Astăvakra said :He who is content, with purified senses,
and enjoys solitude, has gained the fruit of knowledge
and the fruit of the practice of yoga too. 17.1The knower of truth is never distressed in this world,
for the whole universe is full of himself alone. 17.2None of the senses please a person who
has found satisfaction within,
just as the neen tree's leaves do not please
the elephant that likes sallaki leaves. 17.3The person who is not attached to
the things he has enjoyed, and does not hanker
after the things he has not enjoyed,
such a person is hard to find. 17.4Those who desire pleasure and
those who desire liberation are both found in this world;
the great-souled person who desires neither
pleasure nor liberation is rare indeed. 17.5It is only the broad-minded who is free from
attraction or repulsion to religion, wealth,
sensuality, and life and death too. 17.6The man of Knowledge does not feel any
desire for the dissolution of the universe,
or aversion to its existence.
thus lives happily on whatever subsistence
comes as a matter of course. 17.7Being fulfilled by the knowledge of the Self
and with his mind absorbed, and contented,
the wise one lives happily, seeing, hearing,
touching, smelling and eating. 17.8In one for whom the ocean of illusory world has dried up,
there is neither attachment or aversion.
Such a one's gaze is vacant, behaviour purposeless,
and senses never grappling. 17.9Oh! the liberated soul enjoys,
anywhere the supreme condition,
such a one remain neither awake or asleep
and keep his/hers eyes open or close. 17.10The liberated one abide in the Self
his/her heart pure, thus lives free
from all desires. 17.11Free from the efforts of Seeing, hearing,
feeling, smelling, tasting, speaking and walking about,
the great-souled person who is freed from
trying to achieve or avoid anything is free indeed. 17.12The liberated person is free from desires everywhere.
Such a one neither blames, praises, rejoices,
is disappointed, gives nor takes. 17.13When a great souled one is unperturbed in mind
and self-possessed at either the sight of a consort
eager with desire, or at fast-approaching death,
that one is truly liberated. 17.14There is no distinction between pleasure and pain,
man and woman, success and failure for the
wise person who looks on everything as equal. 17.15There is no aggression or compassion,
no pride or humility, no wonder or confusion
for the person whose days of running about are over. 17.16On that one whom is not bounded
by worldly life, who has transcended the limitations
of human nature. there is not mercy or
desire to harm, not humility nor insolence,
and not wonder or mental disturbance. 17.16The liberated one neither abhors the objects
of the senses nor craves for them.
Ever with a detached mind he enjoys them
when they comes as a matter or course. 17.17The wise one of vacant mind,
knows not of the alternatives of
contemplation and non-contemplation,
of good and evil doesn't know.
in the state of Absoluteness abide. 17.18Devoid of the feeling of " I " and " mine "
knowing for certain that nothing is,
and with all desires within extinguished
a person does not act even in acting. (*) 17.19Note: (see note 13.3)
One whose thinking mind is dissolved
achieves the indescribable state and
is free from the mental display of delusion,
dream and ignorance. 17.20Home || Introduction || Contents || I || II || III || IV || V ||
XVII True Knower.
VI || VII || VIII || IX || X || XI || XII || XIII || XIV || XV ||
XVI || XVII || XVIII a || XVIII b || XVIII c || XVIII d || XIX ||
XX ||
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