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Ashtavakra Gita Chapter 13 aṣṭāvakra gītā is a 20-chapter dialogue of direct advaita, moving from inquiry to recognition to effortless stabilization. Again and again it points to the same correction: you are the awareness that knows experience, not the body-mind bundle that is experienced. When this is seen clearly, the inner compulsion to seek completion through objects, roles, and achievements begins to dissolve. In the previous chapter (Chapter 12), janaka repeatedly says ēvamēva ahamāsthitaḥ - "thus I abide" - describing a mind that has grown weary of needless busyness and has stopped turning states and practices into identity. That chapter shows the settling that follows conviction: distraction and forced concentration both lose their grip, the constant "accept/reject" reflex fades, and even the urge to grasp the ungraspable Self through thought is abandoned. Chapter 13 continues this portrait, but with a different refrain: yathā sukham - "as is comfortable / at ease." janaka describes a freedom that does not require a particular posture, lifestyle, or outcome. Sometimes the body rests, sometimes it moves; sometimes one sleeps, sometimes one acts. The key is that the inner struggle has dropped. He is no longer trying to win life; he is simply living, with mind released from the compulsions of gain/loss and good/bad. The next chapter (Chapter 14) will deepen this ease by describing a mind that is naturally empty of inner story, in which craving has melted and even the concern for liberation can disappear. Then Chapter 15 returns to aṣṭāvakra's voice with a powerful cascade of direct teachings that refine the same insight through many angles. Seen as a whole, Chapter 13 is a chapter of ordinary-looking freedom. It shows how realization expresses itself as simplicity: less mental bargaining, less self-punishment, less obsession with achievement, and more natural ease. The refrain yathāsukham is not indulgence; it is the absence of inner resistance. The summary is simple: when identity is no longer glued to the body-mind, life can be lived lightly - doing what comes, without being owned by it. janaka uvācha ॥ Meaning (padārtha): Translation (bhāvārtha): Commentary (anusandhāna): The verse then names the core habit to abandon: tyāga and ādāna as compulsive reactions. The mind keeps saying "get this" and "push that away." Even spiritual life can become trapped in this: "I must acquire samAdhi," "I must reject the world," "I must become pure." janaka says he has abandoned this inner reflex. When the reflex drops, ease becomes natural. That is why he ends with yathāsukham: not indulgence, but freedom from inner resistance. Practice by watching your day through this lens: where do you compulsively grasp (ādāna) and where do you compulsively reject (tyāga)? Pick one small instance of each and soften it. If you grasp, delay by two minutes and see you remain okay. If you reject, stay present for two breaths and see you can bear it. Then do one act of true akiñchana: a small simplicity - buy nothing unnecessary today, let go of one argument, or stop checking for validation. This trains inner non-possessiveness, which is the well-being the verse points to. kutrāpi khēdaḥ kāyasya jihvā kutrāpi khidyatē । Meaning (padārtha): Translation (bhāvārtha): Commentary (anusandhāna): The phrase puruṣārtha here is important. It does not necessarily mean a social goal; it means the deepest aim: freedom from bondage. When that aim is clear, you stop being hijacked by temporary conditions. This is one way to understand sākṣī-standing: you notice fatigue as fatigue, wandering as wandering, without the extra story of "me." Then you act sensibly (rest, eat, speak less) without self-judgment. Practice by training a clean response to bodily and mental fluctuation. When tiredness appears, instead of saying "I am lazy," say "tiredness is present." When the mind wanders, instead of saying "I am hopeless," say "wandering is present." Then do one small appropriate action: rest ten minutes, drink water, take a walk, or simplify your schedule. This turns self-inquiry into kindness: you stop torturing yourself for being human, and you stay aligned with the deeper puruṣārtha of freedom. kṛtaṃ kimapi naiva syād iti sañchintya tattvataḥ । Meaning (padārtha): Translation (bhāvārtha): Commentary (anusandhāna): This is why the verse's rhythm is: do what comes, then rest. Many people do what comes and then keep thinking about it: replaying, worrying, seeking validation. That is bondage. Here, kṛtvā āsē means: finish the necessary action and then drop it. This is close to what the gItA calls acting without clinging to fruits, but Chapter 13 expresses it as ease rather than as discipline. Practice by training "do and drop" in one daily task. Pick something