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అష్టావక్ర గీతా అష్టాదశోఽధ్యాయః అష్టావక్ర గీతా is the kind of text that does not slowly persuade you; it points directly and asks you to verify the point in your own experience. Its teaching is అద్వైత: the Self is not a person inside the body-mind, but the awareness in which the body, mind, and world appear. When this is seen, life does not necessarily change on the outside, but the inside stops being dominated by craving, fear, and self-made struggle. Up to now, the dialogue has moved from జనక's initial questions (knowledge, liberation, dispassion) into a steady recognition of the witness. Chapters 1-4 build the foundation, Chapters 5-9 dissolve doership and fixation, Chapters 10-15 deepen disillusionment with craving and status, and Chapter 17 sketches the liberated life as simple, unshaken, and free of inner hunger. The overall direction has been consistent: stop outsourcing wholeness to experiences and return again and again to the Self as already free. Chapter 18 is the longest chapter of the entire work (100 verses) and reads like a panoramic compendium. It begins with a salutation to the peace and radiance of awakening, then moves through many angles: the futility of searching for happiness through accumulation, the difference between the wise and the confused, the danger of spiritual ego, and the naturalness of freedom when వాసనాs (latent cravings) thin out. The verses alternate between sharp negations ("not this, not that") and positive descriptions of the liberated mind's ease. After this chapter, the text closes with two short but powerful chapters (19-20) where జనక speaks from the afterglow of recognition. Those chapters are filled with the rhetorical question క్వ ("where is...?") to show that, for the Self, the old categories of bondage and liberation cannot even be located. Seen as a whole, Chapter 18 tries to make freedom feel unmistakably normal. It says again and again: liberation is not a special posture; it is the end of the inner compulsion to grasp, resist, and define yourself by states. The wise can be active or quiet, in palace or forest, praised or blamed - and still be at ease, because the center has shifted from personality to awareness. The chapter is long because it turns that single insight around like a crystal, so that it can be recognized in every angle of life. అష్టావక్ర ఉవాచ ॥ Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The object of salutation is not an external trophy; it is the peace and radiance of the Self itself. సుఖ-ఏక-రూప points to a happiness that is not produced by circumstances but is the natural ease of being. తేజస్ is inner light: the clarity that sees and the vitality that is not dependent on mood. In Advaita language, this is the Self as చిత్ (awareness) recognized as already complete. The salutation is a way of turning the mind toward that center before the long chapter unfolds. Practice by noticing where you are still "dreaming" in waking life. When a thought like "I am not enough" or "I must secure the future right now" arises, pause and ask, "Is this a fact, or is it a dreamlike assumption?" Feel the breath and notice awareness present now. Then take the next practical step without feeding the anxious story. Over time, this trains the mind to shift from living inside the dream to living from the witness, which is the real meaning of బోధోదయ. అర్జయిత్వాఖిలాన్ అర్థాన్ భోగానాప్నోతి పుష్కలాన్ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The Isha Upanishad hints at the same medicine: తేన త్యక్తేన భుంజీథాః - enjoy through renunciation. The renunciation is internal: enjoy without possessiveness. When you stop making objects into refuge, you can still use them and appreciate them, but you are not enslaved by them. This is also why "renunciation" here is not depression; it is freedom. The mind becomes lighter because it no longer treats life as a never-ending shopping list for wholeness. Practice by doing one week of "inner renunciation" in a concrete area. Pick one thing you are attached to: an outcome, a habit, a certain image. Keep functioning, but notice the clinging: the rehearsing, the fear of loss, the need for control. Each time it appears, relax the demand with a simple statement: "I can prefer this, but I don't need it to be whole." Then do one small act that loosens dependence - simplify a purchase, reduce a compulsive check, accept one discomfort without drama. This is సర్వ-పరిత్యాగ in miniature. కర్తవ్యదుఃఖమార్తండజ్వాలాదగ్ధాంతరాత్మనః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The verse says the only real cooling is ప్రశమ: inner pacification. This is not escapism; it is the mind settling into its own nature. When the sense of doership softens, duties become tasks rather than chains. The Bhagavad Gita points to a similar cooling when it speaks of the person who acts without inner fever, free from expectation and possessiveness. In Advaita, ప్రశమ deepens when you recognize yourself as awareness rather than as the anxious manager of life. Practice by identifying your personal "must-do" sun. Notice one area where you carry constant urgency - work, family, health, spirituality. Each day, take a short pause and ask, "What am I trying to control right now?" Then do the next needed action, but drop the extra inner pressure. Add a daily five-minute practice of ప్రశమ: sit quietly, feel the breath, and let thoughts pass without chasing them. The point is not to remove responsibilities; it is to stop burning yourself with them. భవోఽయం భావనామాత్రో న కించిత్ పరమార్థతః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): At the same time, it avoids a crude nihilism. It says there is no absolute non-existence (అభావ) of what has true nature (స్వభావ). In other words: appearances come and go, but the underlying reality does not vanish. This aligns with the Upanishadic vision that the Self is unborn and undying, while names and forms arise and dissolve. When this is seen, loss and change still happen, but the heart is not destroyed by them because it knows what does not change. Practice by working with your strongest "world-story." Notice a situation where you interpret events in a way that creates suffering: "This means I'm failing," "This means I'm unsafe," "This means life is unfair." Label it as భావనా - a construction - and ask, "What is directly present, and what is imagined?" Then respond to what is directly present. This does not make you passive; it makes you accurate. Over time, the mind becomes less trapped in its own stories, which is the practical meaning of seeing the world as భావనా-మాత్ర. న దూరం న చ సంకోచాల్లబ్ధమేవాత్మనః పదమ్ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The nature of the Self is described with four negations: నిర్వికల్ప (not caught in either/or thinking), నిరాయాస (effortless), నిర్వికార (unchanging), నిరంజన (unstained). These are not poetic decorations; they are practical cues for recognition. If what you seek is effortless and ever-present, then the way you seek must also become effortless. This is why Advaita often emphasizes relaxation and clarity over force. Practice by noticing where you are straining for peace. Do you clench your attention in meditation? Do you force yourself to feel "spiritual"? Instead, try the opposite: relax the body, soften the breath, and simply notice that awareness is already present. When thoughts arise, let them be. Ask quietly: "What knows this thought?" That question points back to the already-attained Self. Over time, the mind learns that freedom is closer than effort. వ్యామోహమాత్రవిరతౌ స్వరూపాదానమాత్రతః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is why Advaita treats ignorance as the root cause and knowledge as the cure. It also explains why mere coping strategies often feel incomplete: they manage sorrow without touching its root assumption. When the Self is recognized as whole, the mind does not need to manufacture happiness; it simply stops manufacturing sorrow through mis-identification. Many Upanishadic passages describe this shift as freedom from grief, because grief depends on the belief that the Self can be diminished or lost. Practice by tracing sorrow back to identification. When grief or anxiety arises, ask: "What am I taking myself to be right now?" Often it is a threatened role or a feared future. Then return to a simpler fact: awareness is present, and it is not damaged by the feeling. This does not erase human emotion, but it prevents collapse into it. Over time, నిరావరణ దృష్టి becomes the capacity to feel fully while remaining inwardly free. సమస్తం కల్పనామాత్రమాత్మా ముక్తః సనాతనః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): Still, the tradition also recognizes stages. Many people need preparatory disciplines to quiet the mind and reduce agitation. Ashtavakra is speaking from the standpoint of direct recognition and is warning you not to turn discipline into a permanent project. The moment you truly see the Self as awareness, you stop treating practice as a ladder to become worthy. Practice becomes assimilation: living from clarity, not chasing an experience. Practice by shifting the motive of your discipline. If you meditate, do not do it to "get" a state; do it to see clearly what is always present. If you study, do not study to win arguments; study to remove confusion. And after you practice, consciously let go of the practice-thought: rest in simple awareness without measuring. This helps discipline serve recognition rather than becoming a new form of bondage. ఆత్మా బ్రహ్మేతి నిశ్చిత్య భావాభావౌ చ కల్పితౌ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The point is not that the wise becomes mute or inert; it is that the inner compulsion ends. Most people are driven by an anxious need to understand everything, explain themselves, and control outcomes. That drive is rooted in insecurity about identity. When identity is seen as awareness, the drive relaxes. This is close to the Upanishadic mood where the Self is said to be self-luminous and self-established; it does not need to be certified by constant thought. Practice by noticing your own compulsion to know, speak, and do. When you feel restless, ask: "Am I trying to secure myself by explaining, fixing, or proving?" If yes, pause and return to awareness. Then do only what is needed, and let the rest drop. This is a practical way to cultivate నిష్కామ: not deadness, but freedom from inner bargaining. అయం సోఽహమయం నాహమితి క్షీణా వికల్పనా । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The result is తూష్ణీం - silence. Again, this is not merely quiet speech; it is the settling of inner commentary. The mind is no longer compelled to label and claim. This is why many Advaita texts describe realization as a kind of natural stillness: not forced suppression, but the end of restless categorizing. When the knot of "me/not me" loosens, the heart becomes quieter without effort. Practice by observing how often your mind says "me" and "mine." In a day, notice the subtle claim: "my idea," "my reputation," "my problem," "my success." Then experiment with loosening it: "This is happening in awareness." You don't have to become passive; you simply stop tightening around ownership. Even a few moments of this loosening can bring a taste of తూష్ణీం - inner quiet that does not depend on controlling the world. న విక్షేపో న చైకాగ్ర్యం నాతిబోధో న మూఢతా । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is a deep form of equanimity. The Bhagavad Gita describes the steady person as equal in happiness and sorrow and not shaken by change. Advaita adds the inner logic: if you are awareness, then states of mind are objects known by you; they cannot define you. When this is understood, even "spiritual" states like one-pointedness do not become ego trophies, and ordinary states like dullness do not become self-condemnation. Practice by reducing state-based identity. When you feel focused, enjoy it but don't become proud. When you feel scattered, don't despair; simply return to one small anchor. When pleasure comes, receive it without clinging; when pain comes, respond without panic. Each time, ask: "What is aware of this state?" That question points to the unchanging witness. Over time, you begin to live from ఉపశాంతి rather than from the chase for the "right" state. స్వారాజ్యే భైక్షవృత్తౌ చ లాభాలాభే జనే వనే । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This does not mean the wise cannot prefer a simpler life. It means preference is not bondage. If a palace comes, it is handled; if a forest comes, it is handled. The Bhagavad Gita describes this as being equal in honor and dishonor, gain and loss, victory and defeat. Advaita explains why: the Self is not improved by abundance or diminished by lack. So the inner "specialness" of conditions dissolves. Practice by seeing where you make happiness conditional. Notice a thought like "When I get X, I'll finally relax." Then challenge it gently: "Can I relax a little now?" Do one small act of portability: breathe calmly in a stressful place, simplify a decision, or be content with an imperfect moment. Also, reduce comparison. Each time you compare your life with someone else's, return to the witness and to one practical action you can take. This trains the mind to find steadiness independent of setting. క్వ ధర్మః క్వ చ వా కామః క్వ చార్థః క్వ వివేకితా । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This verse also warns against turning spirituality into another obsession with measurement. Some people live with a constant spiritual accounting: "Have I progressed? Have I purified enough? Have I done the right practice?" That is still ద్వంద్వ bondage. The liberated mind is free because it has shifted identity to awareness. When that shift happens, outer aims can still be handled appropriately, but they no longer carry the weight of identity. Practice by noticing your inner accountant. Where do you keep scoring yourself - morally, socially, spiritually? When you catch "done/not done" loops, pause and return to a simple awareness of breath and sensation. Then act cleanly: do the right thing in the situation, but stop rehearsing it for self-worth. Over time, this reduces the inner dvandva that makes life heavy. కృత్యం కిమపి నైవాస్తి న కాపి హృది రంజనా । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): Many people mistake freedom for inactivity, but this verse shows it is more like unburdened living. Duties can still be met, but without inner pressure. Relationships can still be held, but without possessiveness. This is close to the Gita's vision of action without attachment: acting as required, but not as an anxious self-making project. In Advaita, the key is that the sense of being a separate doer has softened. Practice by reducing the inner "must" in one daily task. Do the task, but watch the emotional pressure you add: resentment, urgency, guilt. Replace it with a calmer intention: "Let this be done well, without inner violence." Also watch attachments: where does the mind get colored? Praise, romance, control, comfort? Notice the coloring and let it fade by returning to awareness. Over time, you will taste the verse's message: life can be lived cleanly, without being carried as a burden. క్వ మోహః క్వ చ వా విశ్వం క్వ తద్ ధ్యానం క్వ ముక్తతా । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): Many seekers turn meditation into a new tension: "I must meditate correctly to get liberation." This verse says that when the mind's constructing ends, the need to build an identity through meditation ends too. Advaita calls this resting as the Self: awareness does not need to meditate on itself; it is already present. The Bhagavad Gita similarly hints that the highest knowledge is not an experience you produce; it is the stable recognition that changes how you relate to every experience. Practice by simplifying your spiritual effort. If you meditate, notice the subtle ambition behind it and soften it. Sit, breathe, and let awareness be aware, without pushing. When thoughts about "world" and "liberation" arise, see them as thoughts and let them pass. Then return to simple presence. Over time, meditation becomes less a technique and more a resting, which is what విశ్రాంతి means here. యేన విశ్వమిదం దృష్టం స నాస్తీతి కరోతు వై । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): Advaita often distinguishes between practical reality and ultimate reality. Practically, the world is experienced and life must be lived. Ultimately, the world is an appearance in consciousness. This verse points to the latter without asking you to become impractical. It is also why the wise is said to "do nothing" even while actions occur: the ego's claim on experience is absent. The Gita uses similar language when it says the wise sees action in inaction and inaction in action. Practice by applying this distinction when you are overwhelmed. When a situation feels absolute ("this will ruin me"), remember: it is experienced, but it is not ultimate. See it as an appearance within awareness. Then take practical steps without panic. Also work with వాసనా: notice how craving and fear make experiences sticky. Reduce their fuel by simplifying habits, being truthful, and resting as the witness. This makes "seeing without bondage" more than a philosophy. యేన దృష్టం పరం బ్రహ్మ సోఽహం బ్రహ్మేతి చింతయేత్ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): In Advaita, words like అహం బ్రహ్మాస్మి are meant to remove ignorance, not to create a new mental costume. Once the thorn removes the thorn, both are discarded. That is the spirit of this verse. It points to the quiet mind (నిశ్చింత) that does not need to keep building itself through thoughts, even "spiritual" thoughts. Recognition matures into silence. Practice by noticing your own use of spiritual concepts as self-reassurance. If you find yourself repeating ideas to feel safe or superior, pause. Return to direct experience: the fact of awareness is here. Instead of repeating "I am Brahman" mechanically, use it as a pointer: ask, "What is aware right now?" Rest there. This keeps the teaching alive and prevents it from becoming another ego slogan. దృష్టో యేనాత్మవిక్షేపో నిరోధం కురుతే త్వసౌ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The verse also points to a deeper reason: సాధ్యాభావ, the absence of a goal to achieve. When freedom is understood as recognition, not production, the mind stops trying to "get" a state. That does not mean the mind becomes chaotic; it means it becomes less anxious. The యోగ Sutras talk about అభ్యాస and వైరాగ్య as means; Ashtavakra is speaking from the place where their fruit has ripened into natural ease. Practice by using restraint skillfully but lightly. If the mind is scattered, bring it back - but don't make it a war. Alongside practice, also inquire: "Who is distracted?" Notice that awareness knows distraction without being distracted. Then let the mind relax into that knowing. The more you taste this, the less you will feel the need to force a mental state, because you will recognize the freedom that is already present. ధీరో లోకవిపర్యస్తో వర్తమానోఽపి లోకవత్ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): Because their identity is not tied to mind-states, they do not obsess over సమాధి and విక్షేప. Most seekers oscillate: "I was focused; now I'm distracted; I've lost it." The wise does not feel this loss (లోప) because the Self was never a state to be gained or lost. This verse is also compassion for those who fear "falling" spiritually: the deeper stability is not fragile. Practice by allowing your spiritual life to become ordinary and honest. Notice your fear of losing progress and your desire to appear advanced. Each time, return to the witness and remember: awareness is present even in distraction. Continue simple disciplines, but drop the dramatic story about them. Let your outer life be normal and responsible, and let your inner life be anchored in the recognition that nothing essential can be lost. భావాభావవిహీనో యస్తృప్తో నిర్వాసనో బుధః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is a key Advaita point: actions belong to the body-mind, while the Self is the witness. The Bhagavad Gita says the wise see themselves as not acting even while acting. Ashtavakra's verse says the same with emphasis on the inner absence of claim. The world may see activity, but the wise does not use activity to construct identity. That is why contentment (తృప్తి) is repeatedly mentioned: without inner lack, there is no need to own actions. Practice by reducing doership in small ways. When you complete a task, notice the urge to claim credit or to fear blame. Replace it with a quieter view: "This happened through circumstances, skills, and effort; awareness witnessed it." Also work with cravings that drive action: approval-seeking, control, validation. Each time you see a craving, pause and loosen it. This gradually makes action lighter and more selfless, which is what the verse describes. ప్రవృత్తౌ వా నివృత్తౌ వా నైవ ధీరస్య దుర్గ్రహః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This also clarifies that Advaita is not passivity. The wise does act - but without compulsive over-involvement. The Bhagavad Gita praises this as skill in action: acting without inner attachment. In everyday terms, it means responding cleanly and then letting the mind stop replaying. The mind of bondage keeps rehearsing and worrying; the mind of freedom acts and then rests. Practice by training "do, then stop." Pick one area where you overthink: messages, decisions, mistakes. Do the necessary step, and then consciously end the replay. If the mind restarts, bring it back to the present and to the breath. Also, notice rigid identities: "I'm the kind of person who always works" or "I never engage." Replace them with responsiveness: "What is needed now?" This simple habit cultivates the ease described in the verse. నిర్వాసనో నిరాలంబః స్వచ్ఛందో ముక్తబంధనః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is closely related to the idea of ప్రారబ్ధ: the portion of past momentum that continues until the body ends. Advaita does not deny momentum; it denies that momentum defines the Self. That is why the liberated one can appear to act, speak, travel, and even have moods, while inwardly remaining unattached. The verse protects you from expecting a cartoonish liberation where the body becomes a statue; instead, it describes a natural, unforced freedom. Practice by observing your own సంస్కార winds. Notice habitual reactions: impatience, people-pleasing, overthinking, indulgence. Instead of claiming them as "me", see them as conditioned patterns moving through the body-mind. Then respond with awareness: do one small, clean interruption of the pattern. Over time, habits lose power, and even while momentum continues, it does not feel like bondage. That is the freedom the verse points to. అసంసారస్య తు క్వాపి న హర్షో న విషాదతా । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The Bhagavad Gita calls this steadiness being free from agitation in sorrow and free from craving in pleasure. Advaita explains the mechanism: when the Self is known as awareness, feelings are experienced but not owned as identity. That is why the wise can be deeply human - caring, responsive, even tender - without being emotionally enslaved. The shine the verse mentions is the shine of inner stability, not outer performance. Practice by working with one emotional swing. When you feel elated, notice the urge to cling and prolong; when you feel dejected, notice the urge to collapse and dramatize. In both cases, return to the witness: feel the body, breathe, and let the emotion be present without turning it into a story about "me." Then act from steadiness: enjoy without grasping, and respond to pain without panic. Over time, శీతల-మనా becomes less rare and more natural. కుత్రాపి న జిహాసాస్తి నాశో వాపి న కుత్రచిత్ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is a mature expression of వైరాగ్య. It is not bitterness and it is not indifference; it is inner completeness. When the Self is recognized, both escapism and grasping lose their force. This is also why the wise can remain in ordinary life without inner bondage: there is no secret bargaining with the world and no secret resentment toward it. Practice by watching where you fantasize about escape and where you demand fulfillment. If you feel "I want to quit everything," ask what pain you are trying to avoid. If you feel "I need this outcome," ask what lack you are trying to fill. In both cases, return to the witness and to one clean step: rest, simplify, speak truth, take responsibility. Over time, the heart learns the calm of ఆత్మారామ - being at home in oneself. ప్రకృత్యా శూన్యచిత్తస్య కుర్వతోఽస్య యదృచ్ఛయా । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is one of the most practical markers of freedom: being less controlled by other people's opinions. Many suffer because honor and insult become identity threats. Advaita points out that identity is awareness, not reputation. When that is seen, you can still care about ethics and relationships, but you are not emotionally held hostage. That is why the verse says the wise acts spontaneously (యదృచ్ఛయా): action is not performance for approval. Practice by working with praise and blame. Notice one place where you are sensitive to being appreciated or criticized. When you receive praise, enjoy it but don't feed identity; when you receive criticism, learn if it's useful and drop the rest. In both cases, return to awareness and remember: your worth is not a social verdict. Then do one small act of sincerity without performance - an honest boundary, a quiet kindness, a clean correction. This steadily reduces మాన and అవమాన as inner rulers. కృతం దేహేన కర్మేదం న మయా శుద్ధరూపిణా । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The Bhagavad Gita teaches this repeatedly: the wise sees action as occurring through the qualities of nature, while the Self remains a witness. Ashtavakra's verse is the same teaching in one line. The key is "abiding" (అనురోధీ): it is not enough to repeat the idea; it must become your lived reference point. Then doership weakens naturally. Practice by applying this to one action a day. Before you act, feel the body and note: "The body-mind will do this." After the act, notice the inner claim and soften it: "It happened." If you made a mistake, correct it without self-hatred. If you succeeded, enjoy without inflation. Over time, you will see how much suffering was produced by doership, and how much peace comes from releasing it. అతద్వాదీవ కురుతే న భవేదపి బాలిశః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): Many people confuse wisdom with spiritual language. But real wisdom is the absence of inner bondage, not the ability to quote. This is why the liberated one can "shine" (శోభతే) even in ordinary life: the shine is inner peace and simplicity. It also implies humility. When you are not trying to prove anything, you can meet people where they are without preaching. Practice by reducing your need to appear wise. Notice where you reach for spiritual vocabulary to impress or to avoid vulnerability. Try being simpler: listen well, speak truthfully, and act kindly. Let your steadiness be the teaching. At the same time, keep clarity inwardly: remember the witness, release doership, reduce craving. This makes wisdom both humble and real, which is the spirit of this verse. నానావిచారసుశ్రాంతో ధీరో విశ్రాంతిమాగతః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The list "does not imagine, does not know, does not hear, does not see" is not literal blindness or ignorance. It means the seeking mode has stopped. The senses may function, but the inner drive to grab objects for completion is absent. This is like the end of compulsive searching on the internet: you close the tabs because you are no longer hungry. The wise has closed the mental tabs. Practice by noticing your own "mental tabs." Where do you keep searching for certainty, reassurance, or spiritual validation? Set a small boundary: decide a time when you stop consuming and start resting. Sit quietly and let the mind be without feeding it new inputs. When the urge to think arises, let it arise and pass without following. Over time, you will taste a bit of విశ్రాంతి - the rest that does not depend on answering every question. అసమాధేరవిక్షేపాన్ న ముముక్షుర్న చేతరః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The core is "seeing the constructed as constructed." When you see thoughts, identities, and world-stories as కల్పిత, they lose authority. Then what remains is బ్రహ్మ ఏవ - awareness itself. This verse is a key bridge between practice and non-practice: practice may quiet the mind, but liberation is the recognition of what awareness already is, independent of mental states. Practice by loosening your identity as "seeker." Notice where you are chasing a future state and where you are rebelling against practice. In both cases, return to the witness. Treat your thoughts and moods as constructions arising in awareness. Then rest as the awareness that knows them. If you meditate, do it without ambition; if you live your life, live it without distraction-as-escape. This makes the mind steady without turning steadiness into a new cage. యస్యాంతః స్యాదహంకారో న కరోతి కరోతి సః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is very close to the Bhagavad Gita's analysis of అహంకార. When ego claims doership, it also claims enjoyership and sufferership, and that is the root of bondage. When ego is absent, action becomes lighter and cleaner. In Advaita, the Self is not the doer; it is the witness. Recognizing that changes the entire emotional tone of life. Practice by observing how doership creates inner weight. Notice after an action how quickly the mind says "my success" or "my failure." Then step back and see the chain of causes: training, help, luck, body energy, mood, circumstances. Let the claim soften. Replace it with responsibility without ego: "I will respond and learn." This reduces pride and guilt and makes the mind more peaceful. Over time, "done/undone" stops being an identity issue. నోద్విగ్నం న చ సంతుష్టమకర్తృ స్పందవర్జితమ్ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The verse also highlights two roots of suffering: expectation and doubt. నిరాశా here does not mean hopelessness; it means the end of the inner bargain that says, "Life must give me this for me to be okay." గత-సందేహ means doubt is gone - not because every question has been answered, but because the core confusion about identity has been resolved. This is close to the Gita's description of the steady person whose mind is settled, free from fear and anger, and not dependent on outcomes. Practice by locating "spanda" in your own experience. Notice the inner twitch that appears when you are waiting for a response, trying to impress, or fearing a mistake. Instead of feeding it, pause, breathe, and return to the witness. Then act cleanly without the extra inner bargaining. Also work with expectation: pick one area where you demand a certain outcome, and soften it into preference. Finally, notice doubt as identity-confusion ("What if I'm not enough?") and meet it with inquiry: "What is aware of this doubt?" Repeating this steadily makes the mind quieter and more radiant, which is what the verse describes. నిర్ధ్యాతుం చేష్టితుం వాపి యచ్చిత్తం న ప్రవర్తతే । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is an important point because many imagine that spirituality means becoming inactive or blank. Advaita says the real shift is inner: the end of doership and craving. The body-mind can continue to function like an instrument - breathing, speaking, responding - without egoic ownership. The Bhagavad Gita says the wise may act, yet remain inwardly free. This verse gives the same idea: action and contemplation may happen, but not as an ego-project. Practice by doing one activity without hidden motive. Choose a simple task - washing dishes, walking, writing. Do it attentively, but watch for the inner push: "I must finish fast," "I must look good," "I must get praise." Each time it appears, soften it and return to presence. Also, if you meditate, notice the ambition for a state and drop it. Let practice become a resting rather than a chase. Over time, you will understand నిర్నిమిత్త as a lived quality: actions occur, but inner compulsion fades. తత్త్వం యథార్థమాకర్ణ్య మందః ప్రాప్నోతి మూఢతామ్ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): Tradition therefore emphasizes preparation: ethical stability, humility, and a willingness to examine oneself honestly. The teaching is simple, but the ego's defenses are complex. When Ashtavakra says "you are free," the ego may either inflate ("I'm already liberated!") or shrink ("then my life is meaningless"). Both are distortions. The right hearing is mature: it softens craving and fear and makes responsibility cleaner, not optional. Practice by checking how you receive teachings. If you notice arrogance or carelessness arising, treat it as a sign of mishearing. If you notice fear and contraction, slow down and ground yourself in simple practice: breath, honesty, kindness. Study with a quiet mind and apply the insight gradually in daily life. The goal is not to force yourself to feel fearless; it is to let understanding become stable. This prevents మూఢతా and సంకోచ from hijacking the teaching. ఏకాగ్రతా నిరోధో వా మూఢైరభ్యస్యతే భృశమ్ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is a core difference between force and clarity. Force can temporarily suppress mind, but the root identification remains. Clarity dissolves identification, so the mind can rest without effort. The verse uses "sleep" as a metaphor for ease, not for unconsciousness. It suggests a natural resting in being where the mind is not continuously commanding itself. Practice by using technique without violence. If you meditate, bring attention back gently rather than aggressively. Notice if you are trying to "win" at meditation. Replace that with a softer inquiry: "What is aware right now?" Also, reduce the inner list of "shoulds" by choosing one simple practice and doing it consistently without obsessing. This helps concentration serve recognition instead of becoming another ego contest. అప్రయత్నాత్ ప్రయత్నాద్ వా మూఢో నాప్నోతి నిర్వృతిమ్ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This does not mean intellectual belief; it means an insight that becomes stable. When you know, not merely think, that you are awareness and not the changing stories, the mind stops panicking about outcomes. Then effort becomes lighter and rest becomes natural. In Advaita, this is why knowledge is central: actions can purify, but only knowledge removes the core misunderstanding. Practice by shifting from method-addiction to clarity. Keep simple disciplines, but make inquiry central: "What is aware?" When you notice yourself oscillating between over-effort and avoidance, return to this question. Also verify in experience: notice that awareness is present whether the mind is busy or quiet. This repeated verification is how నిశ్చయ becomes steady and peace becomes natural. శుద్ధం బుద్ధం ప్రియం పూర్ణం నిష్ప్రపంచం నిరామయమ్ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): Advaita often compares this to polishing a mirror while forgetting to look at the face already reflected. The Self is not created by practice; it is revealed when mis-identification ends. If practice becomes a never-ending project of self-improvement, it can quietly reinforce the assumption "I am a deficient person who must become." This verse breaks that assumption by pointing to the Self as already పూర్ణ. Practice by balancing discipline with direct inquiry. Keep your practice simple and consistent, but regularly ask: "What knows this experience?" After meditation, rest for a minute as awareness without doing anything. Also watch for the subtle identity "I am a practitioner." Let that soften. When practice supports recognition, it becomes a doorway; when practice replaces recognition, it becomes a treadmill. This verse invites you off the treadmill. నాప్నోతి కర్మణా మోక్షం విమూఢోఽభ్యాసరూపిణా । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This does not cancel the role of discipline; it puts it in its proper place. Discipline can purify the mind and reduce agitation so that knowledge can be received and assimilated. But discipline itself is not the liberator. The liberator is seeing what is already true. That is why the liberated one is called అవిక్రియ: unchanged. The Self was never modified by bondage, so it does not become modified by liberation either. Practice by reorienting your effort. Keep the practices that make you calmer and more honest, but stop using them as a way to "earn" liberation. Let them support clarity. Add daily inquiry: "What am I, really?" Notice that awareness is present before, during, and after every practice. That is the అవిక్రియ Self the verse points to. Over time, practice becomes lighter and knowledge becomes deeper. మూఢో నాప్నోతి తద్ బ్రహ్మ యతో భవితుమిచ్ఛతి । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is why Advaita often says the path is subtraction, not addition. You are not manufacturing divinity; you are removing the ignorance that makes you feel limited. Once that ignorance is removed, the Self is seen as always already whole. The verse also comforts sincere seekers: your deepest nature is not waiting for a future achievement; it is available now as awareness. Practice by noticing where your spirituality is driven by becoming. If you feel "I'm not there yet," see that as a thought arising in awareness. Instead of feeding it, return to the witness and ask, "What is 'there' made of?" Usually it is an imagined future mood. Replace that with present recognition: awareness is here. Continue disciplined living, but let the core shift from "becoming" to "seeing." This aligns your practice with the verse's instruction. నిరాధారా గ్రహవ్యగ్రా మూఢాః సంసారపోషకాః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The wise cut the root by finding the true support: awareness itself. When you recognize the Self as the ground, the frantic need to grasp relaxes. This is not merely a moral improvement; it is a structural change. The same life continues, but it is no longer driven by panic. That is why the verse calls the wise "root cutters": they remove the cause, not merely the symptoms. Practice by identifying your main grasping pattern. Is it needing praise, needing control, needing certainty, needing comfort? Then ask what it is trying to support: usually a fear of being unsafe or unworthy. Meet that fear with inquiry and with calm action. Reduce one grasping behavior deliberately and replace it with one inner support practice: quiet sitting, honest journaling, prayer, or self-inquiry. Over time, you will feel less నిరాధార, and grasping will reduce naturally. న శాంతిం లభతే మూఢో యతః శమితుమిచ్ఛతి । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This verse also points out a common trap: trying to calm the mind while keeping the causes of agitation alive. If you keep feeding craving, resentment, and fear, the mind won't settle. The wise cuts the cause by seeing the truth and by living in alignment with that seeing. In that sense, peace is both insight and lifestyle. Practice by shifting from wishing to understanding. When you notice restlessness, ask: "What am I believing right now?" Often it is a fear-story or a demand-story. Question it. Then take one action that supports calm: simplify one task, speak one truth, release one grudge, reduce one indulgence. Over time, peace becomes less of a wish and more of a lived consequence of clarity. క్వాత్మనో దర్శనం తస్య యద్ దృష్టమవలంబతే । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): Advaita's method is simple: turn from objects to the knower. The wise see the Self as అవ్యయ, imperishable. That does not mean denying objects; it means not grounding yourself in them. This is also why the Upanishads emphasize the Self as the inner witness and why teachers use దృగ్-దృశ్య discrimination: separate the seer from the seen until the seer is recognized as awareness. Practice by making a clear shift once a day. Sit quietly and notice an object: a sound, a sensation, a thought. Then ask, "What knows this?" Do not answer with another thought; simply notice the knowing presence. That is closer to you than any experience. Then bring this into life: when you are tempted to base your worth on a result, remember the imperishable witness. This gradually reduces dependence on the seen and makes Self-knowledge more stable. క్వ నిరోధో విమూఢస్య యో నిర్బంధం కరోతి వై । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This does not mean the wise is careless. It means self-control is no longer maintained by tension. In the Bhagavad Gita, steadiness is linked to freedom from రాగ and ద్వేష. When attraction and aversion soften, restraint becomes అకృత్రిమ - unforced. Ashtavakra's point is: do not confuse tight control with freedom; freedom is the absence of inner compulsion. Practice by reducing the fuel rather than increasing the clamp. Notice what triggers your impulses - stress, loneliness, boredom, pride. Instead of forcing suppression, work with the trigger: breathe, ground the body, simplify the environment, and return to awareness. Then choose a clean action. Over time, impulses weaken because the inner need behind them is met more wisely. This is how నిరోధ becomes natural, not theatrical. భావస్య భావకః కశ్చిన్ న కించిద్ భావకోపరః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): Advaita uses reasoning, but its final aim is to take you beyond the need for mental positions. The Self is not a thesis to defend; it is the awareness in which all theses appear. When this is recognized, you can use concepts as tools without becoming imprisoned by them. This is why the chapter often critiques both realism and nihilism: both can be mental extremes that miss the living fact of awareness. Practice by noticing when you use philosophy to avoid direct seeing. If you find yourself debating "is the world real?" while still suffering from fear and craving, return to what is immediate: experience is present and awareness knows it. Ask, "What is aware right now?" Rest there. Let concepts serve insight rather than replacing it. This makes the mind simpler and more నిరాకుల. శుద్ధమద్వయమాత్మానం భావయంతి కుబుద్ధయః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is why Advaita emphasizes assimilation. A concept can sit in the mind while the ego continues to run the show. The point of teaching is to dissolve the ego's central claim, not to decorate it with ideas. When that dissolution does not happen, even beautiful concepts become another burden: "I know the truth, so why am I still suffering?" This verse compassionately names that mismatch as delusion, not as personal failure. Practice by moving from concept to verification. When you read "you are awareness," pause and look: what is aware of this thought right now? Notice that awareness is already present and unchanged. Then watch how the ego reappears as craving or fear and name it honestly. Reduce one craving each week and strengthen one virtue (truthfulness, simplicity, kindness). This grounds insight so it becomes lived knowledge rather than a borrowed idea. ముముక్షోర్బుద్ధిరాలంబమంతరేణ న విద్యతే । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is the difference between dependence and reverence. A seeker may cling to teachings as security; a liberated one can respect teachings without using them as a crutch. Their intellect is also నిష్కామ - not driven by desire for status, experience, or proof. That is why it can be supportless: it is not trying to get something. When the hunger ends, the leaning ends. Practice by using supports wisely but aiming at inner standing. Study and practice, but notice where you cling: needing a constant answer, needing a constant teacher-voice, needing a constant spiritual identity. Then, once a day, rest without leaning: sit quietly and let awareness be aware. Let the mind feel the ground of being. This gradually transforms supports from crutches into pointers. విషయద్వీపినో వీక్ష్య చకితాః శరణార్థినః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): Real freedom is not hiding from the "tiger"; it is understanding why the tiger has power. Objects become terrifying or irresistible because the mind projects completion onto them. When that projection is removed through insight and dispassion, the tiger becomes less frightening. Then practice is not escape; it is clarity. This verse is a reminder to examine motive: are you practicing to see, or to hide? Practice by approaching desires and fears with awareness rather than flight. When an object triggers craving or panic, pause and feel the sensation in the body. Ask, "What am I believing this object will give or take?" Then return to the witness. Use simple restraint when needed, but keep the spirit of understanding. This transforms నిరోధ from a cave of fear into a tool of clarity. నిర్వాసనం హరిం దృష్ట్వా తూష్ణీం విషయదంతినః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is not about hating the world. It is about becoming internally whole. When you are not hungry, food cannot seduce you in the same way; when you are not needy, praise cannot control you in the same way. The "serving" here points to a mature relationship with life: pleasures can be enjoyed as they come, but they do not become masters. The mind is sovereign because it is not bargaining. Practice by building the lion, not by fighting the elephants. Reduce one compulsive pattern that keeps you hungry: scrolling, overeating, validation-seeking. Replace it with a higher nourishment: quiet presence, honest connection, meaningful work. As hunger reduces, objects naturally lose their power. Then you will see the verse's point in daily life: temptation fades when inner fullness grows. న ముక్తికారికాం ధత్తే నిఃశంకో యుక్తమానసః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is a corrective for spiritual vanity and for spiritual fragility. If freedom depends on looking a certain way or maintaining a certain state, it is not freedom. The liberated mind is integrated (యుక్త-మానస): it is not split into "spiritual" and "worldly" compartments. This is close to the Gita's portrait of steadiness, where the wise person is not disturbed by sensory contact and does not need to prove anything. Freedom is inward, and therefore it can be simple. Practice by letting your spirituality become quieter and more honest. Notice where you try to appear wise or to convince others (or yourself) that you are progressing. Reduce that performance. Instead, focus on the inner signs of freedom: less craving, less reactivity, more clarity, more kindness. Do one small act each day that is free of display - a helpful action without credit, a boundary without drama, a simple enjoyment without clinging. This makes నిఃసంక and యుక్త-మానస lived realities. వస్తుశ్రవణమాత్రేణ శుద్ధబుద్ధిర్నిరాకులః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): Notice how this fits with the earlier warning (18-32): the truth can be misheard. A careless mind might misuse this verse to excuse behavior. But Ashtavakra is describing a purified intellect, not a lazy one. When ego shrinks, the need to perform morality for identity also shrinks. Then what remains is a cleaner simplicity: doing what is appropriate without inner drama and without harsh condemnation of oneself and others. Practice by keeping the foundation of ethics while dropping the addiction to judgment. When you evaluate yourself or others, ask: "Is this discernment, or is it ego?" Keep what is genuinely helpful (boundaries, responsibility), and drop what is egoic (contempt, self-hatred). Return to awareness before you act, and let actions come from steadiness. Over time, you will feel what the verse points to: less inner confusion and less compulsive labeling. యదా యత్కర్తుమాయాతి తదా తత్కురుతే ఋజుః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This does not cancel discernment. It means discernment is quiet and functional rather than anxious. The wise can still distinguish helpful from harmful, but the heart is not trapped in inner argument. This is also why the verse includes "good or bad": from the wise person's standpoint, even outcomes do not become identity. Actions happen according to circumstances, and the mind remains light. Practice by simplifying one decision process. Notice where you delay action because you want certainty, approval, or perfection. Take one clean step without waiting for ideal conditions. Also, practice ఋజు in speech: say one honest sentence without overexplaining or manipulating. When mistakes happen, correct them without self-hatred. This grows the uncontrived clarity the verse describes. స్వాతంత్ర్యాత్సుఖమాప్నోతి స్వాతంత్ర్యాల్లభతే పరమ్ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): Advaita sees this freedom as the natural condition of awareness. Bondage is mostly the mind's habit of leaning and clinging. When that habit ends, the Self is recognized as already complete, and peace (నిర్వృతి) becomes stable. This is why the text can call freedom the "highest state": not a mystical achievement, but the end of dependence. Practice by building inner freedom in a measurable way. Choose one compulsion - a habit, a craving, a fear-driven avoidance - and reduce it gently but consistently. Replace it with one freedom-supporting habit: quiet sitting, honest reflection, service, simplicity. Notice how even small reductions in compulsion bring disproportionate peace. Let that encourage you. Over time, స్వాతంత్ర్య stops being an idea and becomes an inner atmosphere. అకర్తృత్వమభోక్తృత్వం స్వాత్మనో మన్యతే యదా । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): యోగ says that the mind becomes still through practice and dispassion, but Advaita adds a deeper lever: correct identity. If you keep thinking you are a separate agent, you will keep producing vRuttis. When the witness is recognized as the Self, vRuttis may still arise, but they are not fed by compulsive ownership. That is why the verse says they become క్షీణా: worn out. Practice by watching doership and enjoyership in real time. When you begin a task, notice the thought "I am doing." When you seek a result, notice the thought "I must enjoy/own this." Then step back: feel awareness knowing these thoughts. Let the body-mind act as needed, but soften the inner claim. This is not irresponsibility; it is inner freedom. Over time, mental agitation reduces because the doer story is no longer constantly reinforced. ఉచ్ఛృంఖలాప్యకృతికా స్థితిర్ధీరస్య రాజతే । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This does not mean the wise behaves recklessly. It means the wise does not need constant tension to be steady. When the root hunger is gone, discipline becomes easier and more organic. Many seekers experience the opposite: they rely on tight control while craving remains, so their peace feels brittle. Ashtavakra is encouraging a deeper cure: remove craving, not merely behavior. Practice by focusing on the root. If you notice your peace depends on perfect routines or external control, that is a clue that craving or fear is still running. Work with the craving directly: simplify, be honest, reduce compulsive stimulation, and return to the witness often. Use discipline, but without harshness. Over time, peace becomes less dependent on external management and more like the natural steadiness described here. విలసంతి మహాభోగైర్విశంతి గిరిగహ్వరాన్ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This matches the chapter’s repeated theme: the inner shift is primary. When craving is gone, enjoyment does not become addiction, and solitude does not become escapism. The wise can move according to circumstance, health, and responsibility without turning it into a spiritual badge. That is why the verse calls them అబద్ధ: unbound in the heart. Practice by dropping the idea that one outer form guarantees freedom. If you are drawn to simplicity, practice it without superiority. If you live with comforts, practice gratitude and non-clinging. In both cases, watch the mind’s constructing: "this proves I'm spiritual" or "this proves I'm worldly." Let that story dissolve. Then the outer life becomes flexible and the inner freedom grows, which is the real teaching of the verse. శ్రోత్రియం దేవతాం తీర్థమంగనాం భూపతిం ప్రియమ్ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): Many people fear that spirituality requires rejecting beauty, love, or devotion. This verse says: the problem is not contact; it is clinging. When identity is awareness, contact does not become bondage. Devotion can remain pure, love can remain tender, and respect can remain sincere - without turning into dependency. That is a mature form of freedom: fullness without denial. Practice by observing where వాసనా sticks in you. After a pleasant experience, notice if the mind starts planning, craving, and clinging. After praise or power-contact, notice if ego inflates. Then return to the witness and let the impression dissolve: "That was experienced; it can end." Continue to honor what is worthy, but do it from fullness, not from hunger. This trains appreciation without bondage. భృత్యైః పుత్రైః కలత్రైశ్చ దౌహిత్రైశ్చాపి గోత్రజైః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is a practical sign of inner freedom: you can be corrected without collapsing and you can be criticized without becoming bitter. The ego often demands respect as proof of worth. When worth is rooted in awareness, respect can be welcomed, but lack of respect does not destroy you. That is why the verse highlights the hardest scenario: close relationships. Practice by training steadiness under criticism. When a close person mocks you, notice the immediate urge: defend, attack, withdraw. Pause and feel the sting in the body. Ask, "What identity is hurt?" Then respond cleanly: set a boundary, clarify, or stay silent - but avoid reactive drama. This builds inner stability. Over time, words lose their power to distort you, and relationships become less driven by ego. సంతుష్టోఽపి న సంతుష్టః ఖిన్నోఽపి న చ ఖిద్యతే । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The "wondrous state" is hard to explain to someone who has not tasted it, because language naturally uses opposites. The wise is described in many verses as beyond opposites, so the usual categories do not fit. This does not make the wise inhuman; it makes the wise less reactive. The wonder is the end of compulsive suffering, not the end of ordinary feeling. Practice by separating fatigue from misery and pleasure from clinging. When you are tired, do what the body needs - rest, eat, slow down - but watch for the mind adding a story of defeat. When you feel content, enjoy it, but watch for fear of losing it. In both cases, return to the witness and let the state be present without becoming identity. This is a practical doorway into the steadiness the verse describes. కర్తవ్యతైవ సంసారో న తాం పశ్యంతి సూరయః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The verse then describes the wise in Vedantic language: నిరాకార (formless), నిర్వికార (unchanging), నిరామయ (free of disturbance). It is pointing to awareness as the true Self, not to a special mental state. When you recognize yourself as awareness, the compulsive "must" loses authority. Life becomes cleaner: responsibilities remain, but inner slavery reduces. Practice by identifying your strongest "must." It might be "I must be liked," "I must be productive," "I must be perfect." Notice how it drives anxiety. Then replace compulsion with clarity: "I will do what is right, but I will not make my identity depend on it." Take one small task and do it from steadiness, then stop. Over time, this weakens కర్తవ్యతా as bondage and makes action lighter. అకుర్వన్నపి సంక్షోభాద్ వ్యగ్రః సర్వత్ర మూఢధీః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is why Advaita insists that the cure is not mere lifestyle optimization. A better routine can help, but if the ego's compulsions remain, restlessness will find new outlets. The wise is కుశల - skillful - because he can act without being agitated by the sense of doership and fear. Tasks are performed as needed, but the mind does not create a self-story around them. Practice by training calm-in-action. Choose one daily task and do it with full attention, breathing slowly, without rushing. Notice the mind's urge to jump ahead and gently return. Also train calm-in-stillness: sit for two minutes without entertainment and watch how the mind tries to escape. In both cases, return to awareness. This builds నిరాకులతా that does not depend on your activity level. సుఖమాస్తే సుఖం శేతే సుఖమాయాతి యాతి చ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): Many people postpone peace: "After I finish this phase, I'll relax." The wise has learned to live from a different center. Because identity is awareness, not outcome, the mind can be at ease while walking, speaking, eating, and handling transactions. This is a key theme of the chapter: liberation is not an exotic event; it is the absence of inner struggle in ordinary life. Practice by bringing ease into one routine. Pick one daily action - brushing teeth, commuting, eating - and do it without rushing, without multitasking, and without mental commentary. Notice the body and breath. Then bring the same into interactions: speak slowly, listen fully, and drop the urge to prove. These small experiments make peace tangible and train the mind toward the ease described here. స్వభావాద్యస్య నైవార్తిర్లోకవద్ వ్యవహారిణః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This verse also clarifies a common misunderstanding: liberation does not require withdrawing from life. It requires withdrawing the ego's dependence. You can behave "like the world" in the sense of doing your responsibilities, yet inwardly not be ruled by craving and fear. That combination is what makes the wise shine: grounded, responsible, and free. Practice by cultivating depth rather than just calmness. Calmness can be superficial if it depends on everything going well. Depth comes from recognizing awareness as the Self. Each day, spend a few minutes resting as the witness, and in the day, notice when a small disturbance shakes you too much. Use that as an opportunity to return to depth: breathe, widen attention, and remember what is unchanging. Over time, you become more like the great lake the verse describes. నివృత్తిరపి మూఢస్య ప్రవృత్తి రుపజాయతే । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The Bhagavad Gita makes this point in its own way: true renunciation is not abandoning action; it is abandoning attachment. When the ego is not claiming results, action does not bind. This verse therefore corrects superficial spirituality. The real question is not "Am I busy or quiet?" but "Am I free from craving while I act or withdraw?" Practice by checking motive whenever you change posture. If you want to "withdraw," ask if it is clean rest or fear-driven escape. If you want to "engage," ask if it is responsibility or craving for validation. In both cases, return to awareness and choose the cleaner motive. When engagement is clean, it becomes liberating; when withdrawal is clean, it becomes restorative. This is how నివృత్తి-ఫల appears in the middle of life. పరిగ్రహేషు వైరాగ్యం ప్రాయో మూఢస్య దృశ్యతే । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The wise person described here has విగలిత-ఆశా toward the body - the anxious expectation that the body must always be a certain way for life to be okay. When that drops, the inner obsession reduces, and then even labels like "attached" and "detached" become less relevant. That is why the verse asks: where is రాగ, and where is విరాగతా? The mind is simply free. Practice by expanding your view of attachment. Notice not only what you own, but what you fear losing. Watch body-related compulsions: constant comfort-seeking, insecurity about aging, panic about minor symptoms. Care for the body responsibly, but reduce the emotional worship of it. Each time fear arises, return to awareness and remember what is not the body. This is a deeper form of వైరాగ్య than merely simplifying possessions. భావనాభావనాసక్తా దృష్టిర్మూఢస్య సర్వదా । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is a subtle pointer: freedom is not achieved by fighting thought; it is achieved by seeing thought as thought and not building identity from it. When the witness is recognized, thoughts can arise and pass without being either indulged or suppressed. That is the "non-seeing" here: not looking at reality through the filter of constant mental making. Practice by catching yourself in both extremes. When you are lost in stories, pause and return to sensation and breath. When you are aggressively trying to stop thought, soften the effort and let thought be, while not following it. In both cases, shift attention to the awareness that knows. Over time, this creates అదృష్టి - a clean seeing that is free of compulsive fixation. సర్వారంభేషు నిష్కామో యశ్చరేద్ బాలవన్ మునిః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The Bhagavad Gita repeatedly teaches that action without attachment does not bind. Ashtavakra says the same in a simpler form: if the heart is clean and non-craving, action cannot stick. This does not deny cause and effect in the world; it denies psychological bondage. The pure mind responds and moves on, rather than replaying and owning. Practice by choosing one undertaking and making it నిష్కామ. Do it with care, but drop the demand for recognition or perfection. After finishing, deliberately release the mental replay. If praise comes, receive it lightly; if blame comes, learn what is useful and drop the rest. This is how you reduce లేప and make actions cleaner. స ఏవ ధన్య ఆత్మజ్ఞః సర్వభావేషు యః సమః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is why the verse calls such a one ధన్య - blessed. It is not social blessing; it is inner wholeness. Many people can control behavior, but very few end the inner thirst. When the thirst ends, the senses can function without enslaving. This is the mature freedom the chapter keeps describing: life continues, but craving does not rule. Practice by noticing "thirst moments." These are the moments when you feel, "This isn't enough," or "I need a bigger hit of pleasure/approval/control." Pause there. Feel the body, breathe, and return to awareness. Then choose a simple act of contentment: stop scrolling, eat a bit less, speak less defensively, accept a small discomfort. These small reductions in thirst gradually create the equanimity the verse praises. క్వ సంసారః క్వ చాభాసః క్వ సాధ్యం క్వ చ సాధనమ్ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): Upanishadic teaching often uses space to show this: pot-space and vast space are not truly different; the difference is only a boundary. When the boundary of ego is seen as a mental construction, the Self is recognized as vast. That is why the verse asks rhetorical questions. It is not dismissing practice; it is pointing to the truth that practice ultimately reveals: the ever-present openness of awareness. Practice by cultivating the "space view." When thoughts and emotions arise, imagine them as clouds moving in the sky of awareness. Do not fight them; do not chase them. Let them pass. Then notice that the sky is unchanged. When you feel trapped in a problem, widen attention: hear sounds, feel breath, sense the body, and recognize the field. This helps you taste why the wise is compared to space. స జయత్యర్థసంన్యాసీ పూర్ణస్వరసవిగ్రహః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): Many people associate renunciation with dullness, but the verse insists the opposite: when the heart is not hungry for gain, vitality can be more genuine. This is also why the text repeatedly praises unforced steadiness. Forced సమాధి is still an ego project; unforced సమాధి is simply the mind abiding in its source. That is the triumph being described. Practice by renouncing one "gain identity." Identify one area where your self-worth depends on achievement, money, status, or being seen. Reduce that dependence intentionally: simplify a goal, refuse one manipulative shortcut, do one good action quietly. At the same time, cultivate unbroken remembrance: return to awareness repeatedly during the day, not as strain but as gentle recall. This makes సమాధి less a special event and more a stable background. బహునాత్ర కిముక్తేన జ్ఞాతతత్త్వో మహాశయః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This echoes earlier verses in the work where the rare person is described as desiring neither enjoyment nor liberation. The point is not apathy; it is fullness. When the Self is seen as complete, both worldly craving and spiritual ambition soften. Then the mind becomes simpler, and language becomes less necessary. The truth is lived. Practice by examining your two cravings: worldly and spiritual. Notice where you chase comfort, praise, romance, and control. Also notice where you chase "attainment": wanting to feel special, wanting a perfect state. In both cases, return to awareness and to contentment. Do one act of simple living each day and one act of quiet inquiry each day. This gradually makes the mind less hungry and more నీరస in the best sense: free. మహదాది జగద్ద్వైతం నామమాత్రవిజృంభితమ్ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): From that standpoint, the idea of "duty to become liberated" collapses. Pure awareness does not have a task to complete; it is already itself. This does not mean the body-mind will stop acting responsibly. It means the inner identity of "I am a limited person who must reach a state" is dropped. What remains is simplicity and spontaneous right action. Practice by noticing where you cling to maps. You may cling to spiritual frameworks, psychological labels, or stories about your past. Use them as tools, but do not make them your identity. Once a day, deliberately drop all labels for a minute and rest as awareness. Then return to life and act responsibly. This trains you to relate to names as names, which is the freedom the verse is pointing to. భ్రమభూతమిదం సర్వం కించిన్నాస్తీతి నిశ్చయీ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The danger here is nihilism: thinking the verse means nothing matters. That is a mishearing. The verse is pointing to the unreality of separateness, not to the unreality of lived experience. In practice, this insight reduces panic and possessiveness. When you stop treating experiences as ultimate, the heart becomes naturally calm (శాంతి) because it is no longer bargaining with life. Practice by applying "dreamlike" insight without becoming careless. When you are anxious, remind yourself: "This is an appearance in awareness; it is not ultimate." Let the body relax, and return to the subtle shining of knowing. Then act responsibly in the world - pay the bill, speak the truth, help someone - but without panic. This is how స్వభావ-శా ంతి becomes real: calmness that arises from seeing clearly. శుద్ధస్ఫురణరూపస్య దృశ్యభావమపశ్యతః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This verse is easily misused if heard prematurely. It is not telling an untrained mind to ignore ethics or discipline. It is describing a mature mind where discipline is no longer forced. The chapter keeps alternating between lofty descriptions and sober warnings (like 18-75) for this reason: to prevent spiritual bypassing. The right hearing is: practice until the mind is clear, then let practice become natural. Practice by letting discipline become less tense. Keep basic ethics and simple daily practices, but watch for the ego behind them: pride, harshness, perfectionism. Reduce that. Also cultivate the key insight of the verse: notice when you are objectifying life - treating people and experiences as separate things that must complete you. Return to awareness and see that objecthood is a mental habit. As that habit weakens, శమ and వైరాగ్య grow more naturally. స్ఫురతోఽనంతరూపేణ ప్రకృతిం చ న పశ్యతః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is not emotional denial. It is the recognition that feelings are waves, not the ocean. The "not seeing ప్రకృతి" here means not taking the phenomenal field as the Self. When that confusion ends, both bondage and liberation are seen as ideas that applied only to the imagined separate self. From the standpoint of the infinite, the drama reduces. Practice by enlarging your reference point. When you feel intense joy or sorrow, notice the urge to make it absolute. Then return to awareness and see the feeling as a wave. Ask, "What is aware of this wave?" Rest in that. This does not suppress emotion; it gives it space. Over time, the inner hold of హర్ష and విషాద reduces, and equanimity becomes more natural. బుద్ధిపర్యంతసంసారే మాయామాత్రం వివర్తతే । