beautiful Verses of Sage Ashtavakran to King Janakan

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Knowing yourself as truly one and indestructible, how could a wise man

possessing self-knowledge like you feel any pleasure in acquiring wealth,

wife, and other comforts?

 

Truly, when one does not know oneself, one takes pleasure in the objects of

mistaken perception, just as greed arises for the mistaken silver in one who

does not know mother of pearl for what it is.

 

All this wells up like waves in the sea. Recognising, " I am That " ,(TAT

TWAM ASI) why run around like someone in need?

 

After hearing of oneself as pure consciousness and the supremely beautiful,

is one to go on lusting after sordid sexual objects?

 

When the sage has realised that he himself is in all beings, and all beings

are in him, it is astonishing that the sense of individuality should be able

to continue

 

It is astonishing that a man who has reached the supreme non-dual state and

is intent on the benefits of liberation should still be subject to lust and

in bondage to sexual activity.

 

It is astonishing that one already very debilitated, and knowing very well

that its arousal is the enemy of knowledge should still hanker after

sensuality, even when approaching his last days

 

It is astonishing that one who is unattached to the things of this world or

the next, who discriminates between the permanent and the impermanent, and

who longs for liberation, should still be afraid of liberation

 

Whether feted or tormented, the wise man is always aware of his supreme

self-nature and is neither pleased nor disappointed

 

The great souled person sees even his own body in action as if it were

some-one else's, so how should he be disturbed by praise or blame?

 

Seeing this world as pure illusion, and devoid of any interest in it, how

should the strong-minded person, feel fear, even at the approach of death?

 

Who can be compared to the great-souled person whose mind is free from

desire even in disappointment, and who has found satisfaction in

self-knowledge?

 

How should a strong-minded person who knows that what he sees is by its very

nature nothing, consider one thing to be grasped and another to be rejected?

 

 

 

 

An object of enjoyment that comes of itself is neither painful nor

pleasurable for someone who has eliminated attachment, and who is free from

dualism and from desire

 

 

 

The wise person of self-knowledge, playing the game of worldly enjoyment,

bears no resemblance whatever to samsara's bewildered beasts of burden.

 

 

 

Who can prevent the great-souled person who has known this whole world as

himself from living as he pleases?

 

 

 

 

 

Of all four categories of beings, from Brahma down to the last clump of

grass, only the man of knowledge is capable of eliminating desire and

aversion

 

 

 

You are not bound by anything. What does a pure person like you need to

renounce? Putting the complex organism to rest, you can find peace.

 

 

 

All this arises out of you, like a bubble out of the sea. Knowing yourself

like this to be but one, you can find peace

 

 

 

In spite of being in front of your eyes, all this, being insubstantial, does

not exist in you, spotless as you are. It is an appearance like the snake in

a rope, so you can find peace

 

 

------Sage Ashtavakran to King Janakan.

 

 

 

Krishna Prasad

 

Dare to give up the comfort of the 'known' and venture into the 'unknown'

The more we know, the more we will come to realize what we do not know.

If we want to achieve our true potential and live life to the fullest.

 

As Poojya Gurudev said it,

 

" Open your eyes. Burst your shell.

Spread your wings and fly! "

 

Swami Chinmayananda

Hate not the sinner - hate the sin; and always hate the sin even with an

excess of hatred. "