Wednesday, October 9, 2019

AVG 1.5

Chapter 1 (Guidance on self-realization): Verse 5 

त्वं विप्रादिको वर्णो नाश्रमी नाक्षगोचरः
असङ्गोऽसि निराकारो विश्वसाक्षी सुखी भव -५॥

Transliteration:
त्वम् विप्रादिकः वर्णः आश्रमी अक्षगोचरः
na tvam viprādikaḥ varṇaḥ na āśramī na akṣagocaraḥ

असंगः असि निराकारः विश्वसाक्षी सुखी भव -५॥
asaṃgaḥ asi nirākāraḥ viśvasākṣī sukhī bhava
1-5

Meaning:
(not) त्वम् (you) विप्रादिकः (of highest authority/most authentic [प्राधिकारवान् - authentic [genuine, authoritative]]) वर्णः (caste/class) (not) आश्रमी (belonging to one of the four ashrams*) (not) अक्षगोचरः (range of perceptual action of the sense organs)
असंगः (unattached/unassociated) असि (is) निराकारः (incorporeal/shapeless/insignificant) विश्वसाक्षी (witness to the world/all-seeing) सुखी (happy) भव (be) -५॥

Purport:
You are not of any class, nor implied divisions,
nor slotted into predetermined stations in life,
nor the object of sense perceptions;
you are unattached, incorporeal and formless
witness to all there is around you;
be happy.

Comment: A beautiful passage. The purport here is clear. Even if divisions, classes, compartments and castes are imposed upon by society on the individual, know that you aspire to rise and stay above the fray. Identities, tokens and perceptual assignments were never part of you when you were born and will not be part of you when you pass on - so do not delude yourself by accepting overtly or covertly any of these temporary designations. Know non-attachment and understand that your ego that drives you to create form and corporeality where there is really none is an illusion - reduce the ego to an incorporeal, shapeless and formless emptiness - and thus be happy. 
*The four ashramas are: Brahmacharya (student), Grihastha (householder), Vanaprastha (retired) and Sannyasa (renunciate). The Ashrama system is one facet of the Dharma concept in Hinduism. Knowledge of this is really not necessary to understand the message behind the Ashtavakra. I included this here just in case you were wondering what this might reference.

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AVG 15.6

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