Ashtavakra Gita

नाना मतं महर्षीणां साधूनां योगिनां तथा । दृष्ट्वा निर्वेदमापन्नः को न शाम्यति मानवः ॥

nānā mataṃ maharṣīṇāṃ sādhūnāṃ yogināṃ tathā dṛṣṭvā nirvedamāpannaḥ ko na śāmyati mānavaḥ

Where is that man who having observed the diversities of opinions amongst the seers, sages, and yogis, and thus becoming completely indifferent, does not … read_more

Acharya Prashant: Leaving what is not, That is all right, but that leaving is not done with an objective to get joy. Had the thing been so transactional that you could leave one thing and as an exchange offer get another thing, then everybody would have taken the deal. Were… read_more

Questioner: My question is about the relationships we share with our near ones. I find so many limitations in every relationship I have. What to do in situations where my parents do not understand me? What should I do to make them understand me?

Acharya Prashant: First of all, you… read_more

Acharya Prashant: Latha is saying, why does she get angry so often even over small matters? Especially with some people, she is unable to control anger and she says she tried to change her attitude but hasn’t been quite successful. She is saying, now, how to change myself. Because anger… read_more

Questioner: My question is, why is creativity, like poetry, dying these days? And poetry is a part of literature. And how much contribution of literature is there on the way to Adhyatma?

Acharya Prashant: See, the more you will lose touch with yourself, the more material your world will get.… read_more

Questioner: Sir, is the root here the ego? And if the ego is without any support, how can it still continue to nourish samsara (world)?

Acharya Prashant: Yes, you could say the root is the ego.

Then you are saying, “If the ego is without any support, how can it… read_more

Questioner: Acharya Ji, if the decisions that one takes in one’s life is a matter of choice, then what is Grace?

Acharya Prashant: Grace is that which is available free of cost, grace is that which comes to you unconditionally, grace is not something that you receive unconditionally. There’s many… read_more

śuddhamadvayamātmānaṁ bhāvayanti kubuddhayaḥna tu jānanti saṁmohādyāvajjīvamanirvṛtāḥ-Ashtavakra Gita(18-43)

Translation: The stupid one thinks of himself, and lives in the confusion of concepts.The wise one knows himself and lives in the joy of clarity.

Speaker: The question is: If one doesn’t meditate upon the aatman and still be redeemed, then what to… read_more

देहाभिमानपाशेन चिरं बद्धोऽसि पुत्रक । बोधोऽहं ज्ञानखंगेन तन्निष्कृत्य सुखी भव ॥

dehābhimānapāśena ciraṃ baddho'si putraka bodho'haṃ jñānakhaḍgena tanniṣkṛtya sukhī bhava

O son, you have become habitual of thinking “I am body” since long. Experience the Self and by this sword of knowledge cut that bondage and be happy.

~ Chapter … read_more

वाग्मिप्राज्ञामहोद्योगं जनं मूकजडालसम् । करोति तत्त्वबोधोऽयमतस्त्यक्तो बुभुक्षभिः ॥ १५-३॥

vāgmiprājñāmahodyogaṃ janaṃ mūkajaḍālasam । karoti tattvabodho’yamatastyakto bubhukṣabhiḥ ॥ 15-3॥

This awareness of the Truth makes an eloquent, clever and energetic man dumb, stupid and lazy, and therefore Truth is avoided by those whose aim is pleasure. || 15.3 ||

Question: Acharaya… read_more

वाग्मिप्राज्ञामहोद्योगं जनं मूकजडालसं।

करोति तत्त्वबोधोऽयम-तस्त्यक्तो बुभुक्षभिः॥ 15.३ ॥

vāgmiprājñānamahodyogaṁ janaṁ mūkajaḍālasam karoti

tattvabodho'yamatastyakto bubhukṣabhiḥ || 15.3 ||

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.

