Ashtavakra Gita 17.4Chapter 17, Verse 4
Ashtavakra Gita 17.4 is a verse from chapter 17 (The one who knows). The sage Ashtavakra speaks it to King Janaka. In plain English it says: "One who does not dwell on pleasures he has had and does not long for those he has not had: such a person is rare."
यस्तु भोगेषु भुक्तेषु न भवत्यधिवासितः ।अभुक्तेषु निराकाङ्क्षी तदृशो भवदुर्लभः ॥
yastu bhogeṣu bhukteṣu na bhavatyadhivāsitaḥ |abhukteṣu nirākāṅkṣī tadṛśo bhavadurlabhaḥ ||
One who does not dwell on pleasures he has had and does not long for those he has not had: such a person is rare.
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.
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