Chapter-19, Verse 02

Ashtavakra Gita Verse 19.2

क्व धर्मः क्व च वा कामः क्व चार्थः क्व विवेकता ।

क्व द्वैतं क्व च वाऽद्वैतं स्वमहिम्नि स्थितस्य मे ॥ २ ॥

Where is duty, where is desire, where is wealth, where is discrimination? Where is duality, where is non-duality, for me who abide in my own glory? 

This verse expresses the state of supreme detachment and Realization of the speaker, who is identified as Janaka, a king and a sage. He declares that he has transcended all the conventional categories and distinctions of worldly life, such as duty, desire, wealth, and discrimination, which are based on the false identification of the self with the body and mind. He also asserts that he has gone beyond the philosophical concepts of duality and non-duality, which are based on the perception of difference or identity between the self and the supreme reality. He affirms that he is established in his own glory, which is the pure awareness of his true nature as the witness of everything.

- The first line of the verse lists four terms that are often used to describe the goals and means of human life in the Vedic tradition. Dharma means duty, righteousness, or moral law. Kama means desire, pleasure, or enjoyment. Artha means wealth, prosperity, or success. Vivekata means discrimination, discernment, or wisdom. These four terms are also known as the four purusharthas, or the four aims of human life, according to the classical Hindu worldview. They are considered to be the natural and legitimate pursuits of human beings, depending on their stage of life, social role, and personal inclination. However, they are also recognized to be relative and conditional, and not the ultimate or highest goal of life, which is Self-Realization.

- The second line of the verse mentions two terms that are often used to describe the metaphysical and ontological views of the Vedic tradition. Dvaita means duality, difference, or separation. Advaita means non-duality, identity, or unity. These two terms are also used to denote the two main schools of Vedanta, or the end of the Vedas, which is the philosophical and theological interpretation of the Upanishads, the core scriptures of Hinduism. Dvaita Vedanta holds that the individual self and the supreme self are distinct and eternal entities, and that the relationship between them is one of devotion and service. Advaita Vedanta holds that the individual self and the supreme self are essentially one and the same, and that the apparent difference between them is due to ignorance and illusion. Both schools agree that the ultimate goal of life is to Realize the True Nature of the Self and the Supreme Self, and to attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

- The third line of the verse reveals the speaker's attitude and experience of the terms mentioned in the previous two lines. He uses the interrogative particle kva, which means where, to indicate that he has no concern or attachment to any of them. He implies that he has Realized that they are all irrelevant and insignificant for him, who has attained the state of Self-Knowledge and self-mastery. He says that he abides in his own glory, which is the expression of his innate and inherent perfection and bliss. He identifies himself with the Pure Consciousness that is the source and substratum of all existence, and that is independent and unaffected by any external or internal factors. He claims that he is free from all bondage and limitation, and that he is happy and peaceful in his own Being.

For context, here are similar verses from other Vedic texts, along with their original Sanskrit script, their source books' names, and their translations in English:

- Kaushitaki Upanishad, Chapter 3, Verse 8.

न कर्मणा न प्रजया धनेन त्यागेनैके अमृतत्वमानशुः ।

परेण नाकं निहितं गुहायां विभ्राजते यद्यतयो विशन्ति ॥

Not by action, not by offspring, not by wealth, but by renunciation alone some attained immortality.

That which is hidden in the highest heaven, that shines forth when the wise enter into it. 

- Shukla Yajurveda, Chapter 40, Verse 14.

नान्यः पन्था विद्यतेऽयनाय ।

नान्यः पन्था विद्यतेऽयनाय ॥

There is no other way, there is no other way.