Ashtavakra Gita 17.12Chapter 17, Verse 12
Ashtavakra Gita 17.12 is a verse from chapter 17 (The one who knows). The sage Ashtavakra speaks it to King Janaka. In plain English it says: "Seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, taking, speaking, walking, free of wanting and not wanting, the great soul is free."
पश्यन् शृण्वन् स्पृशन् जिघ्रन्अश्नन् गृण्हन् वदन् व्रजन् ।ईहितानीहितैर्मुक्तो मुक्त एव महाशयः ॥
paśyan śṛṇvan spṛśan jighranaśnan gṛṇhan vadan vrajan |īhitānīhitairmukto mukta eva mahāśayaḥ ||
Seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, taking, speaking, walking, free of wanting and not wanting, the great soul is free.
Ashtavakra, to King Janaka
Word meanings and a note for this verse are still being written. Read it in context on the chapter 17 page, or start with the verses in where to begin.
Chapter 17, The one who knows: A portrait of the free person, who wants neither pleasure nor freedom and lives at ease seeing, hearing and eating.
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