Ashtavakra Gita chapter 3: The test

Chapter 3 of the Ashtavakra Gita, "The test", has 14 verses. Ashtavakra speaks. Ashtavakra tests the king: if you know the Self, why do greed, desire and fear of freedom still move you? Every verse is below in Sanskrit and in Wisdom's plain English.

All 14 verses

1. 3.1

   अविनाशिनमात्मानमेकं विज्ञाय तत्त्वतः ।तवात्मज्ञानस्य धीरस्य कथमर्थार्जने रतिः ॥

   avināśinamātmānamekaṃ vijñāya tattvataḥ |tavātmajñānasya dhīrasya kathamarthārjane ratiḥ ||

   You have known the Self as one and indestructible, as it is. You know the Self and you are steady. How can you still take pleasure in piling up wealth?

2. 3.2

   आत्माज्ञानादहो प्रीतिर्विषयभ्रमगोचरे ।शुक्तेरज्ञानतो लोभो यथा रजतविभ्रमे ॥

   ātmājñānādaho prītirviṣayabhramagocare |śukterajñānato lobho yathā rajatavibhrame ||

   How strange. Love for objects, which are a mistake, comes from not knowing the Self, as greed for silver springs up when a shell is not known for a shell.

3. 3.3

   विश्वं स्फुरति यत्रेदं तरङ्गा इव सागरे ।सोऽहमस्मीति विज्ञाय किं दीन इव धावसि ॥

   viśvaṃ sphurati yatredaṃ taraṅgā iva sāgare |so'hamasmīti vijñāya kiṃ dīna iva dhāvasi ||

   You have known 'I am that in which the world rises like waves in the sea'. Why do you run about like someone poor?

4. 3.4

   श्रुत्वापि शुद्धचैतन्य आत्मानमतिसुन्दरम् ।उपस्थेऽत्यन्तसंसक्तो मालिन्यमधिगच्छति ॥

   śrutvāpi śuddhacaitanya ātmānamatisundaram |upasthe'tyantasaṃsakto mālinyamadhigacchati ||

   Even after hearing that the Self is pure awareness and lovely beyond words, a person gripped by sexual craving grows clouded.

5. 3.5

   सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि ।मुनेर्जानत आश्चर्यं ममत्वमनुवर्तते ॥

   sarvabhūteṣu cātmānaṃ sarvabhūtāni cātmani |munerjānata āścaryaṃ mamatvamanuvartate ||

   The sage knows the Self in every being and every being in the Self. It is strange that the sense of 'mine' still goes on in him.

6. 3.6

   आस्थितः परमाद्वैतं मोक्षार्थेऽपि व्यवस्थितः ।आश्चर्यं कामवशगो विकलः केलिशिक्षया ॥

   āsthitaḥ paramādvaitaṃ mokṣārthe'pi vyavasthitaḥ |āścaryaṃ kāmavaśago vikalaḥ keliśikṣayā ||

   Settled in the highest non-duality and set on freedom, he still falls under desire and is shaken by old habits of pleasure. That is strange.

7. 3.7

   उद्भूतं ज्ञानदुर्मित्रमवधार्यातिदुर्बलः ।आश्चर्यं काममाकाङ्क्षेत् कालमन्तमनुश्रितः ॥

   udbhūtaṃ jñānadurmitramavadhāryātidurbalaḥ |āścaryaṃ kāmamākāṅkṣet kālamantamanuśritaḥ ||

   He knows desire is the enemy of knowledge, he is weak, his last days are near, and still he longs for pleasure. That is strange.

8. 3.8

   इहामुत्र विरक्तस्य नित्यानित्यविवेकिनः ।आश्चर्यं मोक्षकामस्य मोक्षाद् एव विभीषिका ॥

   ihāmutra viraktasya nityānityavivekinaḥ |āścaryaṃ mokṣakāmasya mokṣād eva vibhīṣikā ||

   He has turned from this world and the next, he can tell the lasting from the passing, he wants freedom, and yet he is afraid of freedom itself. That is strange.

9. 3.9

   धीरस्तु भोज्यमानोऽपि पीड्यमानोऽपि सर्वदा ।आत्मानं केवलं पश्यन् न तुष्यति न कुप्यति ॥

   dhīrastu bhojyamāno'pi pīḍyamāno'pi sarvadā |ātmānaṃ kevalaṃ paśyan na tuṣyati na kupyati ||

   Whether fed with pleasures or tormented, the steady one sees only the Self and is neither pleased nor angry.

10. 3.10

    चेष्टमानं शरीरं स्वं पश्यत्यन्यशरीरवत् ।संस्तवे चापि निन्दायां कथं क्षुभ्येत् महाशयः ॥

    ceṣṭamānaṃ śarīraṃ svaṃ paśyatyanyaśarīravat |saṃstave cāpi nindāyāṃ kathaṃ kṣubhyet mahāśayaḥ ||

    He watches his own body acting as if it were someone else's. Praised or blamed, how could such a large-hearted person be shaken?

11. 3.11

    मायामात्रमिदं विश्वं पश्यन् विगतकौतुकः ।अपि सन्निहिते मृत्यौ कथं त्रस्यति धीरधीः ॥

    māyāmātramidaṃ viśvaṃ paśyan vigatakautukaḥ |api sannihite mṛtyau kathaṃ trasyati dhīradhīḥ ||

    He sees this world as mere appearance and has lost all curiosity about it. How could the steady one be afraid, even when death is close?

12. 3.12

    निःस्पृहं मानसं यस्य नैराश्येऽपि महात्मनः ।तस्यात्मज्ञानतृप्तस्य तुलना केन जायते ॥

    niḥspṛhaṃ mānasaṃ yasya nairāśye'pi mahātmanaḥ |tasyātmajñānatṛptasya tulanā kena jāyate ||

    The great one's mind wants nothing, even when nothing is left to hope for. Content in knowing the Self, with whom can he be compared?

13. 3.13

    स्वभावाद् एव जानानो दृश्यमेतन्न किञ्चन ।इदं ग्राह्यमिदं त्याज्यं स किं पश्यति धीरधीः ॥

    svabhāvād eva jānāno dṛśyametanna kiñcana |idaṃ grāhyamidaṃ tyājyaṃ sa kiṃ paśyati dhīradhīḥ ||

    Knowing by nature that what is seen is nothing, how would the steady one look at things as 'this to take' and 'this to throw away'?

14. 3.14

    अन्तस्त्यक्तकषायस्य निर्द्वन्द्वस्य निराशिषः ।यदृच्छयागतो भोगो न दुःखाय न तुष्टये ॥

    antastyaktakaṣāyasya nirdvandvasya nirāśiṣaḥ |yadṛcchayāgato bhogo na duḥkhāya na tuṣṭaye ||

    For one who has dropped inner impurities, who is free of opposites and of wishes, a pleasure that comes on its own brings neither pain nor delight.