Ashtavakra Gita – Chapter 13

अकिंचनभवं स्वास्थं कौपीनत्वेऽपि दुर्लभम् ।
त्यागादाने विहायास्मादहमासे यथासुखम् ॥ १३-१॥
akiṁcanabhavaṁ svāsthaṁ kaupīnatvē:’pi durlabham |
tyāgādānē vihāyāsmādahamāsē yathāsukham || 13-1||

अकिंचनभवम् स्वास्थम् कौपीनत्वे अपि दुर्लभम् । त्यागादाने विहाय अस्मात् अहम् आसे यथासुखम् ॥ १३-१॥
अकिंचनभवम् (अकिंचन-without anything भवम्-born, arising from)-born of consciousness that nothing else exists स्वास्थम्-wellness, composure कौपीनत्वे- in the state of wearing just a loin cloth अपि-also दुर्लभम्-hard to attain त्यागादाने (त्याग-renunciation आदाने-accepence)- ideas of renunciation and accepence विहाय-giving up अस्मात्- therefore अहम्-I आसे-live यथासुखम् (यथा-thus सुखम्-happy)-a true happiness

The tranquility that that springs forth from the consciousness that there is nothing except the self is indeed rare. Such profound peace is not found even in a yogi who has renounced everything but his loin cloth. Threfore, by giving up the ideas of renunciation and acceptance I am here established in myself.

अकिंचनभवम् स्वास्थम् कौपीनत्वे अपि दुर्लभम् –The peace that springs from realizing that nothing exists except self, surpasses the exreme peace that is obtained after relinquishing every possession except the loin cloth just to cover the modesty. स्वास्थम् means wellness, satisfaction, peace and tranquillity. Ownership and desire cause attachment of the ego. That is why in Vanaprastha Ashrama all possessions are relinquished. Swastha means being established in ‘swa’ or self. It is a perfect state of eternal self. It is uncaused natural state. It is not a property or product like obtaining good health, beauty or wealth. It is not प्राप्त सुख or acquired happiness. It is स्वभाव सुख or inherent ternal happiness.
Even the barest minimum ownership of a loin cloth is a cause of attachment.

त्यागादाने विहाय अस्मात् अहम् आसे यथासुखम् – Threfore, by giving up the ideas of renunciation and acceptance I am here established in myself. Relinquishment and acceptance are in the domain of mind. A very high state of spiritual life is indicated here. The yogi lives as a self.

Ch. 13 Sh.2
कुत्रापि खेदः कायस्य जिह्वा कुत्रापि खेद्यते ।
मनः कुत्रापि तत्त्यक्त्वा पुरुषार्थे स्थितः सुखम् ॥ १३-२॥

कुत्र अपि खेदः कायस्य जिह्वा कुत्र अपि खेद्यते ।
मनः कुत्र अपि तत् त्यक्त्वा पुरुषार्थे स्थितः सुखम् ॥ १३-२॥

कुत्र-somwhere अपि- or other खेदः-distress कायस्य-of the body जिह्वा-of the tongue कुत्र-somewhre अपि-or other खेद्यते-gets fatigued मनः-mind कुत्र-somewhere अपि-or other तत्-tat त्यक्त्वा-renouncing पुरुषार्थे (पुरुष-human-अर्थे-in the goal)-in life’s goal स्थितः-established सुखम्-in true happiness अस्मि-I am

The body is strained by practices. The tongue tires of scripture. The mind numbs with meditation. Detached from all this, I live as I am.

कुत्र अपि कायस्य खेदः कुत्र अपि जिह्वायै खेदः मनः कुत्र अपि खेद्यते –
there is weariness of the body by practice of sadhanas like विवेक, वैरग्य, शमादि षट्कसम्पत्तिः (disrcimination, dispassion, desire for liberation and four-fold discipline- 4 D’s). There is distress in the tongue by study of scripures and saying japa. The mind is exhausted with meditation for self-realization.
तत् त्यक्त्वा पुरुषार्थे स्थितः सुखम् –Renouncing all the weariness of the body tounge and mind, Sir, I am here living in true happiness in my own self.