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The phrase "illusion plays out" also protects you from unrealistic expectations. Even after insight, the body-mind will still have perceptions, habits, and reactions. What changes is ownership. When you do not take the mind’s play as "me", its power reduces. That is why the wise "shines": the shine is clarity amidst the play, like a lamp that is not disturbed by shadows moving on the wall. Practice by treating the mind's drama as మాయా without becoming dismissive. When thoughts and emotions surge, name the play: "mind-story." Then return to the witness. Also actively reduce possessiveness, ego, and craving in daily choices: simplify one desire, stop one manipulation, drop one resentment. This makes the mind-intellect play lighter and less binding. అక్షయం గతసంతాపమాత్మానం పశ్యతో మునేః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The verse uses క్వ to say these things cannot be located as binding realities for the wise. They may appear as practical tools - knowledge can still be used, the world can still be navigated, the body can still be cared for - but they no longer define the Self. That is why the sage is free of torment: the core misidentification is gone. Practice by working specifically with "I" and "mine." Notice how often you tense around ownership: my reputation, my plan, my body, my comfort. Each time, pause and ask, "Who is this 'I'?" Return to awareness. Then act responsibly without possessiveness. Over time, the categories the verse lists become lighter, and you understand directly why freedom is described as the end of torment. నిరోధాదీని కర్మాణి జహాతి జడధీర్యది । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The difference is maturity. The wise does not need forced restraint because desire has softened through insight. The unprepared mind still needs structure. This is why traditions insist on ethics, steady practice, and humility. Freedom is not an attitude you declare; it is an inner transformation. Until that transformation is stable, disciplines like నిరోధ protect you from your own compulsions. Practice by being honest about your readiness. If you notice your mind immediately runs to fantasy and distraction when you relax discipline, keep discipline - but make it gentle and sustainable. Reduce stimulation, keep simple meditation, and live truthfully. At the same time, work toward the deeper aim: seeing the Self as awareness. As insight grows, discipline becomes less forced. This is how you respect the verse's warning without getting stuck in rigid control. మందః శ్రుత్వాపి తద్వస్తు న జహాతి విమూఢతామ్ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is why the tradition insists on sincerity. If the heart is still hungry, pretending to be free creates more splitting: an outer mask and an inner craving. Ashtavakra’s point is not to shame, but to make you honest: freedom is measured by reduced craving and fear, not by the appearance of calm. This also ties back to the chapter’s warnings about mishearing. Practice by choosing honesty over image. Notice where you try to appear detached while secretly craving. Bring the craving into awareness without judgment and work with it directly: simplify habits, reduce stimulation, and strengthen contentment. If you meditate, do it not to look spiritual but to see clearly. Over time, outer quiet and inner quiet align, and నిర్వికల్ప becomes less of a mask and more of a natural simplicity. జ్ఞానాద్ గలితకర్మా యో లోకదృష్ట్యాపి కర్మకృత్ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): In practical terms, this means life becomes simpler. Actions happen when needed, words are spoken when helpful, but the mind does not build a self-image from them. This is close to the Gita’s repeated refrain: the wise acts without attachment and without ego. The deeper freedom is not in changing outward life dramatically; it is in removing the inner owner. Practice by noticing when you "stamp" your actions. After speaking, do you replay: "Did I sound smart?" After acting, do you claim: "I achieved" or "I failed"? Catch the stamping and soften it. Replace it with a quieter view: "This happened through the body-mind; awareness witnessed it." Continue to act responsibly, but drop the inner ownership. Over time, you will understand the verse: the ego finds no opportunity to claim. క్వ తమః క్వ ప్రకాశో వా హానం క్వ చ న కించన । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This does not deny practical learning or practical loss. It denies existential bondage to them. The wise can still learn skills, still correct mistakes, still respond to loss - but inwardly they are నిరాతంక, not threatened at the root. Because the Self is recognized as unchanging awareness, the mind does not collapse into fear when conditions change. Practice by distinguishing practical change from existential threat. When you feel fear around loss or failure, ask, "What is threatened?" Often it is a self-image. Return to awareness and see that awareness is present and unchanged. Then take the practical step: learn, repair, plan. This keeps you functional without being owned by the opposites the verse lists. క్వ ధైర్యం క్వ వివేకిత్వం క్వ నిరాతంకతాపి వా । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This does not mean virtues are irrelevant. It means virtues have matured into spontaneity. Courage, discernment, and fearlessness may express naturally, but without the ego claiming, "I am virtuous." The chapter keeps pointing to this: the freed mind is simple. Even the language of attainment becomes unnecessary. Practice by cultivating virtues without ego-ownership. Do courageous things, make discerning choices, reduce fear - but notice when the mind wants credit. Drop the credit and keep the action. Also, practice humility: allow yourself to be a learner. Over time, qualities become natural and less performative, which is closer to what the verse indicates. న స్వర్గో నైవ నరకో జీవన్ముక్తిర్న చైవ హి । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is not an excuse to ignore ethics. It is a statement about ultimate reality. In practical life, actions have consequences, and discipline matters. But the deepest freedom is the recognition that the Self is untouched. The verse says: from యోగ-దృష్టి - the vision of union - separateness cannot be found. That is why it says "nothing": not nihilism, but non-duality. Practice by dropping the transactional mentality in spirituality. Notice where you are seeking goodness mainly for reward or avoiding badness mainly for fear. Replace that with sincerity: do what is right because it aligns with clarity. At the same time, rest daily as awareness and observe that awareness is not improved or damaged by outcomes. This slowly brings your lived perspective closer to యోగ-దృష్టి. నైవ ప్రార్థయతే లాభం నాలాభేనానుశోచతి । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The word అమృత is important. It points to the "immortal nectar" of the Self - a happiness not dependent on what comes and goes. When that taste grows, the mind does not need to beg life for proof of worth. This is also why the Bhagavad Gita praises contentment and equanimity in gain and loss. The inner nectar makes outer swings less binding. Practice by watching your relationship to outcomes. Notice where you "pray" for a particular result: approval, money, a certain response. See the anxiety behind it. Then practice doing what is right without begging life to guarantee comfort. Also, practice receiving loss without self-pity: feel the pain, take practical steps, but avoid identity-collapse. Over time, the mind becomes cooler because it is less dependent on outcomes for peace. న శాంతం స్తౌతి నిష్కామో న దుష్టమపి నిందతి । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This does not mean the wise cannot act against harm or support what is wholesome. It means action is not driven by inner agitation. The verse also links this to the end of కృత్యం as burden: when you are not trying to fix your self-image through action, action becomes simpler. This aligns with the chapter’s repeated critique of the inner "must" voice. Practice by watching where you use judgment to feed ego. Notice if you praise to be liked or condemn to feel righteous. Replace that with clean discernment: "What action reduces harm?" Then act, without contempt. Also cultivate equanimity: when pleasure or pain comes, remember the witness and keep your response steady. This reduces the need for reactive praise/blame and supports the contentment the verse describes. ధీరో న ద్వేష్టి సంసారమాత్మానం న దిదృక్షతి । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The line "not dead and not living" is a poetic way of saying: the wise is not confined to the ego's biography. The body lives and will die, but the Self as awareness is not born and does not die. When this is recognized, emotional swings like హర్ష and అమర్ష reduce because they are driven by ego-threat and ego-gratification. Practice by dropping both extremes: stop hating life and stop chasing a special "Self experience." When you feel resentment toward the world, ask what desire was blocked. When you feel desperate for a mystical experience, ask what insecurity is driving it. Return to the witness and rest. Then live responsibly and kindly in the world. This makes freedom practical and prevents it from becoming another form of craving. నిఃస్నేహః పుత్రదారాదౌ నిష్కామో విషయేషు చ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The verse also says the wise is free of worry even about the body. This does not mean negligence; it means the body is cared for without panic and obsession. నిరాశా is the end of anxious expectation: the mind stops demanding that life guarantee a certain shape of future. That is why the wise "shines": inner freedom is visible as steadiness. Practice by distinguishing love from clinging. In relationships, notice where fear makes you control. Replace it with trust and honest communication. With the body, practice responsible care without obsession: exercise, eat well, rest, but drop the identity-story around it. And work with expectation: each time you catch yourself demanding a guarantee, soften it into preference. These steps make the verse’s qualities concrete. తుష్టిః సర్వత్ర ధీరస్య యథాపతితవర్తినః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The image of resting wherever the day ends suggests a mind that does not constantly negotiate. Many minds are always planning the next place, the next improvement, the next upgrade. The wise can move freely, but not from dissatisfaction. Movement is not escape; it is simply movement. This is the repeated theme of Chapter 18: freedom is the end of inner demand. Practice by building "portable contentment." Choose one daily moment when you deliberately stop optimizing - during a meal, a walk, or a pause at work. Let the moment be enough. Also practice sleeping with a lighter mind: reduce scrolling, reduce mental replay, and end the day with a few breaths of witnessing. These small habits cultivate the steadiness and ease the verse pictures. పతతూదేతు వా దేహో నాస్య చింతా మహాత్మనః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This does not recommend neglect. The wise cares for the body as an instrument, but without worshiping it as the Self. When identity shifts to awareness, the body’s changes are still felt, but they do not become existential catastrophe. The verse also says he has "forgotten" bondage - meaning he is no longer hypnotized by the old self-story of limitation and fear. Practice by relating to the body more wisely. Care for it responsibly: rest, eat well, move, seek help when needed. But watch the identity-panic: "If the body changes, I am ruined." When that thought appears, return to awareness and remember what is not the body. Then take practical steps calmly. Over time, body-care becomes clean, and body-fear loses its grip. అకించనః కామచారో నిర్ద్వంద్వశ్ఛిన్నసంశయః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): Notice how different this is from ordinary pleasure. Ordinary pleasure depends on getting and keeping; it is fragile. This joy comes from non-dependence. That is why the verse ends with రమతే: he "plays" or "delights" in the Self. The wise can still live and act, but the center has shifted from acquisition to presence. Practice by cultivating the inner meanings of these qualities. Let go of one possession-identity ("this is who I am") and one doubt-loop ("what if I'm not okay"). Reduce engagement with opposites that agitate you: praise/blame, gain/loss, success/failure. Return to awareness repeatedly. Over time, కేవల joy becomes more accessible: not as excitement, but as quiet wholeness. నిర్మమః శోభతే ధీరః సమలోష్టాశ్మకాంచనః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The "heart-knot" (హృదయ-గ్రంథి) is the knot of ego-identification that ties awareness to body-mind as "me." When it is cut, the guNas lose dominance. రజస్ (restless passion) and తమస్ (dull inertia) are shaken off, meaning the mind becomes clearer and steadier. This is a deep inner purification, not merely an external lifestyle. Practice by working with value-hypnosis. Notice how money, status, and possessions trigger greed or insecurity. Then practice "same-ness" inwardly: remind yourself that worth is awareness, not objects. Make one deliberate choice each week that reduces greed: give, simplify, stop comparing. Also watch the heart-knot in daily reactions: "my pride", "my shame." Return to the witness. Over time, the knot loosens and equanimity grows. సర్వత్రానవధానస్య న కించిద్ వాసనా హృది । