Chapter-18, Verse 28

Ashtavakra Gita Verse 18.28

असमाधेरविक्षेपान्न मुमुक्षुर्न चेतरः । निश्चित्य कल्पितं पश्यन्ब्रह्मैवास्ते महाशयः ॥ २८ ॥

He who is beyond mental stillness and distraction, does not desire either liberation or anything else. Recognising that things are just constructions of the imagination, that great soul lives as God here and now.

The first line of the verse describes the state of a person who has transcended the dualities of samadhi (mental absorption) and vikshepa (mental agitation). Such a person is neither a mumukshu (seeker of liberation) nor a cetara (one who is attached to worldly objects). He is free from all desires and expectations, and does not depend on any external condition for his happiness.

The second line of the verse reveals the secret of his freedom. He has firmly realised that all phenomena are kalpita (imagined) by the mind, and have no independent existence apart from Consciousness. He does not take them as real or unreal, but as mere appearances in the mirror of Awareness. He sees everything as brahma (the Absolute Reality), which is his own True Nature.

The third line of the verse praises the greatness of such a person. He is a mahashaya (great soul), who lives as God (brahma) here and now. He does not need to wait for Realization after death, or to perform any rituals or practices to attain it. He is already liberated, and enjoys the Bliss of his own being in every moment.

The verse from the Ashtavakra Gita can be compared with similar verses from other Vedic texts:

- In the Yoga Vasistha, sage Vasistha tells Rama: 

"The world is like a city seen in a mirror, and the Supreme Self is the viewer of that city. The world is neither real nor unreal, but a reflection of the Self. The Self is neither bound nor free, but ever blissful."

- In the Mandukya Upanishad, it is said: 

"That which is not seen, though within us, that is the Self, the Supreme Reality. Knowing that one goes beyond death. There is no other way to Realization."

- In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says: 

"He who sees me in all things, and all things in me, he never loses sight of me, nor do I lose sight of him. He who is established in unity, worships me, who dwells in all Beings, in whatever way he lives, he lives in me." 

These verses convey the same message of non-duality, that the self is the only reality, and that one who knows this is free from all bondage and sorrow. They also emphasise the importance of direct experience, rather than intellectual understanding, of this truth. They inspire us to realise our true nature, and to live in harmony with all beings..