Chapter-15, Verse 5

Ashtavakra Gita Verse 15.5

रागद्वेषौ मनोधर्मौ न मनस्ते कदाचन ।

निर्विकल्पोऽसि बोधात्मा निर्विकारः सुखं चर ॥ ५ ॥

Desire and aversion are attributes of the mind, but the mind is never yours at any time.

You are the Pure Consciousness, the essence of Knowledge, free from any modification. Live happily.

This verse teaches the principle of non-duality (advaita) by negating the reality of the mind and its modifications. The mind is the source of bondage and suffering, as it creates a sense of duality and separation between the self and the world. The mind is also subject to desire and aversion, which are the causes of attachment and repulsion, respectively. These emotions disturb the peace and happiness of the self, which is essentially blissful and serene.

However, the verse asserts that the mind is not one's True Nature, nor does it belong to one at any time. The mind is an instrument that appears and disappears in the presence of Consciousness, which is one's Real identity. Consciousness is not affected by the mind or its modifications, just as the sun is not affected by the clouds or their movements. Consciousness is Pure, unchanging, and self-luminous, unlike the mind, which is impure, changing, and dependent on other sources of light.

Therefore, the verse advises one to live happily by realizing one's True Nature as Consciousness, and not identifying with the mind or its attributes. By doing so, one transcends the duality of desire and aversion, and attains liberation from bondage and suffering. One lives in harmony with oneself and the world, without any conflict or agitation.

Some Vedic texts that convey a similar message as the Ashtavakra Gita Verse 15.5 are:

- The Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 15, Verse 5:

निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषा अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः ।

द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसंज्ञै- र्गच्छन्त्यमूढा: पदमव्ययं तत् ॥ ५ ॥

"Those who are free from vanity and delusion, who have overcome the evil of attachment, who dwell constantly on the Self and on God, who are free from the desire to enjoy the senses, and are beyond the dualities of pleasure and pain, such Self-Realized personalities attain My eternal Abode."

- The Yoga Sutras, Chapter 1, Verse 12:

अभ्यासवैराग्याभ्यां तन्निरोधः

"The fluctuations of the mind are restrained by practice and detachment." 

- The Mundaka Upanishad, Chapter 3, Section 2, Verse 8:

स  ह वै योतत् परमं ब्रह्म वेद ब्रह्मैव भवति नास्याब्रह्मवित् कुले भवति ।

तरति शोकं तरति पाप्मानं गुहाग्रन्थिभ्यो विमुक्तोSमृतो भवति ॥

"He who knows that Supreme Brahman becomes Brahman itself. In His lineage, none remains ignorant of Brahman. He crosses over sorrow; he crosses over sin. Freed from the knots of ignorance, he becomes immortal."