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): It also says అనవధాన: not fixated anywhere. This is not carelessness; it is the end of obsessive attention. The mind is not continually scanning for gain or threat. Because it is not hooked, cravings do not take root in the heart. The person can function in life without being consumed by evaluation. Practice by reducing comparison and fixation. Notice where you constantly measure yourself - in work, relationships, spirituality. Each time, return to awareness and to one clean action you can take. Also reduce obsessive checking: news, messages, metrics. Create small spaces of non-fixation. As the mind becomes less addicted to measuring, a deeper contentment grows, and the verse becomes more understandable from the inside. జానన్నపి న జానాతి పశ్యన్నపి న పశ్యతి । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This verse is also a reminder that liberation is not about shutting down faculties. It is about removing the owner. The world still appears and communication still happens, but the inner need to build identity through them fades. This is why the wise can seem effortless: there is less inner commentary and less self-display. Practice by watching your inner stamping. Notice how often you claim: "my insight," "my opinion," "my achievement." Then experiment with speaking and acting without claim. Listen more. Speak only what is useful. Let knowing happen without turning it into identity. Over time, you will feel the lightness the verse points to: functioning continues, but ownership and craving reduce. భిక్షుర్వా భూపతిర్వాపి యో నిష్కామః స శోభతే । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The "melting" of good/bad judgment does not mean losing discernment. It means the ego is no longer using morality as identity. The wise can still distinguish wholesome and unwholesome actions, but without self-righteousness and without self-hatred. This is consistent with the chapter’s repeated theme: reduce inner ownership and craving, and life becomes cleaner. Practice by living నిష్కామ in your current role. If you are a leader, lead without ego; if you are a helper, help without martyrdom. Notice where you label yourself as "good" to feel safe or label others as "bad" to feel superior. Replace that with simple responsibility: do what reduces harm and increases clarity. Over time, your role becomes less binding, and the inner shine of steadiness grows. క్వ స్వాచ్ఛంద్యం క్వ సంకోచః క్వ వా తత్త్వవినిశ్చయః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is not denial of human experience; it is freedom from self-drama. A mind that is truthful and not hiding does not need to keep announcing certainty. It can live from quiet clarity. The verse suggests that many of our spiritual concepts become unnecessary when the heart is clean. What remains is sincerity and steadiness. Practice by reducing pretence in your life. Notice where you hide, exaggerate, perform, or manipulate to look a certain way. Replace that with one act of clean honesty each day. Also, practice straightforward action: do what is needed without overcomplication. As inner straightness grows, you will notice less contraction and less need to constantly reassure yourself with concepts. That is the beginning of being చరితార్థ in practice. ఆత్మవిశ్రాంతితృప్తేన నిరాశేన గతార్తినా । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This also hints at why realized people often speak simply. They may use words when helpful, but they are not compelled to describe inner states for validation. The satisfaction (తృప్తి) is inward and stable, and the distress (ఆర్తి) that drives seeking has faded. Therefore, the urge to convert experience into stories reduces. Practice by valuing direct seeing over endless description. If you study, pause often and verify in experience: what is aware right now? If you feel the urge to talk about spirituality constantly, ask whether it is serving clarity or feeding identity. Try short periods of quiet where you let the teaching become lived rather than discussed. This respects the verse’s point: what matters most is not what you can say, but what you can be. సుప్తోఽపి న సుషుప్తౌ చ స్వప్నేఽపి శయితో న చ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The contentment "at every step" suggests that peace is not dependent on maintaining one particular state. Many seekers chase a meditative state and feel lost when it is absent. This verse says: the wise is content in all states because identity is not a state. This is aligned with the Upanishadic teaching of the witness underlying waking, dream, and deep sleep. Practice by noticing awareness across transitions. When you wake up, notice the simple knowing before thoughts begin. During the day, pause and feel the continuity of awareness between tasks. Before sleep, rest as the witness without forcing thoughtlessness. Over time, you will intuit the verse: states change, but awareness remains, and contentment can become more continuous. జ్ఞః సచింతోఽపి నిశ్చింతః సేంద్రియోఽపి నిరింద్రియః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The verse is therefore a compassionate correction: do not mistake liberation for becoming blank. Liberation is clarity about what is "me." The wise uses mind and senses as tools while resting as awareness. This is why the language is paradoxical: "with, yet without." It points to a lived relationship where faculties operate without binding identity. Practice by shifting from identification to use. Notice thoughts, senses, and intellect as instruments. When a thought arises, see it as an object known by awareness. When a sensory pull arises, feel it without obeying it. When intellectual pride arises, soften it and return to humility. Over time, you will experience the verse directly: functions continue, but ownership and bondage reduce. న సుఖీ న చ వా దుఃఖీ న విరక్తో న సంగవాన్ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The phrase "not something and not nothing" is especially important. It prevents two extremes: making the Self into a thing you can possess, and falling into nihilism. Advaita points to awareness as real and present, yet not an object. This verse is pointing to that subtle middle: the Self is not a thing, yet it is not nothing. It is the ever-present knowing. Practice by noticing your urge to label yourself. Do you want to be "happy," "detached," "spiritual," "liberated"? Those labels can create subtle pressure and disappointment. Instead, return to awareness and let states come and go. Live responsibly, practice sincerely, but drop the need to define yourself. Over time, freedom becomes less about an identity and more about the absence of inner boxing. విక్షేపేఽపి న విక్షిప్తః సమాధౌ న సమాధిమాన్ । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is a deep form of freedom because it removes state-chasing and state-fearing. Many seekers feel, "If I lose concentration, I'm failing." Or they become proud: "I had samadhi." This verse says both are mistakes because they treat states as identity. The blessed one (ధన్య) is the one who is free from that confusion. Practice by changing your relationship to mind-states. When you are distracted, return gently without self-judgment. When you are calm, enjoy it without pride. When you feel dull, take practical steps (rest, movement) without despair. When you are sharp, use it for truth and service, not for superiority. Repeatedly remember: awareness is present in all states. This makes stability more real and less performative. ముక్తో యథాస్థితిస్వస్థః కృతకర్తవ్యనిర్వృతః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): Equanimity is emphasized again: సమః సర్వత్ర. The wise does not need a special environment to be steady. And because identity is not tied to perfection, he does not torture himself with "done/undone." This does not mean he becomes careless; it means correction happens without self-hatred and without endless rumination. Practice by ending the replay loop. After a task, intentionally close it: take one breath and tell yourself, "Finished." If something needs follow-up, write it down and stop rehearsing. Also, work with craving: notice how wanting a perfect image fuels rumination. Reduce it by choosing honesty and simplicity. Over time, you will taste the peace described here: action becomes cleaner, and the mind becomes more restful. న ప్రీయతే వంద్యమానో నింద్యమానో న కుప్యతి । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): This is not indifference; it is steadiness. The wise can still respond to feedback and take responsibility, but without emotional slavery. The key is that the Self is known as beyond birth and death, so the deepest fear model collapses. Then life can be lived more fully, because it is not lived from panic. Practice by working with one hook at a time. If praise affects you, do one good action without telling anyone. If blame affects you, practice receiving criticism and extracting only what is useful. Contemplate impermanence gently to reduce death-fear, and also notice how clinging to life shows up as anxiety. Each day, return to awareness and remember what is not touched by praise, blame, life, or death. This builds the steadiness described here. న ధావతి జనాకీర్ణం నారణ్యముపశాంతధీః । Meaning (పదార్థ): Translation (భావార్థ): Commentary (అనుసంధాన): The verse is also a gentle critique of escapism. Running away may help temporarily, but if the mind carries craving and fear, those follow. True peace comes from recognition of the Self and the weakening of వాసనా. Then environment becomes a secondary detail rather than a condition for sanity. Practice by building a mind that does not need escape. Create small moments of stillness in the middle of your day, even in noise. Also learn to be alone without immediately reaching for stimulation. In both places, return to awareness and soften reactivity. Then choose settings wisely for your health and responsibilities, but do not treat settings as salvation. This makes the chapter’s final instruction lived: wherever you are, remain equal and at peace.
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