Ashtavakra Gita Verse 18.66
क्व संसारः क्व चाभासः क्व साध्यं क्व च साधनम् । आकाशस्येव धीरस्य निर्विकल्पस्य सर्वदा ॥ ६६ ॥
Where is samsara (the cycle of birth and death), where is the appearance (of the world), where is the Goal (of Realization), where is the means (to attain it) for the Wise One who is always free from imagination and unchanging as space?
This verse expresses the Ultimate State of non-duality or advaita, where the enlightened one sees no difference between the Self and the Supreme Reality, between the subject and the object, between the seeker and the sought. The wise one has transcended all the dualities and distinctions that are created by the mind and its projections. He has realized that he is not the body, the senses, the mind, or the intellect, but the Pure Consciousness that pervades everything. He has no attachment, no desire, no fear, no sorrow, no bondage, no Realization. He is ever blissful, ever peaceful, ever free.
The verse uses rhetorical questions to negate the validity of the conventional concepts of samsara, abhasa, sadhya, and sadhana. Samsara is the cycle of birth and death that is caused by ignorance and karma. Abhasa is the appearance or illusion of the world that is projected by the mind and the senses. Sadhya is the goal of liberation or moksha that is sought by the seekers of truth. Sadhana is the means or the path to attain the goal, such as ethics, meditation, devotion, etc. The verse implies that these concepts are only relevant for the ignorant and the deluded, who are trapped in the web of maya (illusion). For the wise one, who has seen the truth, there is no samsara, no abhasa, no sadhya, no sadhana. He is already Realized, already perfect, already One with the Supreme Reality.
The verse compares the wise one to the space or the sky, which is a common metaphor in the Vedantic literature. The space is vast, infinite, formless, subtle, and all-pervading. It is unaffected by the clouds, the winds, the storms, or the lightning that occur in it. It is the same everywhere, in all directions, at all times. Similarly, the wise one is unaffected by the changes and modifications of the body, the mind, and the world. He is the same in all states, in all conditions, in all situations. He is the witness of everything, but nothing affects him. He is the substratum of everything, but nothing limits him. He is the essence of everything, but nothing defines him.
There are many verses in the Vedic texts that convey a similar message of non-duality and the supreme state of the wise one.
- Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4.19
एकमेवाद्वितीयं ब्रह्म नेह नानाऽस्ति किञ्चन ।
मृत्योः स मृत्युमाप्नोति य इह नानेव पश्यति ॥
Brahman is one, without a second. There is no diversity here whatsoever. He goes from death to death who sees diversity here.
This verse asserts the oneness of Brahman, the Supreme Reality, and denies the existence of any multiplicity or diversity in the ultimate sense. It warns that the one who perceives diversity in Brahman, due to ignorance and delusion, is subject to the cycle of death and rebirth. Only the one who realizes the non-dual nature of Brahman attains immortality and Realization.
- Katha Upanishad 2.2.15
न तत्र सूर्यो भाति न चन्द्रतारकं नेमा विद्युतो भान्ति कुतोऽयमग्निः । तमेव भान्तमनुभाति सर्वं तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति ॥
There the sun does not shine, nor the moon and the stars, nor these lightnings, and much less this fire. When He shines, everything shines after Him; by His light all this is lighted.
This verse describes the transcendence and the immanence of Brahman, the Supreme Reality. It says that Brahman is beyond the reach of the senses and the mind, and is not dependent on any source of light or illumination. Brahman is the source of all light and illumination, both physical and metaphysical. Brahman is the light of Consciousness that illumines everything, and by which everything is known. Brahman is the self-luminous reality that shines in the Heart of every Being.
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