small: one email, one household chore, one conversation. Do it with full attention. When it is done, do not replay it. If the mind replays, label it "aftertaste" and return to the next present action. You can also practice reducing doer-identity by replacing "I must prove myself" with "This action is happening; let me do it well." Over time, the mind learns to rest after action, and yathāsukham becomes practical. karmanaiṣkarmyanirbandhabhāvā dēhasthayōginaḥ । Meaning (padārtha): Translation (bhāvārtha): Commentary (anusandhāna): The phrase saṃyōga-ayōga also points to a deeper non-dual stance. The mind tends to label experience as "connected" or "disconnected," "in yoga" or "out of yoga." janaka says he is free of this labeling. In Advaita, awareness is present in all states; therefore "union" is not a special event, and "disunion" is not a fall. When this is seen, the mind stops chasing a particular state and stops condemning itself for ordinary fluctuations. Practice by noticing where you cling to labels like "busy," "lazy," "spiritual," "worldly," "connected," "disconnected." Each label tightens identity. When you catch one, pause and return to the simple fact of awareness: something is being experienced. Then take the appropriate action without drama. If action is needed, do it. If rest is needed, rest. If meditation is needed, meditate. But do not use any of these as a badge. Over time, the rigidity drops, and you begin to live the ease this verse describes. arthānarthau na mē sthityā gatyā na śayanēna vā । Meaning (padārtha): Translation (bhāvārtha): Commentary (anusandhāna): This is also an antidote to the subtle belief that spiritual freedom requires constant vigilance. Yes, mindfulness is helpful. But obsessive self-monitoring can become another bondage: you keep checking whether you are "doing it right." janaka says his ease is not dependent on posture or activity. That is a sign of mature recognition: awareness is present in all postures, so peace is not tied to a particular one. Practice by noticing where you over-control. Pick one routine: work, diet, communication, spiritual practice. Where do you insist that one posture or one behavior guarantees safety? Experiment with relaxing one small control without becoming reckless: let one conversation be imperfect, let one task be done well enough, let one meditation session be natural rather than forced. Then observe: do you collapse, or do you remain okay? This builds trust in the deeper stability of awareness, and it makes the ease of this verse more realistic. svapatō nāsti mē hāniḥ siddhiryatnavatō na vā । Meaning (padārtha): Translation (bhāvārtha): Commentary (anusandhāna): Then he names the emotional pair to abandon: nāśa and ullāsa - despair and excitement. Excitement here is not healthy joy; it is the egoic high that comes from taking success as identity. Despair is the egoic low that comes from taking loss as identity. Abandoning both means returning to steadiness: you work sincerely when needed, you rest when needed, and you do not ride outcomes as your self-worth. Practice by building a healthier relationship with rest and effort. Choose one day to practice "clean sleep": sleep without guilt, and notice the mind's stories. Answer them with one sentence: "Rest is not loss; it is support." Then choose one task to do with clean effort: do it fully, but without the inner drama of "this must prove me." After the task, drop it; do not keep replaying. Finally, practice small equanimity: when you succeed, enjoy quietly without grasping; when you fail, learn and move on without self-attack. This is how yathāsukham becomes stable rather than lazy. sukhādirūpā niyamaṃ bhāvēṣvālōkya bhūriśaḥ । Meaning (padārtha): Translation (bhāvārtha): Commentary (anusandhāna): When the mind is obsessed with labeling, it becomes reactive. It cannot simply meet what is present; it must evaluate, compare, and defend. janaka says he has abandoned that obsession. This is closely related to Chapter 12's dropping of hēya-upādēya and Chapter 11's conviction that ends inner argument. All three chapters are pointing to the same freedom: stop fighting reality in the mind. Practice by noticing one habitual label you apply: "good day/bad day," "good person/bad person," "good meditation/bad meditation." Each label tightens identity. When you catch the label, soften it into a fact: "pleasant/unpleasant sensation," "helpful/unhelpful action." Then choose the wise response without drama. Also practice "pattern-awareness": when pleasure arises, enjoy it but remember it will change; when pain arises, respond to it but remember it will change. This trains equanimity without denial. Over time, the mind becomes less reactive and more steady, and the ease of yathāsukham becomes natural.
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