sees even his own body in action as if it were someone else's, so how should he be disturbed by praise or blame?	The high-souled person witnesses his own body acting as if it were another's. As such, how can he be disturbed by praise or blame?
3.11	मायामात्रमिदं विश्वं पश्यन् विगतकौतुकः। अपि सन्निहिते मृत्यौ कथं त्रस्यति धीरधीः॥	Realizing the universe is illusion, having lost all curiosity, how can one of steady mind fear death?	Seeing this world as pure illusion, and devoid of any interest in it, how should the strong-minded person feel fear, even at the approach of death?	Realizing this universe as mere illusion and losing all interest therein, how can one of steady mind fear even the approach of death?
3.12	निःस्पृहं मानसं यस्य नैराश्येऽपि महात्मनः। तस्यात्मज्ञानतृप्तस्य तुलना केन जायते॥	With whom can we compare the great soul who, content knowing Self, remains desireless in disappointment?	Who can be compared to the great-souled person whose mind is free from desire even in disappointment, and who has found satisfaction in self-knowledge?	With whom can we compare that great-souled one, contented with the knowledge of Self, who is desireless even in disappointment?
3.13	स्वभावादेव जानानो दृश्यमेतन्न किञ्चन। इदं ग्राह्यमिदं त्याज्यं स किं पश्यति धीरधीः॥	Why should a person of steady mind, who sees the nothingness of objects, prefer one thing to another?	How should a strong-minded person who knows that what he sees is by its very nature nothing, consider one thing to be grasped and another to be rejected?	Why should that steady-minded one who knows the Object to be in its very nature nothing, consider this fit to be accepted and that fit to be rejected?
3.14	अन्तस्त्यक्तकषायस्य निर्द्वन्द्वस्य निराशिषः। यदृच्छयागतो भोगो न दुःखाय न तुष्टये॥	He who is unattached, untouched by opposites, free of desire, experiences neither pleasure nor pain as events pass through.	An object of enjoyment that comes of itself is neither painful nor pleasurable for someone who has eliminated attachment, and who is free free from dualism and from desire.	He who has given up worldly attachment from his mind, who is beyond the pairs of opposites, and who is free from desire, - to him any experience coming as a matter of course does not cause either pleasure or pain.