Chapter XV: Knowledge of the Self

#	Sanskrit Original	Translation by Bart Marshall	Translation by John Richards	Translation by Swami Nityaswarupananda
15.1	अष्टावक्र उवाच। यथातथोपदेशेन कृतार्थः सत्त्वबुद्धिमान्। आजीवमपि जिज्ञासुः परस्तत्र विमुह्यति॥	Ashtavakra said: A man of open intuition may realize the Self upon hearing a casual instruction, while a man of cluttered intellect inquires bewildered for a lifetime.	Ashtavakra: While a man of pure intelligence may achieve the goal by the most casual of instruction[s], another may seek knowledge all his life and still remain bewildered.	Ashtavakra said: A man of Pure Intellect gains his end even by instruction casually imparted. The other is bewildered therein even after enquiring throughout life.
15.2	मोक्षो विषयवैरस्यं बन्धो वैषयिको रसः। एतावदेव विज्ञानं यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु॥	Aversion to the world's offerings is liberation. Attraction to the world's offerings is the suffering of bondage. This is the truth. Now do as you please.	Liberation is distaste for the objects of the senses. Bondage is love of the senses. This is knowledge. Now do as you please.	Distaste for sense-objects is liberation; love for sense-objects is bondage. Such verily is Knowledge. Now do as you please.
15.3	वाग्मिप्राज्ञमहोद्योगं जनं मूकजडालसम्। करोति तत्त्वबोधोऽयमतस्त्यक्तो बुभुक्षुभिः॥	This knowledge of Truth turns an eloquent, wise and active man mute, empty and inert. Lovers of the world therefore shun it.	This awareness of the truth makes an eloquent, clever and energetic man dumb, stupid and lazy, so it is avoided by those whose aim is enjoyment.	This knowledge of the Truth makes an eloquent, wise and active person mute, inert and inactive. Hence it is that it is shunned by those who want to enjoy the world.
15.4	न त्वं देहो न ते देहो भोक्ता कर्ता न वा भवान्। चिद्रूपोऽसि सदा साक्षी निरपेक्षः सुखं चर॥	You are not the body. You do not have a body. You neither do nor enjoy. You are Awareness only - the timeless Witness. You are free. Go in happiness.	You are not the body, nor is the body yours, nor are you the doer of actions or the reaper of their consequences. You are eternally pure consciousness the witness, in need of nothing - so live happily.	You are not the body, nor is the body yours, nor are you the doer or the enjoyer. You are Intelligence itself, the eternal Witness and free. Go about happily.
15.5	रागद्वेषौ मनोधर्मौ न मनस्ते कदाचन। निर्विकल्पोऽसि बोधात्मा निर्विकारः सुखं चर॥	Attachment and aversion are attributes of the mind. You are not the mind. You are Consciousness itself - changeless, undivided, free. Go in happiness.	Desire and anger are objects of the mind, but the mind is not yours, nor ever has been. You are choiceless, awareness itself and unchanging - so live happily.	Attachment and abhorrence are attributes of mind. The mind is never yours. You are free from conflict, Intelligence itself and changeless. Go about happily.
15.6	सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि। विज्ञाय निरहंकारो निर्ममस्त्वं सुखी भव॥	Realize Self in All and All in Self. Be free of personal identity and the sense of "mine". Be happy.	Recognising oneself in all beings, and all beings in oneself, be happy, free from the sense of responsibility and free from preoccupation with "me".	Realizing the Self in all and all in the Self, free from egoism and free from the sense of 'mine', be you happy.
15.7	विश्वं स्फुरति यत्रेदं तरङ्गा इव सागरे। तत्त्वमेव न सन्देहश्चिन्मूर्ते विज्वरो भव॥	You are That in which the universe appears like waves appearing in the ocean. You are Consciousness itself. No need to worry.	Your nature is the consciousness, in which the whole world wells up, like waves in the sea. That is what you are, without any doubt, so be free of disturbance.	O you Intelligence, you indeed are that in which the universe manifests itself like waves on the ocean. Be you free from fever.
15.8	श्रद्धस्व तात श्रद्धस्व नात्र मोहं कुरुष्व भोः। ज्ञानस्वरूपो भगवानात्मा त्वं प्रकृतेः परः॥	Have faith, my son, have faith. You are Awareness alone, the Self, the One. You are the Lord of Nature.	Have faith, my son, have faith. Don't let yourself be deluded in this, sir. You are yourself the Lord, whose very nature is knowledge, and are beyond natural causation.	Have faith, my son, have faith. Never delude yourself in this. You are Knowledge itself, you are the lord, you are the Self, and you are superior to Nature.
15.9	गुणैः संवेष्टितो देहस्तिष्ठत्यायाति याति च। आत्मा न गन्ता नागन्ता किमेनमनुशोचसि॥	The body is made of worldly stuff. It comes, it lingers, it goes. The Self neither comes nor goes, yet remains. Why mourn the body?	The body invested with the senses stands still, and comes and goes. You yourself neither come nor go, so why bother about them?	The body together with the organs of senses comes, stays and goes. The Self neither comes nor goes. Why do you then mourn it?
15.10	देहस्तिष्ठतु कल्पान्तं गच्छत्वद्यैव वा पुनः। क्व वृद्धिः क्व च वा हानिस्तव चिन्मात्ररूपिणः॥	If the body lasts until the end of time or perishes today - is there gain or loss for you? You who are Awareness?	Let the body last to the end of the Age, or let it come to an end right now. What have you gained or lost, who consist of pure consciousness?	Let the body last to the end of the Kalpa (cycle) or let it go even to-day. Where is there any increase or decrease in you who are Pure Intelligence?
