AVG 4.4

Chapter 4 (A seeker's perspective into the beauty of self-awareness): Verse 4
आत्मैवेदं जगत्सर्वं ज्ञातं येन महात्मना ।
यदृच्छया वर्तमानं तं निषेद्धुं क्षमेत कः ॥ ४-४॥

PURPORT:
The most compassionate personage, is the one
who knows the universe as their own essence
and abides happy within their own awareness;
in such a mode of being, just who is able to
(or even allowed to) suppress or subdue that
person's living and acting as they well choose?

TRANSLITERATION:
आत्मा एव इदम् जगत् सर्वम् ज्ञातम् येन महात्मना ।
ātmā eva idam jagat sarvam jñātam yena mahātmanā ।
यदृच्छया वर्तमानम् तम् निषेद्धुम् क्षमेत कः ॥ ४-४॥
yadr̥cchayā vartamānam tam niṣeddhum kṣameta kaḥ ॥ 4-4॥

MEANING:
ātmā (आत्मा) = self (or the pure awareness that comes from the cessation of thought)
eva (एव) = alone/only
idam (इदम्) = this
jagat (जगत्) = universe (can also be construed as 'this world')
sarvam (सर्वम्) = all
jñātam (ज्ञातम्) = is established/is known
yena (येन) = by which/by one who
mahātmanā (महात्मना) = by the most compassionate and tolerant one।
yadr̥cchayā (यदृच्छया) = as harmonious, amicable and peaceable as the compassionate one likes it to be (literally means 'as per his wishes')
vartamānam (वर्तमानम्) = existing/living/while being present
tam (तम्) = that one
niṣeddhum (निषेद्धुम्) = to prevent/suppress/prohibit/subdue
kṣameta (क्षमेत) = to allow/is able/can
kaḥ (कः) = who ॥ 4-4॥

COMMENT:
At first blush, reading the purport might seem like a recipe for what best might be characterized as righteous rebellion and at worst moral nihilism (especially when the verses imply that nobody is able to or even allowed to curb or discipline the conduct or behavior of that person of awareness). However, these lines of Janaka are very far from any one of such egregious outcomes. A closer reading and understanding of these lines in the context of this particular chapter seem to suggest that a person who has understood aspects of that awareness within themselves whose outcomes culminate in them being able to discern and interact with the universe in an impartial manner devoid of choices or preconceived notions will not be the one to gravitate towards anarchy of any kind. In addition, it is understood that the propensity to stoop to hatred, depravity, corruption, vileness and excesses of indulgence will fall away as one starts to understand one's own innate awareness. In this sense, the person of awareness understands all interactions for what they are and will not bring to bear their own fondness nor leanings nor penchants when it comes to their own interplay with other sentients that share their universe - a universe that they know is fundamentally not different from their very own corporeal selves.