Ashtavakra Gita 3.13Chapter 3, Verse 13
Ashtavakra Gita 3.13 is a verse from chapter 3 (The test). The sage Ashtavakra speaks it to King Janaka. In plain English it says: "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'?"
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'?
Ashtavakra, to King Janaka
Word meanings and a note for this verse are still being written. Read it in context on the chapter 3 page, or start with the verses in where to begin.
Chapter 3, The test: Ashtavakra tests the king: if you know the Self, why do greed, desire and fear of freedom still move you?
Read all 14 verses in this chapter →Seven mornings of short readings from the Bhagavad Gita, chosen for what you're going through, by email.
Send my week