~ Ashatavakra Gita, Chapter 15, Verse 3 … read_more

शून्या दृष्टिर्वृथा चेष्टा विकलानीन्द्रियाणि च ।

न स्पृहा न विरक्तिर्वा क्षीणसंसारसागरे ॥ 17.९ ॥

śūnyā dṛṣṭirvṛthā ceṣṭā vikalānīndriyāṇi ca

na spṛhā na viraktirvā kṣīṇasaṃsārasāgare || 17.9 ||

In him for whom the ocean of samsara (world) has dried up, there is neither attachment nor aversion. His gaze is vacant, his… read_more

prakṛtyā śūnyacitto yaḥ pramādād bhāvabhāvanaḥnidrito bodhita iva kṣīṇasaṁsmaraṇo hi saḥ.

(Ashtavakra Gita 14.1)

Translation: He indeed has his recollections of worldly life extinguished – who becomes void-minded spontaneously, who thinks of sense objects only by chance, and who is, as it were, awake though physically asleep.

Question: Why is it… read_more

नाहं देहो न मे देहो बोधोऽहमिति निश्चयी।

कैवल्यं इव संप्राप्तो न स्मरत्यकृतं कृतम्॥ ११.६ ॥

nāhaṃ deho na me deho bodho'hamiti niścayī

kaivalyamiva saṃprāpto na smaratyakṛtaṃ kṛtam

Neither I am this body, nor this body is mine. I am pure knowledge. One who knows it with definiteness gets liberated in… read_more

The thought ‘I am the doer’ is the bite of the poisonous snake.

To know ‘I do nothing’ is the wisdom of faith. Be joyful .

Ashtavakra Gita

(Chapter 1, VERSE 8)

Acharya Prashant: Ashtavakra Gita has been quoted.

“The thought ‘I am the doer’ is the bite of the… read_more

आचक्ष्व शृणु वा तात नानाशास्त्राण्यनेकशः। तथापि न तव स्वास्थ्यं सर्वविस्मरणाद् ऋते॥

– अष्टावक्र गीता (अध्याय-१६ सूत्र-१)

Translation: Even after hearing from many scholars or reading many scriptures, you will not be established in self, as after forgetting every single thing.

Speaker: The question is: What does ‘forgetting’ imply?

Whatever we… read_more

समाध्यासादिविक्षिप्तौ व्यवहारः समाधये । एवं विलोक्य नियमं एवमेवाहमास्थितः ॥ १२-३॥

samādhyāsādivikṣiptau vyavahāraḥ samādhaye । evaṃ vilokya niyamaṃ evamevāhamāsthitaḥ ॥ 12-3॥

Seeing the transitions between abnormal states of incorrect perception and the meditative states as a (natural) rule,

I stay as I am. (12-3)

~ Ashtavakra Gita (Chapter-12, Verse-3)

Question: Acharya… read_more

समदुःखसुखः पूर्ण आशानैराश्ययोः समः । समजीवितमृत्युः सन्नेवमेव लयं व्रज ॥ ५-४॥

samaduḥkhasukhaḥ pūrṇa āśānairāśyayoḥ samaḥ । samajīvitamṛtyuḥ sannevameva layaṃ vraja ॥ 5-4॥

Know yourself equal in pain and in pleasure, equal in hope and in disappointment, equal in life and in death, and complete as you are, you can go … read_more

कूटस्थं बोधमद्वैतमात्मानं परिभावय । आभासोऽहं भ्रमं मुक्त्वा भावं बाह्यमथान्तरम् ॥ १-१३॥

kūṭasthaṃ bodhamadvaitamātmānaṃ paribhāvaya । ābhāso’haṃ bhramaṃ muktvā bhāvaṃ bāhyamathāntaram ॥ 1-13॥

Meditate on this: ‘I am Awareness alone, Unity itself.’ Give up the idea that you are separate, a person, that there is within and without.

~ Ashtavakra Gita … read_more

निराधारा ग्रहव्यग्रा मूढाः संसारपोषकाः । एतस्यानर्थमूलस्य मूलच्छेदः कृतो बुधैः ॥ १८ – ३८॥

nirādhārā grahavyagrā mūḍhāḥ saṃsārapoṣakāḥ । etasyānarthamūlasya mūlacchedaḥ kṛto budhaiḥ ॥ 18-38 ॥

Translation:

Without any support and eager for the attainment of freedom, the fools only keep up the world!

