Chapter 3 ॥ तृतीमोऽध्याम्॥

अष्टावक्र उवाच ॥
अतवनातशनभात्मान ं एकं तवऻाम तत्त्वत् ।
तवात्मऻानस्य धीयस्य कथभथाजभ नभ ेयतत् ॥ ३-१॥
aṣṭāvakra uvāca
avināśinamātmānaṁ ekaṁ vijñāya tattvataḥ
tavātmajñānasya dhīrasya kathamarthārjane ratiḥ
Ashtavakra: Knowing yourself as truly one and indestructible,
how could a wise man possessing self-knowledge like you feel
any pleasure in acquiring wealth?
आत्माऻानादहो प्रीतततवषभ मभ्रभगोचय े ।
शिु ेयऻानतो रोबो मथा यजततवभ्रभ े॥ ३-२॥
ātmājñānādaho prītirviṣayabhramagocare
śukterajñānato lobho yathā rajatavibhrame

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.
तवश्व ंस्फुयतत मत्रदे ं तयङ्गा इव सागय े ।
सोऽहभिीतत तवऻाम तकं दीन इव धावतस ॥ ३-३॥
viśvaṁ sphurati yatredaṁ taraṅgā iva sāgare
so'hamasmīti vijñāya kiṁ dīna iva dhāvasi
All this wells up like waves in the sea. Recognising, "I am That",
why run around like someone in need?
श्रत्वु ातऩ शिु चतै न्य आत्मानभततसन्दु यं ।
उऩस्थऽे त्यन्तससं िो भातरन्यभतधगच्छतत ॥ ३-४॥
śrutvāpi śuddhacaitanya ātmānamatisundaram
upasthe'tyantasaṁsakto mālinyamadhigacchati
After hearing of oneself as pure consciousness and the supremely
beautiful, is one to go on lusting after sordid sexual objects?

सवबभ तू षे ुचात्मान ं सवबभ तू ातन चात्मतन ।
भनु जे ानभ त आश्चम ं भभत्वभनवु ततभ े॥ ३-५॥
sarvabhūteṣu cātmānaṁ sarvabhūtāni cātmani
munerjānata āścaryaṁ mamatvamanuvartate
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.
आतस्थत् ऩयभाद्वैतं भोऺाथेऽतऩ व्यवतस्थत् ।
आश्चमं काभवशगो तवकर् केतरतशऺमा ॥ ३-६॥
āsthitaḥ paramādvaitaṁ mokṣārthe'pi vyavasthitaḥ
āścaryaṁ kāmavaśago vikalaḥ keliśikṣayā
It is astonishing that a man who has reached the supreme nondual
state and is intent on the benefits of liberation should still be
subject to lust and held back by sexual activity.
उद्भूत ं ऻानदुतभत्रभ भवधामातभतदुफरभ ् ।
आश्चम ं काभभाकाङ्क्षेत क् ारभन्तभनतुश्रत् ॥ ३-७॥

udbhūtaṁ jñānadurmitramavadhāryātidurbalaḥ
āścaryaṁ kāmamākāṅkṣet kālamantamanuśritaḥ
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.
इहाभत्रु तवयिस्य तनत्यातनत्यतववते कन् ।
आश्चम ं भोऺकाभस्य भोऺाद ्एव तवबीतषका ॥ ३-८॥
ihāmutra viraktasya nityānityavivekinaḥ
āścaryaṁ mokṣakāmasya mokṣād eva vibhīṣikā
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.
धीयस्त ुबोज्यभानोऽतऩ ऩीड्यभानोऽतऩ सवदभ ा ।
आत्मान ं केवरं ऩश्मन न् तष्यु तत न कुप्यतत ॥ ३-९॥
dhīrastu bhojyamāno'pi pīḍyamāno'pi sarvadā
ātmānaṁ kevalaṁ paśyan na tuṣyati na kupyati

Whether feted or tormented, the wise man is always aware of his
supreme self-nature and is neither pleased nor disappointed.
चष्टे भान ं शयीयं स्व ं ऩश्मत्यन्यशयीयवत ।्
सस्तं व े चातऩ तनन्दामा ं कथ ं ऺभ्यु ते भ् हाशम् ॥३-१०॥
ceṣṭamānaṁ śarīraṁ svaṁ paśyatyanyaśarīravat
saṁstave cāpi nindāyāṁ kathaṁ kṣubhyet mahāśayaḥ
The great souled person sees even his own body in action as if it
were some-one else's, so how should he be disturbed by praise or
blame?
भामाभात्रतभद ं तवश्व ं ऩश्मन त्वगतकौतकु ् ।
अतऩ सतन्नतहत े भत्यृ ौ कथ ं त्रस्यतत धीयधी् ॥ ३-११॥
māyāmātramidaṁ viśvaṁ paśyan vigatakautukaḥ
api sannihite mṛtyau kathaṁ trasyati dhīradhīḥ
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?

तन्स्पहृ ं भानस ं मस्य नयै ाश्मऽे तऩ भहात्मन् ।
तस्यात्मऻानतप्तृ स्य तरु ना केन जामत े॥ ३-१२॥
niḥspṛhaṁ mānasaṁ yasya nairāśye'pi mahātmanaḥ
tasyātmajñānatṛptasya tulanā kena jāyate
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?
स्वबावाद ्एव जानानो दृश्मभते न्न तकंचन ।
इदं ग्राह्यतभदं त्याज्यं स तकं ऩश्मतत धीयधी् ॥ ३-१३॥
svabhāvād eva jānāno dṛśyametanna kiṁcana
idaṁ grāhyamidaṁ tyājyaṁ sa kiṁ paśyati dhīradhīḥ
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?
अंतस्त्यिकषामस्य तनद्वभन्द्वस्य तनयातशष् ।
मदृच्छमागतो बोगो न दु्खाम न तष्टु म े॥ ३-१४॥

aṁtastyaktakaṣāyasya nirdvandvasya nirāśiṣaḥ
yadṛcchayāgato bhogo na duḥkhāya na tuṣṭaye
An object of enjoyment that comes of itself is neither painful nor
pleasurable for someone who has eliminated attachment, and
who is free from dualism and from desire.