Ashtavakra Gita 15.17Chapter 15, Verse 17
Ashtavakra Gita 15.17 is a verse from chapter 15 (What you are). The sage Ashtavakra speaks it to King Janaka. In plain English it says: "'This world is only an error, it is nothing': one who is sure of this is free of tendencies, awareness alone, and comes to rest as if nothing were there."
भ्रान्तिमात्रमिदं विश्वं न किञ्चिदिति निश्चयी ।निर्वासनः स्फूर्तिमात्रो न किञ्चिदिव शाम्यति ॥
bhrāntimātramidaṃ viśvaṃ na kiñciditi niścayī |nirvāsanaḥ sphūrtimātro na kiñcidiva śāmyati ||
'This world is only an error, it is nothing': one who is sure of this is free of tendencies, awareness alone, and comes to rest as if nothing were there.
Ashtavakra, to King Janaka
Word meanings and a note for this verse are still being written. Read it in context on the chapter 15 page, or start with the verses in where to begin.
Chapter 15, What you are: Ashtavakra's second long teaching: you are awareness, the world is waves on your ocean, so move about at ease.
Read all 20 verses in this chapter →Seven mornings of short readings from the Bhagavad Gita, chosen for what you're going through, by email.
Send my week