Ashtavakra Gita 2.19Chapter 2, Verse 19
Ashtavakra Gita 2.19 is a verse from chapter 2 (Janaka's wonder). King Janaka speaks it to his teacher, the sage Ashtavakra. In plain English it says: "This world, body and all, is nothing: that is settled. The Self is pure awareness alone. So where could imagining take hold now?"
सशरीरमिदं विश्वं न किञ्चिदिति निश्चितम् ।शुद्धचिन्मात्र आत्मा च तत्कस्मिन् कल्पनाधुना ॥
saśarīramidaṃ viśvaṃ na kiñciditi niścitam |śuddhacinmātra ātmā ca tatkasmin kalpanādhunā ||
This world, body and all, is nothing: that is settled. The Self is pure awareness alone. So where could imagining take hold now?
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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