Ashtavakra Gita Verse 15.10
देहस्तिष्ठतु कल्पान्तं गच्छत्वद्यैव वा पुनः। क्व वृद्धिः क्व च वा हानिस्तव चिन्मात्ररूपिणः॥१०॥
Where is growth, where is decay for you, who are of the nature of Pure Consciousness? || 10 ||
- The speaker of this Verse is the Sage Ashtavakra, who is instructing King Janaka on the nature of the Self and the Supreme Reality. He is telling him that he is not the body, the mind, or the senses, but the Pure Awareness that witnesses them all. He is urging him to realize his true identity as Brahman, the absolute and infinite existence-consciousness-bliss.
- The question that Ashtavakra poses to Janaka is rhetorical and implies a negative answer. He is saying that there is no growth or decay for the Self, which is beyond time, space, and causation. The Self does not change or perish with the changes and perishing of the body and the world. It is ever the same, eternal, and immutable.
- The implication of this Verse is that one who knows oneself as Pure Consciousness is free from all attachment, fear, sorrow, and delusion. One who abides in the Self is not affected by the dualities of life, such as pleasure and pain, gain and loss, honor and dishonor. One who sees oneself as Brahman sees everything as Brahman and attains peace and bliss.
Similar verses from Vedic texts that convey the same message are:
- Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 2, verse 20):
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः । अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥
He is never born nor dies at any time; nor does he come into Being again when he is created.
He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.
- Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (Chapter 1, Section 3, Verse 28):
असतो मा सद्गमय ।
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।
मृत्योर्मामृतं गमय ॥
Lead me from the unreal to the Real.
Lead me from darkness to light.
Lead me from death to immortality.
- Isha Upanishad (Verse 1):
पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते |
पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ||
That is whole, this is whole.
From that whole, this whole came.
From that whole, this whole removed; what remains is whole.
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