The wise cut at the very root … read_more

निःसंगो निष्क्रियोऽसि त्वं स्वप्रकाशो निरंजनः। अयमेव हि ते बन्धः समाधिमनुतिष्ठति॥१-१५॥

~ अष्टावक्र गीता

Translation: You are now and forever free, luminous, transparent, and still. The practice of meditation keeps one in bondage.

~ Ashtavakra Gita (Chapter 1, Verse 15)

Questioner (Q): What is meditation? Why the practice of meditation keeps… read_more

Acharya Prashant: Two excerpts are with us.

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.”

BIBLE

(JOHN 2:15)

“Prosperity, pleasure, pious deeds. Enough! In the dreary forest of the world, the mind finds no rest.” … read_more

ज्ञः सचिन्तोऽपि निश्चिन्तः सेन्द्रियोऽपि निरिन्द्रियः। सुबुद्धिरपि निर्बुद्धिः साहंकारोऽनहङ्कृतिः॥ ॥१८- ९५॥

jñaḥ sacinto’pi niścintaḥ sendriyo’pi nirindriyaḥ । subuddhirapi nirbuddhiḥ sāhaṅkāro’nahaṅkṛtiḥ ॥ 18-95॥

The realised one is free of thoughts and worries even in the middle of thoughts and worries. Is free of senses even in the middle of all sensory perception. … read_more

यदि देहं पृथक् कृत्य चिति विश्राम्य तिष्ठसि।

अधुनैव सुखी शान्तो बन्धमुक्तो भविष्यसि॥

– अष्टावक्र गीता (१.४)

Translation: If you detach yourself from the body and rest in consciousness, you will become content, peaceful and free from bondage immediately.

Question: How to detach oneself from the body?

Speaker: We remember the… read_more

Question: Ashtavakra Gita, chapter 16 verse 1:

“Son! Even if you read many scriptures many times, or you listen to them, yet you will not attain to your nature until and unless you forget all of them.”

Acharya Prashant : The mind proceeds on its spiritual pursuit, because it… read_more

सुखे दुःखे नरे नायाॆं संपत्सु विपत्सुच ।

विशेषो नैव धीरस्य सर्वत्र समदर्शिनः।।

अष्टावक्र गीता ।।१७-१५।।

For the one of still mind, for the one of equanimous vision, there is no difference between pleasure and pain, Man and woman, good luck and bad luck, circumstantial happiness and circumstantial sadness.

Ashtavakra Gita, … read_more

निर्वासनं हरिं दृष्ट्वा तूष्णीं विषयदन्तिनः ।

पलायन्ते न शक्तास्ते सेवन्ते कृतचाटवः ॥ 18.४६ ॥

nirvāsanaṃ hariṃ dṛṣṭvā tūṣṇīṃ viṣayadantinaḥ

palāyante na śaktāste sevante kṛtacāṭavaḥ

Seeing the desireless lion, the elephants of the senses silently run away, and if that is impossible, serve him like courtiers.

~ Ashtavakra Gita, Chapter 18, … read_more

Questioner (Q): Is ego pride? What is enlightenment?

Acharya Prashant (AP): Ego is the ‘I’-feeling that causes you suffering.

Pride causes you suffering, but it is not merely pride that causes you suffering: even the opposite of pride causes you suffering. Taking yourself as too big will cause suffering, but… read_more

तवैवाज्ञानतो विश्वं त्वमेकः परमार्थतः।त्वत्तोऽन्यो नास्ति संसारी नासंसारी च कश्चन॥

It is through your ignorance alone that the universe appears to exist. In reality you are the One. Other than you there is no individual self or supreme Self.

~ Ashtavakra Gita (Chapter 15, Verse 16)

Questioner: What is meant by… read_more