ASTAVAKRA SAMHITA

Liberation-in-Life

Janaka said —
1. Where are the elements, where is the body, where are the organs, and where is
the mind; where is the void; where, too, is despair for me who am taintless by
nature?

2. Where are the scriptures, where is knowledge of the Self, where is the mind
not attached to sense-objects, where is contentment, and where is desirelessness for
me who am ever devoid of the sense of duality?

3. Where is knowledge and where is ignorance; where is “I”, where is “this”,
and where is “mine”; where is bondage and where is liberation? Where is an
attribute to the nature of my self?

4. Where are prarabdha karmas, where is liberation-in-life, and where is even
liberation-at-death for me, the ever undifferentiated?

5. Where is the doer or enjoyer, where is cessation of thought or the rising of
thought, where is direct knowledge or reflected knowledge, for me who am ever
Impersonal?

6. Where is the world and where is the aspirant for liberation; where is the
contemplative man and where is the man of Knowledge, where is the soul in
bondage and where is the liberated soul for me who am non-dual by nature?

7. Where are creation and destruction; where is the end and where the means;
where are seeker and success for me abiding in my non-dual nature?

8. Where is the knower, the means to knowledge, the object of knowledge or
knowledge itself; where is anything, and where is nothing for me who am ever pure?

9. Where is distraction, where is concentration; where is knowledge, where is
delusion; where is joy and where is sorrow for me who am ever actionless?

10. Where is relativity, where is transcendence; where is happiness or misery for
me who am ever beyond any discursive thought?

11. Where is illusion, where is the world; where is attachment or detachment;
where is jiva or Brahman for me, who am ever pure?

12. Where is activity, where is inactivity; where is liberation or bondage for me
who am ever immutable and indivisible, and established in the Self?

13. Where are instruction and scriptural injunction, where is the disciple and
where is the preceptor; where, indeed, is the object of life for me who am absolute
good and free from limitation?

14. Where is existence, where is non-existence; where is unity, where is duality?
What need is there to say more? Nothing emanates from me.