Ch. 13 Sh.3
कृतं किमपि नैव स्याद् इति सन्ञ्चित्य तत्त्वतः ।
यदा यत्कर्तुमायाति तत् कृत्वासे यथासुखम् ॥ १३-३॥
kr̥taṁ kimapi naiva syād iti sanñcitya tattvataḥ |
yadā yatkartumāyāti tat kr̥tvāsē yathāsukham || 13-3||

कृतम् किम् अपि न एव स्यात् इति सन्ञ्चित्य तत्त्वतः ।
यदा यत् कर्तुम् आयाति तत् क्रुत्वा आसे यथासुखम् ॥ १३-३॥

कृतम्-done by the self किमपि (किम्-anything अपि- what ever) nothing whatever न-not एव-certainly स्यात्-can be इति-thus सन्ञ्चित्य -understading, thinking fully तत्त्वतः-in reality यदा=when यत्-what कर्तुम्- to do आयाति-comes तत्-that क्रुत्वा-having done आसे-I live यथासुखम् (यथा-thus सुखम्-happy)-in true happiness

Fully realizing that nothing whatsoever is really done by the Self, I do “whatever” presents itself to be done and live happily.

कृतम् किम् अपि न एव स्यात् इति सन्ञ्चित्य तत्त्वतः – Realizing the fact that nothing is done by the self. Then who does all the work and accomplishments of the humanity? It is the body and mind accompanied by ego. There can be no accomplishement claimed by any one. Self is beyond all the human endeavours. He is unattached.
यदा यत् कर्तुम् आयाति तत् क्रुत्वा आसे यथासुखम् – I do “what ever” presents itself to be done and live happily. When any thing is to be done, it just gets done by the body and mind.

Ch. 13 Sh.4
कर्मनैष्कर्म्यनिर्बन्धभावा देहस्थयोगिनः ।
संयोगायोगविरहादहमासे यथासुखम् ॥ १३-४॥

karmanaiṣkarmyanirbandhabhāvā dēhasthayōginaḥ |
saṁyōgāyōgavirahādahamāsē yathāsukham || 13-4||

कर्मनैष्कर्म्यनिर्बन्धभावाः देहस्थयोगिनः संयोगायोगविरहात् अहम् आसे यथासुखम् ॥ १३-४॥

कर्मनैष्कर्म्यनिर्बन्धभावाः(कर्म-action नैष्कर्म्य-inaction निर्बन्ध-restriction भावाः-becoming)- the ideas of action or inaction देहस्थयोगिनः(देह-body स्थ-standing in)-the yogis who are attached to the body संयोगायोगविरहात् (संयोग-divorced from association अयोग-disassociation विरहात्-divorced from)-divorced from association and dissociation अहम्-I आसे-live यथासुखम्- (यथा-thus सुखम्-happy) in true happiness

Yogis who preach either action or inaction are still attached to the body. I neither dissociate nor associate with any of that and am happy.

कर्मनैष्कर्म्यनिर्बन्धभावाः देहस्थयोगिनः –The yogis who are attached to the body advocate action or inaction. Prescrioption of action and inaction apply only to those who have देहाभिमान or attachment to the body. For one who is beyond body consciousness these are meaningless. Swami Nityasvarupananda says, “so long as the body idea is not completely released from the mind, I.e not realized the self, the rules regarding
नित्य कर्म, नैमित्तिक कर्म and निशिद्ध कर्म have to be followed. When the self is realized such rules have no meaning.
संयोगायोगविरहात् अहम् आसे यथासुखम् – I live in true happiness free from association or disassociation with the body. For a realized person association with the body is quite voluntary and under control.
Ch. 13 Sh.5

अर्थानर्थौ न मे स्थित्या वा गत्या न शयनेन वा ।
तिष्ठन् गच्छन् स्वपन् तस्मादहमासे यथासुखम् ॥ १३-५॥

arthānarthau na mē sthityā vā gatyā na śayanēna vā |
tiṣṭhan gacchan svapan tasmādahamāsē yathāsukham || 13-5||

अर्थ अनर्थौ न मे स्थित्या वा गत्या न शयनेन वा तिष्ठन् गच्छन् स्वपन् तस्मात् अहम् आसे यथासुखम् ॥ १३-५॥

अर्थानर्थौ –(अर्थ-gain अनर्थौ-or loss) good or evil न-not मे -my स्थित्या-by staying गत्या-by going न-not शयनेन-by lying down वा-or तिष्ठन्-staying गच्छन्-going स्वपन्-sleeping तस्मात्-so अहम्-I आसे-live यथासुखम्-in true happiness

