Chapter-15, Verse 12

Ashtavakra Gita Verse 15.12

तात चिन्मात्ररूपोऽसि न ते भिन्नमिदं जगत् ।

अतः कस्य कथं कुत्र हेयोपादेयकल्पना ॥ १२ ॥

My son, you are of the nature of Pure Consciousness, and this world is not different from you.

Therefore, for whom, how, and where is the notion of acceptance or rejection? || 12 ||

- The speaker, Ashtavakra, is a sage who instructs his disciple, Janaka, the king of Mithila, on the essence of non-dualism or Advaita Vedanta. Here he addresses Janaka as his son, indicating his affection and compassion for him.

- Ashtavakra tells Janaka that he is not the body, mind, or ego, but the Pure Consciousness that is the substratum of all existence as the Self. He is the Witness of all phenomena, but not affected by them. He is the Self, or Atman, that is identical with the Supreme Reality, or Brahman.

- Ashtavakra also tells Janaka that the world, which appears as a multiplicity of names and forms, is not separate from him, but a manifestation of his own Consciousness. The world is not Real in the absolute sense, but only a projection of his ignorance, or Maya. He is the creator, sustainer, and destroyer of the world, but also transcends it.

- Ashtavakra then asks Janaka a rhetorical question: for whom, how, and where is the notion of acceptance or rejection? He implies that there is no one else apart from him, no other way of being, and no other place to go. He is the only Reality, and everything else is an illusion. He has nothing to gain or lose, nothing to accept or reject, nothing to do or avoid. He is free, peaceful, and blissful.

Similar verses from other Vedic texts are:

- अहं ब्रह्मास्मि (Aham Brahmasmi) - I am Brahman. (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10)

- तत्त्वमसि (Tat Tvam Asi) - That thou art. (Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7)

- अयमात्मा ब्रह्म (Ayam Atma Brahma) - This Self is Brahman. (Mandukya Upanishad 1.2)