Ashtavakra Gita chapter 10: Quiet

Chapter 10 of the Ashtavakra Gita, "Quiet", has 8 verses. Ashtavakra speaks. Leave desire, wealth and even merit; craving is the only bond, and ending it is freedom. Every verse is below in Sanskrit and in Wisdom's plain English.

All 8 verses

1. 10.1

   विहाय वैरिणं काममर्थं चानर्थसङ्कुलम् ।धर्ममप्येतयोर्हेतुं सर्वत्रानादरं कुरु ॥

   vihāya vairiṇaṃ kāmamarthaṃ cānarthasaṅkulam |dharmamapyetayorhetuṃ sarvatrānādaraṃ kuru ||

   Leave desire, which is your enemy, and wealth, which comes tangled with harm, and even dharma, which is the cause of both. Be indifferent to all of it.

2. 10.2

   स्वप्नेन्द्रजालवत् पश्य दिनानि त्रीणि पञ्च वा ।मित्रक्षेत्रधनागारदारदायादिसम्पदः ॥

   svapnendrajālavat paśya dināni trīṇi pañca vā |mitrakṣetradhanāgāradāradāyādisampadaḥ ||

   Look on friends, land, money, houses, wife, gifts and other good fortune as a dream or a magic show lasting three or five days.

3. 10.3

   यत्र यत्र भवेत्तृष्णा संसारं विद्धि तत्र वै ।प्रौढवैराग्यमाश्रित्य वीततृष्णः सुखी भव ॥

   yatra yatra bhavettṛṣṇā saṃsāraṃ viddhi tatra vai |prauḍhavairāgyamāśritya vītatṛṣṇaḥ sukhī bhava ||

   Wherever craving arises, know that the world is there. Take up mature dispassion, let craving go, and be happy.

4. 10.4

   तृष्णामात्रात्मको बन्धस्तन्नाशो मोक्ष उच्यते ।भवासंसक्तिमात्रेण प्राप्तितुष्टिर्मुहुर्मुहुः ॥

   tṛṣṇāmātrātmako bandhastannāśo mokṣa ucyate |bhavāsaṃsaktimātreṇa prāptituṣṭirmuhurmuhuḥ ||

   Bondage is nothing but craving. Its end is called freedom. Simply by not clinging to the world, you find contentment again and again.

5. 10.5

   त्वमेकश्चेतनः शुद्धो जडं विश्वमसत्तथा ।अविद्यापि न किञ्चित्सा का बुभुत्सा तथापि ते ॥

   tvamekaścetanaḥ śuddho jaḍaṃ viśvamasattathā |avidyāpi na kiñcitsā kā bubhutsā tathāpi te ||

   You are one, aware and pure. The world is inert and unreal. Not knowing is nothing either. So what is left that you still want to know?

6. 10.6

   राज्यं सुताः कलत्राणि शरीराणि सुखानि च ।संसक्तस्यापि नष्टानि तव जन्मनि जन्मनि ॥

   rājyaṃ sutāḥ kalatrāṇi śarīrāṇi sukhāni ca |saṃsaktasyāpi naṣṭāni tava janmani janmani ||

   Kingdoms, sons, wives, bodies and pleasures: you were attached to them, and still you lost them, birth after birth.

7. 10.7

   अलमर्थेन कामेन सुकृतेनापि कर्मणा ।एभ्यः संसारकान्तारे न विश्रान्तमभून् मनः ॥

   alamarthena kāmena sukṛtenāpi karmaṇā |ebhyaḥ saṃsārakāntāre na viśrāntamabhūn manaḥ ||

   Enough of wealth, desire and even good deeds. In the thick forest of the world, the mind found no rest in them.

8. 10.8

   कृतं न कति जन्मानि कायेन मनसा गिरा ।दुःखमायासदं कर्म तदद्याप्युपरम्यताम् ॥

   kṛtaṃ na kati janmāni kāyena manasā girā |duḥkhamāyāsadaṃ karma tadadyāpyuparamyatām ||

   For how many births have you done hard and painful work with body, mind and speech? Stop now, at least today.