Ashtavakra Gita : Part 4

This is from chapter 7, 8, 9 and 10 of Ashtavakra Gita. Once again, only selected slokas :). Therefore, chapter 7 has been completely omitted. Loved chapter 8, so included whole of it. Chapter 8, talks about the characteristics of bondage and liberation. Slokas are very clear, simple and beautifully, expressed.

Chapter 9 is also beautiful. Especially 9.6 and 9.8. In 9.6 he talks about who is a guru. Its interesting because, its ashtavakra's opinion on the concept of Guru, and as always he is blunt and direct. 9.7 talks about bhoota.  and could lead to an interesting discussion on bhoota shuddhi but some other time. 9.8 is true beauty :). He uses the word vaasana twice. I might talk about this concept of Vaasana, later in some post. The translator though chooses to interpret 'vaasna' as desire.

10.1 read the last phrase as respect everything( सर्वत्रादरं कुरु), Though the translator is also right in his own way.  Btw, as I have said earlier, a translation of the source has its limits, more so when you talk about something which is, "so to speak", beyond human understanding. But in case if you want me translate or bring out some sloka more explicitly, just drop a comment and I will do the needful. I am using the wikisource for sanskrit text and the translation is the by same person, i.e. Jhon Richards.

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तदा बन्धो यदा चित्तं किन्चिद् वांछति शोचति।
किंचिन् मुंचति गृण्हाति किंचिद् दृष्यति कुप्यति॥८- १॥
Bondage is when the mind longs for something, grieves about something, rejects something, holds on to something, is pleased about something or displeased about something. 8.1

तदा मुक्तिर्यदा चित्तं न वांछति न शोचति।
न मुंचति न गृण्हाति न हृष्यति न कुप्यति॥८- २॥
Liberation is when the mind does not long for anything, grieve about anything, reject anything, or hold on to anything, and is not pleased about anything or displeased about anything. 8.2

तदा बन्धो यदा चित्तं सक्तं काश्वपि दृष्टिषु।
तदा मोक्षो यदा चित्तमसक्तं सर्वदृष्टिषु॥८- ३॥
Bondage is when the mind is tangled in one of the senses, and liberation is when the mind is not tangled in any of the senses. 8.3

यदा नाहं तदा मोक्षो यदाहं बन्धनं तदा।
मत्वेति हेलया किंचिन्मा गृहाण विमुंच मा॥८- ४॥
When there is no "me," that is liberation, and when there is "me" there is bondage. Consider this carefully, and neither hold on to anything nor reject anything. 8.

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कस्यापि तात धन्यस्य लोकचेष्टावलोकनात्।
जीवितेच्छा बुभुक्षा च बुभुत्सोपशमः गताः॥९- २॥
Rare indeed, my son, is the lucky man whose observation of the world's behaviour has led to the extinction of his thirst for living, thirst for pleasure, and thirst for knowledge. 9.2

कृत्वा मूर्तिपरिज्ञानं चैतन्यस्य न किं गुरुः।
निर्वेदसमतायुक्त्या यस्तारयति संसृतेः॥९- ६॥
Is he not a guru who, endowed with dispassion and equanimity, achieves full knowledge of the nature of consciousness, and leads others out of samsara? 9.6

पश्य भूतविकारांस्त्वं भूतमात्रान् यथार्थतः।
तत्क्षणाद् बन्धनिर्मुक्तः स्वरूपस्थो भविष्यसि॥९- ७॥
If you would just see the transformations of the elements as nothing more than the elements, then you would immediately be freed from all bonds and established in your own nature. 9.7

वासना एव संसार इति सर्वा विमुंच ताः।
तत्त्यागो वासनात्यागात्स्थितिरद्य यथा तथा॥९- ८॥
One's desires are samsara. Knowing this, abandon them. The renunciation of them is the renunciation of it. Now you can remain as you are. 9.8

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विहाय वैरिणं काममर्थं चानर्थसंकुलं।
धर्ममप्येतयोर्हेतुं सर्वत्रादरं कुरु॥१०- १॥
Abandon desire, the enemy, along with gain, itself so full of loss, and the good deeds which are the cause of the other two -- practice indifference to everything. 10.1

त्वमेकश्चेतनः शुद्धो जडं विश्वमसत्तथा।
अविद्यापि न किंचित्सा का बुभुत्सा तथापि ते॥१०- ५॥
You are one, conscious and pure, while all this is inert non-being. Ignorance itself is nothing, so what is the point of wanting to understand? 10.5