15.11	त्वय्यनन्तमहाम्भोधौ विश्ववीचिः स्वभावतः। उदेतु वास्तमायातु न ते वृद्धिर्न वा क्षतिः॥	Let the waves of the universe rise and fall as they will. You have nothing to gain or lose. You are the ocean.	Let the world wave rise or subside according to its own nature in you, the great ocean. It is no gain or loss to you.	Let the waves of the universe rise or fall of their own accord in you who are the infinite Ocean. That means no gain or loss to you.
15.12	तात चिन्मात्ररूपोऽसि न ते भिन्नमिदं जगत्। अतः कस्य कथं कुत्र हेयोपादेयकल्पना॥	You are the substance of Consciousness. The world is You. Who is it that thinks he can accept or reject it? And where does he stand?	My son, you consist of pure consciousness, and the world is not separate from you. So who is to accept or reject it, and how, and why?	My child, you are Pure Intelligence itself. This universe is nothing different from you. Therefore who will accept and reject? And how and where would he do so?
15.13	एकस्मिन्नव्यये शान्ते चिदाकाशेऽमले त्वयि। कुतो जन्म कुतो कर्म कुतोऽहंकार एव च॥	In you who are One - immaculate, still Awareness - from where can birth, action or a separate person arise?	How can there be either birth, karma or responsibility in that one unchanging, peaceful, unblemished and infinite consciousness which is you?	Wherefrom will there be birth, action and even egoism for thee who art one, immutable, calm, the space of Intelligence and pure?
15.14	यत्त्वं पश्यसि तत्रैकस्त्वमेव प्रतिभाससे। किं पृथक् भासते स्वर्णात् कटकाङ्गदनूपुरम्॥	Whatever you perceive is You and You alone. How can bracelets, armlets and anklets be other than the gold they are made of?	Whatever you see, it is you alone manifest in it. How could bracelets, armlets and anklets be different from the gold they are made of?	In whatever you perceive you alone appear. Do bracelets, armlets and anklets appear different from gold?
15.15	अयं सोऽहमयं नाहं विभागमिति सन्त्यज। सर्वमात्मेति निश्चित्य निःसङ्कल्पः सुखी भव॥	Leave behind such distinctions as "I am He, the Self", and "I am not this". Consider everything Self. Be desireless. Be happy.	Giving up such distinctions as "He is what I am", and "I am not that", recognise that "Everything is myself", and be without distinction and happy.	Completely give up such distinctions as 'I am He' and 'I am not this'. Consider all as the Self and be desireless and happy.
15.16	तवैवाज्ञानतो विश्वं त्वमेकः परमार्थतः। त्वत्तोऽन्यो नास्ति संसारी नासंसारी च कश्चन॥	Your ignorance alone creates the universe. In reality One alone exists. There is no person or god other than You.	It is through your ignorance that all this exists. In reality you alone exist. Apart from you there is no one within or beyond samsara.	It is verily through your ignorance that the universe exists. In reality you alone are. There is no Jiva or Ishwara other than you.
15.17	भ्रान्तिमात्रमिदं विश्वं न किञ्चिदिति निश्चयी। निर्वासनः स्फूर्तिमात्रो न किञ्चिदिव शाम्यति॥	One who knows for certain that the universe is illusion, a no-thing, becomes desireless, pure Awareness, and finds peace in the existence of nothing.	Knowing that all this is an illusion, one becomes free of desire, pure receptivity and at peace, as if nothing existed.	One who knows for certain that this universe is but an illusion and a nothing, becomes desireless and Pure Intelligence, and finds peace as if nothing exists.
15.18	एक एव भवाम्भोधावासीदस्ति भविष्यति। न ते बन्धोऽस्ति मोक्षो वा कृतकृत्यः सुखं चर॥	In the ocean of existence only One is, was, and ever will be. You are neither bound nor free. Live content and be happy.	Only one thing has existed, exists and will exist in the ocean of being. You have no bondage or liberation. Live happily and fulfilled.	In the ocean of the world One only was, is and will be. You have neither bondage nor liberation. Live contented and happy.
15.19	मा सङ्कल्पविकल्पाभ्यां चित्तं क्षोभय चिन्मय। उपशाम्य सुखं तिष्ठ स्वात्मन्यानन्दविग्रहे॥	Do not stir the mind with "yes" or "no". You are pure Consciousness. Be still, and abide in the bliss of Self.	Being pure consciousness, do not disturb your mind with thoughts of for and against. Be at peace and remain happily in yourself, the essence of joy.	O Pure Intelligence, do not disturb your mind with affirmation and negation. Be calm and abide happily in your own self which is Bliss itself.
15.20	त्यजैव ध्यानं सर्वत्र मा किञ्चिद्धृदि धारय। आत्मा त्वं मुक्त एवासि किं विमृश्य करिष्यसि॥	Give up completely all contemplation. Hold nothing in the mind or heart. You are the Self, forever free. Of what use is thinking to you?	Give up meditation completely but don't let the mind hold on to anything. You are free by nature, so what will you achieve by forcing the mind?	Completely give up even contemplation and hold nothing in your mind. You are verily the Self and therefore free. What will you do by thinking?