Chapter-18, Verse 43

Ashtavakra Gita Verse 18.43

शुद्धमद्वयमात्मानं भावयन्ति कुबुद्धयः ।

न तु जानन्ति संमोहाद्यावज्जीवमनिर्वृताः ॥ ४३ ॥

Those of dull intellect think of themselves as pure nonduality,

but because of their delusion do not actually know this, and remain unfulfilled all their lives.

The verse criticizes those who merely conceptualize or imagine the Self as pure and nondual, without Realizing it directly and experientially. Such people are called kubuddhayaḥ, or of weak intelligence, because they do not have the discrimination to discern the Real from the unreal, the Self from the not-Self, and the essence from the appearance.

The verse also implies that the Self is indeed Pure and nondual, but it cannot be known by mere thinking or reasoning. It can only be known by transcending the mind and its limitations, by going beyond the duality of subject and object, and by abiding in one's True Nature, which is ever blissful and free.

The verse also warns that those who do not know the Self as Pure and nondual, remain in saṃmoha, or delusion, which is the cause of all suffering and bondage. They are anirvṛtāḥ, or unfulfilled, because they seek happiness in the transient and illusory objects of the world, which can never satisfy their inner longing for the infinite and eternal. They waste their precious human life, which is meant for the Realization of the Self, and remain ignorant and miserable till the end.

Similar verses from other Vedic texts are:

- In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 4.4.19, Yajnavalkya teaches his wife Maitreyi about the Nature of the Self and the world:

अत्र ह्येव समवलीयते भ्राता भ्रातरं जाया जायामविद्यया तु भिद्यते स य एवं वेद इति होवाच याज्ञवल्क्यः ॥ १९ ॥

Here, indeed, in this very life, the husband is merged in the wife and the wife in the husband; but through ignorance they are separated. He who knows this, Knows, said Yajnavalkya.

This verse shows that the apparent separation and distinction between the individual selves and the objects of the world is due to ignorance, which veils the True Nature of the Self, which is one and indivisible. When one knows the Self as the only Reality, one sees no difference or duality, and attains peace and bliss.

- In the Bhagavad Gita, 13.12, Krishna describes the Supreme Knowledge that leads to liberation:

अनादिमत्परं ब्रह्म न सत्तन्नासदुच्यते ।

सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम् ॥ १२ ॥

That Supreme Brahman is without beginning and beyond being and non-being. It has hands and feet everywhere, eyes, heads and mouths everywhere, and ears everywhere. It exists pervading everything in the world.

This verse reveals that the Supreme Reality, Brahman, is beyond the categories of existence and non-existence, and beyond the limitations of time and space. It is the Source and Substratum of everything, and it manifests as the infinite diversity of the world, without losing its unity and purity. It is the all-pervading and all-knowing Consciousness, which is the true Self of all beings.

- In the Yogavashishta, 6.2.215.6, Vasistha teaches Rama about the means of Realization, which is the Knowledge of the Self:

मोक्षोपायानिमान्पुण्यान्प्रत्यक्षानुभवार्थदान् ।

बालोप्यकर्ण्य तत्ज्ञात्वं याति का त्वादृशे कथा ॥ ६ ॥

Having learnt the methods of Realization, expounded in this work which brings about direct intuition, even a child comes to realize the Self.

This verse asserts that the only way to attain Realization is to realize the Self, which is the essence of one's being, and which is revealed by the teachings of the Yogavashishta. The verse also suggests that the Realization of the Self is not dependent on any external factors, such as age, caste, gender, or status, but only on one's sincere and earnest inquiry and discrimination. The verse also praises Rama, who is the ideal disciple, and who has attained the highest wisdom by listening to Vasistha.