Third Chapter


Ashtavakra says: Know self as indestructible and one. How could a wise man having self-knowledge can like acquiring wealth?  1

Not knowing self leads to attachment in false sense objects just as mistakenly understanding mother of pearl as silver invokes greed. 2

This world originates from self like waves from the sea. Recognizing, "I am That", why run like a poor? 3

After hearing self to be pure, conscious and very beautiful, how can you be attracted to sexual objects and get impure? 4

For a sage who knows himself to be is in all beings and all beings in him, retaining attachment is surprising! 5

For the one aspiring for highest non-dual Lord and fully aware of the meaning of liberation, subjugation to desires is surprising. 6

For a person having reached his last time, incapable of enjoying and knowing it to be enemy of the gained knowledge, it is surprising to be after sexual desires. 7

Surprise, unattached to this and the other world, those who can discriminate between the permanent and the impermanent, and wish to liberate are afraid of liberation. 8

The wise who always see self only, are neither pleased nor get angry whether they are feted or tormented. 9

How can noble men be perturbed by praise or blame who see their bodies alike to others.  10

Devoid of any questions, seeing this world as imagined in Maya, how can one with resolute intelligence be fearful of even the incident death? 11

Who can be compared to the saint, free from desires even in disappointment and satisfied with the knowledge of self? 12

Know this world to be visible due to its very nature, it is non-existent actually. How can a person with resolute intelligence discriminate things as to be taken or to be rejected? 13

One who has given up inner passions, is beyond doubts and is without any desires does not feel pain or pleasure due to random events. 14