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අෂ්ටාවක්ර ගීතා අෂ්ටමෝऽධ්යායඃ අෂ්ටාවක්ර ගීතා is a 20-chapter Advaitic dialogue that keeps returning to one essential correction: you are the awareness that knows experience, not the body-mind that experiences. The work moves quickly because it speaks from the standpoint of freedom. Yet its aim is not to make you careless; it is to make you honest. When identification loosens, life can still be active and relational, but inwardly there is less fear, less craving, and less compulsive self-protection. The previous chapters have steadily prepared the ground for Chapter 8's crisp definitions. Chapter 1 points ජනක to the witness (සාක්ෂී) and warns against attachment to විෂයs. Chapter 2 expresses recognition through metaphors like rope-snake and wave-ocean. Chapter 3 diagnoses the remaining knots of desire and identity, and Chapter 4 describes the texture of lived freedom. Chapter 5 urges ලය - dissolution of false identification - and Chapter 6 has ජනක reply that for the Self there is "no giving up and no grasping." Chapter 7 then shows what that looks like in life: the world may drift and waves may rise and fall, yet there is no inner gain or loss for awareness. Chapter 8 is famous for its simplicity: it defines bondage and liberation in psychological terms. Bondage is not primarily a social condition; it is the inner habit of the mind to crave, grieve, grasp, reject, and react. Liberation is not primarily a special experience; it is the quieting of those compulsive movements. This is why the teaching is so practical: it moves the discussion from abstract metaphysics to observable patterns you can notice in real time. It also aligns with the broader yogic insight that the quality of the mind determines the quality of lived freedom. The next chapter (Chapter 9) will take this further by emphasizing නිර්වේද - a mature disillusionment with endless chasing - and the dropping of වාසනාs (latent tendencies) as the heart of peace. Later chapters continue to refine the same truth until effort relaxes into natural ease: the mind becomes less interested in the drama of "me", and more anchored in the simplicity of awareness. Seen as a whole, Chapter 8 is a diagnostic tool you can use daily. It says: observe your mind - not to judge it, but to see what is actually happening. When the mind is busy with wanting, worrying, holding, pushing away, and reacting, that very movement is bondage. When the mind is free of those compulsions, that very quietness is freedom. The last verse adds an important twist: do not turn this into another project of grasping and renouncing. Recognize the "I"-knot (අහංකාර) lightly, and let it dissolve through understanding rather than through strain. The summary of this chapter is simple: freedom is the end of inner compulsion. අෂ්ටාවක්ර උවාච ॥ Meaning (පදාර්ථ): Translation (භාවාර්ථ): Commentary (අනුසංධාන): This is where the teaching aligns naturally with යෝග. The පාතංජලි යෝග සූත්රාණි begin with යෝගඃ චිත්ත-වෘත්ති-නිරෝධඃ - යෝග is the settling of the mind's movements. Chapter 8 is not giving a technical practice method; it is giving you a mirror. It says: look at the mind honestly. When the mind is in the posture of demanding, resisting, or defending, you are in bondage right now, even if outwardly everything is fine. When the mind softens and becomes less demanding, freedom is already present. Advaita adds a deeper layer: the witness is always free, and the mind's movements are known in that witness. Seeing that reduces the "I am the movement" mistake. Practice by using this verse as a daily check-in. Set three reminders in a day (morning, afternoon, evening). Each time, ask: "Is the mind wanting, worrying, clinging, rejecting, thrilled, or angry right now?" If yes, do not judge; simply recognize: "bondage-movement." Then take a small corrective step: one slow exhale, relax the jaw, and return attention to the witness for two breaths. After that, address the real-life situation intelligently: talk, plan, rest, or set a boundary. Over time, this turns the verse into a skill: you learn to catch the mind early, before it turns a small trigger into a big story. තදා මුක්තිර්යදා චිත්තං න වාංඡති න ශෝචති । Meaning (පදාර්ථ): Translation (භාවාර්ථ): Commentary (අනුසංධාන): Notice how the verse includes both "positive" and "negative" reactivity: excitement and anger. We often imagine bondage as only pain, but addiction to excitement is also bondage. Many modern patterns revolve around chasing highs: novelty, approval, stimulation. The verse is pointing to a quieter joy: when the mind is not constantly leaning forward, there is more space. This aligns with the Advaitic idea that peace is not produced; it is uncovered. Awareness is naturally ශාංත, but the mind's agitation hides it. When the agitation settles, the baseline becomes visible. Practice by training "non-compulsion" rather than "no feeling." The next time you feel desire, do not suppress it; delay it. Give yourself a two-minute pause before acting. In that pause, feel the desire in the body and notice it is being known. The same with anger: give yourself one breath before speaking. Often that single breath changes the whole interaction. Also train with small "no's": let one minor craving pass without indulging, and watch that you remain okay. Each such moment teaches the mind that it can survive without obeying every impulse. Over weeks, the mind becomes less reactive, and the freedom described here starts to feel ordinary and accessible. තදා බංධෝ යදා චිත්තං සක්තං කාස්වපි දෘෂ්ටිෂු । Meaning (පදාර්ථ): Translation (භාවාර්ථ): Commentary (අනුසංධාන): This connects naturally with Advaita's emphasis on the witness. Perceptions are always changing: the world looks different in joy and in exhaustion; the same event looks different from different angles. If identity is based on දෘෂ්ටි, it will be fragile. When identity is relocated to the knower of all දෘෂ්ටිs, the mind becomes more flexible. This is also why the tradition values විවේක (discernment): discernment is not rigid opinion; it is the capacity to see clearly without being owned by a single narrative. Practice by identifying your "sticky දෘෂ්ටි." Ask: "Which one perception do I keep returning to as if it must define reality?" It could be a criticism you cannot forget, an image you must maintain, or a desire you keep negotiating with. When you catch it, expand your view deliberately: name three other plausible interpretations, or take the perspective of another person, or zoom out to the longer timeline. Then return to the witness: all perspectives are known in awareness. This practice reduces rigidity and makes relationships healthier: you can be firm without being narrow, and you can change your mind without losing dignity. Over time, the mind learns what the verse describes: liberation is the capacity to see without sticking. යදා නාහං තදා මෝක්ෂෝ යදාහං බංධනං තදා । Meaning (පදාර්ථ): Translation (භාවාර්ථ): Commentary (අනුසංධාන): "Do not grasp and do not renounce" can also be misunderstood. It does not mean you become reckless or allow harm. It means you stop reacting from compulsion. Grasping and renouncing are two sides of the same fear: grasping says "I need this to be safe"; renouncing says "I must push this away to be safe." Both assume the Self is fragile. Advaita invites a deeper safety: awareness is not threatened. When this is felt, choices become cleaner. You can say yes without clinging and say no without hatred. That is why the verse ties liberation to the drop of ego-sense rather than to any particular lifestyle. Practice by bringing හේලා into your day - a gentle looseness. When you notice the ego-sense tighten (especially in conflict, comparison, or performance), smile inwardly and label it: "ahaM." Then take one breath and return to the witness: awareness is present even in the "I" thought. Next, choose one small non-extreme action. If you are clinging, release slightly: delay the message, loosen the demand, accept a small uncertainty. If you are rejecting, soften slightly: stay present, listen, take one honest step rather than escaping. Keep the step small; the goal is not heroic renunciation. Over time, the nervous system learns what the verse is teaching: freedom is not achieved by pushing life away, but by dissolving the ego-knot that turns life into a threat.
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