Ashtavakra Gita chapter 20: Free while living

Chapter 20 of the Ashtavakra Gita, "Free while living", has 14 verses. King Janaka speaks. Janaka's last words: in his own nature there is no world, no one seeking freedom, no teacher and no teaching, and nothing rises. Every verse is below in Sanskrit and in Wisdom's plain English.

All 14 verses

1. 20.1

   क्व भूतानि क्व देहो वा क्वेन्द्रियाणि क्व वा मनः ।क्व शून्यं क्व च नैराश्यं मत्स्वरूपे निरञ्जने ॥

   kva bhūtāni kva deho vā kvendriyāṇi kva vā manaḥ |kva śūnyaṃ kva ca nairāśyaṃ matsvarūpe nirañjane ||

   Where are the elements, where is the body, where are the senses, where is the mind, where is emptiness, where is despair, in my own spotless nature?

2. 20.2

   क्व शास्त्रं क्वात्मविज्ञानं क्व वा निर्विषयं मनः ।क्व तृप्तिः क्व वितृष्णात्वं गतद्वन्द्वस्य मे सदा ॥

   kva śāstraṃ kvātmavijñānaṃ kva vā nirviṣayaṃ manaḥ |kva tṛptiḥ kva vitṛṣṇātvaṃ gatadvandvasya me sadā ||

   Where is scripture, where is knowledge of the Self, where is a mind without objects, where is contentment, where is freedom from thirst, for me who am always beyond the opposites?

3. 20.3

   क्व विद्या क्व च वाविद्या क्वाहं क्वेदं मम क्व वा ।क्व बन्ध क्व च वा मोक्षः स्वरूपस्य क्व रूपिता ॥

   kva vidyā kva ca vāvidyā kvāhaṃ kvedaṃ mama kva vā |kva bandha kva ca vā mokṣaḥ svarūpasya kva rūpitā ||

   Where is knowledge, where is not knowing, where is 'I', where is 'this', where is 'mine', where is bondage, where is freedom? How could my own nature have a form?

4. 20.4

   क्व प्रारब्धानि कर्माणि जीवन्मुक्तिरपि क्व वा ।क्व तद् विदेहकैवल्यं निर्विशेषस्य सर्वदा ॥

   kva prārabdhāni karmāṇi jīvanmuktirapi kva vā |kva tad videhakaivalyaṃ nirviśeṣasya sarvadā ||

   Where are the actions already bearing fruit, where is freedom while living, where even final freedom when the body falls, for me who am always without distinctions?

5. 20.5

   क्व कर्ता क्व च वा भोक्ता निष्क्रियं स्फुरणं क्व वा ।क्वापरोक्षं फलं वा क्व निःस्वभावस्य मे सदा ॥

   kva kartā kva ca vā bhoktā niṣkriyaṃ sphuraṇaṃ kva vā |kvāparokṣaṃ phalaṃ vā kva niḥsvabhāvasya me sadā ||

   Where is the doer, where the enjoyer, where is stillness, where is stirring, where is direct knowing, where is its fruit, for me who am always without a separate nature?

6. 20.6

   क्व लोकं क्व मुमुक्षुर्वा क्व योगी ज्ञानवान् क्व वा ।क्व बद्धः क्व च वा मुक्तः स्वस्वरूपेऽहमद्वये ॥

   kva lokaṃ kva mumukṣurvā kva yogī jñānavān kva vā |kva baddhaḥ kva ca vā muktaḥ svasvarūpe'hamadvaye ||

   Where is the world, where is the one who wants freedom, where is the yogi, where the knower, where the bound, where the free, in my own nature, which is one?

7. 20.7

   क्व सृष्टिः क्व च संहारः क्व साध्यं क्व च साधनम् ।क्व साधकः क्व सिद्धिर्वा स्वस्वरूपेऽहमद्वये ॥

   kva sṛṣṭiḥ kva ca saṃhāraḥ kva sādhyaṃ kva ca sādhanam |kva sādhakaḥ kva siddhirvā svasvarūpe'hamadvaye ||

   Where is creation, where is dissolution, where is the goal, where the means, where the one who strives, where success, in my own nature, which is one?

8. 20.8

   क्व प्रमाता प्रमाणं वा क्व प्रमेयं क्व च प्रमा ।क्व किञ्चित् क्व न किञ्चिद् वा सर्वदा विमलस्य मे ॥

   kva pramātā pramāṇaṃ vā kva prameyaṃ kva ca pramā |kva kiñcit kva na kiñcid vā sarvadā vimalasya me ||

   Where is the knower, the means of knowing, the known, or knowing itself? Where is anything, or nothing, for me who am always spotless?

9. 20.9

   क्व विक्षेपः क्व चैकाग्र्यं क्व निर्बोधः क्व मूढता ।क्व हर्षः क्व विषादो वा सर्वदा निष्क्रियस्य मे ॥

   kva vikṣepaḥ kva caikāgryaṃ kva nirbodhaḥ kva mūḍhatā |kva harṣaḥ kva viṣādo vā sarvadā niṣkriyasya me ||

   Where is distraction, where is focus, where is understanding, where is dullness, where is joy, where is sorrow, for me who am always without action?

10. 20.10

    क्व चैष व्यवहारो वा क्व च सा परमार्थता ।क्व सुखं क्व च वा दुखं निर्विमर्शस्य मे सदा ॥

    kva caiṣa vyavahāro vā kva ca sā paramārthatā |kva sukhaṃ kva ca vā dukhaṃ nirvimarśasya me sadā ||

    Where is this everyday world, where is the highest truth, where is happiness, where is sorrow, for me who am always beyond deliberation?

11. 20.11

    क्व माया क्व च संसारः क्व प्रीतिर्विरतिः क्व वा ।क्व जीवः क्व च तद्ब्रह्म सर्वदा विमलस्य मे ॥

    kva māyā kva ca saṃsāraḥ kva prītirviratiḥ kva vā |kva jīvaḥ kva ca tadbrahma sarvadā vimalasya me ||

    Where is maya, where is the world, where is liking or disliking, where is the separate self, where is that Brahman, for me who am always spotless?

12. 20.12

    क्व प्रवृत्तिर्निर्वृत्तिर्वा क्व मुक्तिः क्व च बन्धनम् ।कूटस्थनिर्विभागस्य स्वस्थस्य मम सर्वदा ॥

    kva pravṛttirnirvṛttirvā kva muktiḥ kva ca bandhanam |kūṭasthanirvibhāgasya svasthasya mama sarvadā ||

    Where is activity or rest, where is freedom or bondage, for me who am always unchanging, undivided and at home in myself?

13. 20.13

    क्वोपदेशः क्व वा शास्त्रं क्व शिष्यः क्व च वा गुरुः ।क्व चास्ति पुरुषार्थो वा निरुपाधेः शिवस्य मे ॥

    kvopadeśaḥ kva vā śāstraṃ kva śiṣyaḥ kva ca vā guruḥ |kva cāsti puruṣārtho vā nirupādheḥ śivasya me ||

    Where is instruction, where is scripture, where is the disciple, where is the guru, where is the goal of life, for me, the auspicious one, free of every limit?

14. 20.14

    क्व चास्ति क्व च वा नास्ति क्वास्ति चैकं क्व च द्वयम् ।बहुनात्र किमुक्तेन किञ्चिन्नोत्तिष्ठते मम ॥

    kva cāsti kva ca vā nāsti kvāsti caikaṃ kva ca dvayam |bahunātra kimuktena kiñcinnottiṣṭhate mama ||

    Where is being, where is not-being, where is one, where is two? What more is there to say? Nothing at all rises in me.