I have nothing to gain or lose by standing, walking or sleeping. So, whether I stand, walk or sleep, I live in true happiness

अर्थ अनर्थौ न मे स्थित्या वा गत्या न शयनेन वा तिष्ठन् गच्छन् स्वपन्- No good or evil can be associated with my standing, walking or sleeping. Standing, sleeping walking are representatives of action. Good or evil are products of the action of the body and mind. The results of the action affect the person who is attached to body and mind. But in the case of a yogi, he has no association with body and mind. So, any result of the action that may accrue has no bearing upon him. He is neither happy nor sad about such results. He stays neutral; just indifferent to them.
तस्मात् अहम् आसे यथासुखम्- So, I live happily for ever.

Ch. 13 Sh.6

स्वपतो नास्ति मे हानिः सिद्धिर्यत्नवतो न वा ।
नाशोल्लासौ विहायास्मदहमासे यथासुखम् ॥ १३-६॥
svapatō nāsti mē hāniḥ siddhiryatnavatō na vā |
nāśōllāsau vihāyāsmadahamāsē yathāsukham || 13-6||

स्वपतः अस्ति न मे हानिः सिद्धिः यत्नवतः न वा नाशोल्लासौ विहाय अस्मात् अहम् असे यथासुखम् ॥ १३-६॥
स्वपतः-by sleeping अस्ति-exists न-not मे-to me हानिः-loss सिद्धिः-success, achievement यत्नवतः-by striving न-not वा-or नाशोल्लासौ- (नाशः-destruction उल्लासः-delight, splendour) loss or delight विहाय-from abandoning अस्मात्-thus अहम्-I असे-live यथासुखम्-in true happiness.
I do not lose anything by sleeping nor attain by effort. Not thinking in terms of loss or gain I live in true happiness
स्वपतः अस्ति न मे हानिः –I do not lose anything by sleeping. sleeping refers to inactiveness.
यत्नवतः न मे अस्ति सिद्धिः – I do not gain success or achievement by effort.
न वा न मे नाशोल्लासौ अस्ति – neither do I undergo loss or delight by striving (by effort). Loss refers to loss of pleasure on account of failure to acquire my object of desire. उल्लासः delight or splendour comes by effort. I am non-challant to them. I am indifferent to worldy things.
विहाय अस्मात् अहम् असे यथासुखम् – Giving up the ideas of gain and loss, here I am living in true happiness.
Ch. 13 Sh.7
सुखादिरूपा नियमं भावेष्वालोक्य भूरिशः ।
शुभाशुभे विहायास्मादहमासे यथासुखम् ॥ १३-७॥
sukhādirūpā niyamaṁ bhāvēṣvālōkya bhūriśaḥ |
śubhāśubhē vihāyāsmādahamāsē yathāsukham || 13-7||

सुखादिरूप नियमम् भावेषु आलोक्य भूरिशः शुभा अशुभे विहाय तस्मात् अहम् आसे यथासुखम्

सुखादिरूप (सुख-pleasure आदि-and so on रूप-forms, appearences)- fluctuations in pleasure and pain नियमम्-restrictions, limitations भावेषु-in their occurences आलोक्य-having observed भूरिशः-again and again, repeatedly शुभा-good अशुभे- and evil विहाय-having abandoned तस्मात्- so अहम्-I आसे-live यथासुखम्- in true happiness.

Having repeatedly observed the fluctuations in the form of pleadure and pain in life, I have renounced good and evil and here I live in true happiness.

सुखादिरूप नियमम् भावेषु आलोक्य भूरिशः –having observed again and again the fluctuations of plesre and pain
शुभा अशुभे विहाय तस्मात् अहम् आसे यथासुखम् – I have enounced the actions of good and evil and here I am living in true happiness.
An ordinary man is convinced that good resuts follow good action and bad results follow evil actions. A good man indulges in good action for his future happiness. An evil man also persues his wayward actions because he feels that it gives him immediate result. In short both of them indulge in action to get happiness.
Appearenc of happiness and so on are limited to certain circumstances and action. The pleasure and happiness are fleeting in nature and do not give us security and safety because they themselves have no permanent standing.
Observing this fact time and again, I have given up all judgements of good and evil because such thoughts are in the domain of mind. Transceding the mind, I have therefore given up the thoughts of good and evil and here I live in my true happiness.