Ashtavakra Gita 2.18Chapter 2, Verse 18
Ashtavakra Gita 2.18 is a verse from chapter 2 (Janaka's wonder). King Janaka speaks it to his teacher, the sage Ashtavakra. In plain English it says: "I have no bondage and no freedom. The error has ended, with nothing left to stand on. How strange: the world rests in me, and in truth it does not rest in me."
न मे बन्धोऽस्ति मोक्षो वा भ्रान्तिः शान्तो निराश्रया ।अहो मयि स्थितं विश्वं वस्तुतो न मयि स्थितम् ॥
na me bandho'sti mokṣo vā bhrāntiḥ śānto nirāśrayā |aho mayi sthitaṃ viśvaṃ vastuto na mayi sthitam ||
I have no bondage and no freedom. The error has ended, with nothing left to stand on. How strange: the world rests in me, and in truth it does not rest in me.
King Janaka, to Ashtavakra
Word meanings and a note for this verse are still being written. Read it in context on the chapter 2 page, or start with the verses in where to begin.
Chapter 2, Janaka's wonder: Janaka finds himself as awareness and bows to it in astonishment, testing the new view against the world, the body and the crowd.
Read all 25 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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