Chapter-19, Verse 03

Ashtavakra Gita Verse 19.3

क्व भूतं क्व भविष्यद्वा वर्तमानमपि क्व वा ।

क्व देशः क्व च वा नित्यं स्वमहिम्नि स्थितस्य मे ॥ ३ ॥

For me established in my own glory, there is no past, future or present. There is no space or even eternity. 

This verse expresses the state of absolute freedom and Bliss of the Self-Realized person, who has transcended the limitations of time, space and causality. The speaker, Ashtavakra, is a sage who has attained the Highest Knowledge of the non-dual reality, which is his own True Nature. He is not affected by the changes and events of the phenomenal world, which are only appearances in his Consciousness. He is not bound by the concepts of past, present and future, which are relative and dependent on the mind. He is not confined by the notions of space and eternity, which are also mental constructs. He is established in his own glory, which is the Pure Awareness that is the source and substratum of everything. He is the witness of all, but detached from all. He is the one without a second, the Supreme Self, the Brahman.

Comparing this verse with three similar verses from other Vedic texts:

- From the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (4.4.12):

अयं बन्धुरयं नेति गणना लघुचेतसाम् ।

उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् ॥

This is my relative, this is not - such calculation is for the petty-minded. For the magnanimous, the entire earth is one family. 

This verse conveys the universal vision of the enlightened person, who sees the unity and harmony of all beings. He does not discriminate or differentiate between his own and others, friends and foes, kin and strangers. He regards everyone as his own, as part of the same cosmic family. He is free from attachment and aversion, and treats all with love and compassion. He realizes that the diversity of the world is only superficial, and the essence of all is the same self, the Brahman.

- From the Bhagavad Gita (2.20):

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः । अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो

न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥

He is never born, nor does he ever die; nor, having once existed, does he cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, permanent and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.

This verse describes the immortality and indestructibility of the soul, which is the True Self of every living being. The soul is not subject to birth and death, which are only changes of the body. The soul is not affected by the modifications and transformations of the material nature, which are only temporary and illusory. The soul is eternal, unchanging, and ancient. It is the spark of the Supreme spirit, the Brahman. It is not killed or harmed by any weapon or force, even when the body is destroyed.

- From the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (1.2):

योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः

Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. 

This verse defines the goal and the means of yoga, which is the science and practice of Self-Realization. Yoga is the state of complete stillness and clarity of the mind, which is the instrument of perception and cognition. When the mind is free from the disturbances and distractions caused by the senses, the emotions, the thoughts, and the ego, it attains the Pure Awareness of the Self, which is the Witness of all. This is the state of samadhi, or union with the Brahman, the Ultimate Reality.