Ashtavakra Gita chapter 7: The ship on the ocean

Chapter 7 of the Ashtavakra Gita, "The ship on the ocean", has 5 verses. King Janaka speaks. Janaka watches the world drift like a ship on the ocean of awareness, and feels no need to steer it. Every verse is below in Sanskrit and in Wisdom's plain English.

All 5 verses

1. 7.1Word meanings and notes

   मय्यनन्तमहाम्भोधौ विश्वपोत इतस्ततः ।भ्रमति स्वान्तवातेन न ममास्त्यसहिष्णुता ॥

   mayyanantamahāmbhodhau viśvapota itastataḥ |bhramati svāntavātena na mamāstyasahiṣṇutā ||

   In me, the endless ocean, the ship of the world drifts here and there, driven by its own wind. I am not troubled by it.

2. 7.2

   मय्यनन्तमहाम्भोधौ जगद्वीचिः स्वभावतः ।उदेतु वास्तमायातु न मे वृद्धिर्न च क्षतिः ॥

   mayyanantamahāmbhodhau jagadvīciḥ svabhāvataḥ |udetu vāstamāyātu na me vṛddhirna ca kṣatiḥ ||

   In me, the endless ocean, the wave of the world rises or sinks by its own nature. I neither grow nor shrink.

3. 7.3

   मय्यनन्तमहाम्भोधौ विश्वं नाम विकल्पना ।अतिशान्तो निराकार एतदेवाहमास्थितः ॥

   mayyanantamahāmbhodhau viśvaṃ nāma vikalpanā |atiśānto nirākāra etadevāhamāsthitaḥ ||

   In me, the endless ocean, the world is only imagined. I am at complete peace and without form. In this alone I rest.

4. 7.4

   नात्मा भावेषु नो भावस्तत्रानन्ते निरञ्जने ।इत्यसक्तोऽस्पृहः शान्त एतदेवाहमास्थितः ॥

   nātmā bhāveṣu no bhāvastatrānante nirañjane |ityasakto'spṛhaḥ śānta etadevāhamāsthitaḥ ||

   The Self is not in objects, and no object is in the Self, which is endless and spotless. So I am unattached, without craving, at peace. In this alone I rest.

5. 7.5

   अहो चिन्मात्रमेवाहमिन्द्रजालोपमं जगत् ।इति मम कथं कुत्र हेयोपादेयकल्पना ॥

   aho cinmātramevāhamindrajālopamaṃ jagat |iti mama kathaṃ kutra heyopādeyakalpanā ||

   How strange. I am awareness alone, and the world is like a magic show. So how, and where, could I imagine anything to reject or accept?