Ashtavakra Gita chapter 11: Eight certainties

Chapter 11 of the Ashtavakra Gita, "Eight certainties", has 8 verses. Ashtavakra speaks. Eight verses, each about one who is certain of a single truth and is at peace because of it. Every verse is below in Sanskrit and in Wisdom's plain English.

All 8 verses

1. 11.1

   भावाभावविकारश्च स्वभावादिति निश्चयी ।निर्विकारो गतक्लेशः सुखेनैवोपशाम्यति ॥

   bhāvābhāvavikāraśca svabhāvāditi niścayī |nirvikāro gatakleśaḥ sukhenaivopaśāmyati ||

   Becoming, ceasing and change come from the nature of things. One who is sure of this stays unchanged, free of distress, and comes to rest with ease.

2. 11.2

   ईश्वरः सर्वनिर्माता नेहान्य इति निश्चयी ।अन्तर्गलितसर्वाशः शान्तः क्वापि न सज्जते ॥

   īśvaraḥ sarvanirmātā nehānya iti niścayī |antargalitasarvāśaḥ śāntaḥ kvāpi na sajjate ||

   'God is the maker of all, and there is none besides him here': one who is sure of this, every wish melted inside, is at peace and clings to nothing.

3. 11.3

   आपदः सम्पदः काले दैवादेवेति निश्चयी ।तृप्तः स्वस्थेन्द्रियो नित्यं न वान्छति न शोचति ॥

   āpadaḥ sampadaḥ kāle daivādeveti niścayī |tṛptaḥ svasthendriyo nityaṃ na vānchati na śocati ||

   Hard times and good times come in their season, by destiny. One who is sure of this is content, his senses at rest. He does not long and does not grieve.

4. 11.4

   सुखदुःखे जन्ममृत्यू दैवादेवेति निश्चयी ।साध्यादर्शी निरायासः कुर्वन्नपि न लिप्यते ॥

   sukhaduḥkhe janmamṛtyū daivādeveti niścayī |sādhyādarśī nirāyāsaḥ kurvannapi na lipyate ||

   Pleasure and pain, birth and death come by destiny. One who is sure of this sees nothing he must achieve, makes no strain, and is not stained even while acting.

5. 11.5Word meanings and notes

   चिन्तया जायते दुःखं नान्यथेहेति निश्चयी ।तया हीनः सुखी शान्तः सर्वत्र गलितस्पृहः ॥

   cintayā jāyate duḥkhaṃ nānyatheheti niścayī |tayā hīnaḥ sukhī śāntaḥ sarvatra galitaspṛhaḥ ||

   Sorrow is born of worry and of nothing else here. One who is sure of this is free of worry, happy, at peace, his wanting melted everywhere.

6. 11.6

   नाहं देहो न मे देहो बोधोऽहमिति निश्चयी ।कैवल्यमिव सम्प्राप्तो न स्मरत्यकृतं कृतम् ॥

   nāhaṃ deho na me deho bodho'hamiti niścayī |kaivalyamiva samprāpto na smaratyakṛtaṃ kṛtam ||

   'I am not the body, the body is not mine, I am awareness': one who is sure of this has reached something like final freedom. He does not keep count of what he did and left undone.

7. 11.7

   आब्रह्मस्तम्बपर्यन्तमहमेवेति निश्चयी ।निर्विकल्पः शुचिः शान्तः प्राप्ताप्राप्तविनिर्वृतः ॥

   ābrahmastambaparyantamahameveti niścayī |nirvikalpaḥ śuciḥ śāntaḥ prāptāprāptavinirvṛtaḥ ||

   'From Brahma down to a clump of grass, it is all I': one who is sure of this has no wavering thought, is pure and at peace, and no longer worries about what he has and lacks.

8. 11.8

   नानाश्चर्यमिदं विश्वं न किञ्चिदिति निश्चयी ।निर्वासनः स्फूर्तिमात्रो न किञ्चिदिव शाम्यति ॥

   nānāścaryamidaṃ viśvaṃ na kiñciditi niścayī |nirvāsanaḥ sphūrtimātro na kiñcidiva śāmyati ||

   This world of many wonders is nothing: one who is sure of this is free of tendencies, awareness alone, and comes to rest as if nothing were there.