ಅಷ್ಟಾವಕ್ರ ಗೀತಾ closes with a final, uncompromising pointer: reality is non-dual, and the Self cannot be confined to any category the mind can invent. Across the whole dialogue, the teacher has kept repeating the same medicine in different forms: stop identifying with the body-mind and recognize yourself as the awareness in which all experience appears.
In the previous chapter (19), ಜನಕ spoke from the relief of clarity. He described doubt as a thorn removed from the heart by the forceps of truth-knowledge, and then he declared that familiar categories - time, place, duality, even spiritual states - could no longer bind him once he rested in Self-glory.
Seen as a whole, Chapter 20 is a final summary of the entire gItA in one mood: nothing that the mind points to as "me" can stand, and therefore the old questions lose meaning. The chapter ends by declaring the teaching complete. It leaves you with a simple invitation: stop searching in objects and concepts, and rest as the non-dual awareness that is already present.
ಜನಕ ಉವಾಚ ॥
ಕ್ವ ಭೂತಾನಿ ಕ್ವ ದೇಹೋ ವಾ ಕ್ವೇನ್ದ್ರಿಯಾಣಿ ಕ್ವ ವಾ ಮನಃ ।
ಕ್ವ ಶೂನ್ಯಂ ಕ್ವ ಚ ನೈರಾಶ್ಯಂ ಮತ್ಸ್ವರೂಪೇ ನಿರಞ್ಜನೇ ॥ 20-1॥
Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
Where are elements, body, senses, and mind? Where are notions of void or despair? In my stainless true nature, these cannot define me.
ಕ್ವ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಂ ಕ್ವಾತ್ಮವಿಜ್ಞಾನಂ ಕ್ವ ವಾ ನಿರ್ವಿಷಯಂ ಮನಃ ।
ಕ್ವ ತೃಪ್ತಿಃ ಕ್ವ ವಿತೃಷ್ಣಾತ್ವಂ ಗತದ್ವನ್ದ್ವಸ್ಯ ಮೇ ಸದಾ ॥ 20-2॥
Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
Where are scripture and even the concept of Self-knowledge, where is a mind without objects, where are satisfaction and thirstlessness - for me, always beyond opposites?
ಕ್ವ ವಿದ್ಯಾ ಕ್ವ ಚ ವಾವಿದ್ಯಾ ಕ್ವಾಹಂ ಕ್ವೇದಂ ಮಮ ಕ್ವ ವಾ ।
ಕ್ವ ಬನ್ಧ ಕ್ವ ಚ ವಾ ಮೋಕ್ಷಃ ಸ್ವರೂಪಸ್ಯ ಕ್ವ ರೂಪಿತಾ ॥ 20-3॥
Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
Where are knowledge and ignorance, "I" and "this," "mine," bondage and liberation? How can the true nature of the Self be turned into a defined "thing" at all?
ಕ್ವ ಪ್ರಾರಬ್ಧಾನಿ ಕರ್ಮಾಣಿ ಜೀವನ್ಮುಕ್ತಿರಪಿ ಕ್ವ ವಾ ।
ಕ್ವ ತದ್ ವಿದೇಹಕೈವಲ್ಯಂ ನಿರ್ವಿಶೇಷಸ್ಯ ಸರ್ವದಾ ॥ 20-4॥
Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
Where are prarabdha karmas, where is "liberation while living" or "bodiless liberation"? For the always attributeless, distinctionless Self, these categories cannot bind.
ಕ್ವ ಕರ್ತಾ ಕ್ವ ಚ ವಾ ಭೋಕ್ತಾ ನಿಷ್ಕ್ರಿಯಂ ಸ್ಫುರಣಂ ಕ್ವ ವಾ ।
ಕ್ವಾಪರೋಕ್ಷಂ ಫಲಂ ವಾ ಕ್ವ ನಿಃಸ್ವಭಾವಸ್ಯ ಮೇ ಸದಾ ॥ 20-5॥
Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
Where are the doer and enjoyer, where is action and actionlessness, where is even a "direct result"? For me, always beyond fixed ego-nature, these categories cannot bind.
ಕ್ವ ಲೋಕಂ ಕ್ವ ಮುಮುಕ್ಷುರ್ವಾ ಕ್ವ ಯೋಗೀ ಜ್ಞಾನವಾನ್ ಕ್ವ ವಾ ।
ಕ್ವ ಬದ್ಧಃ ಕ್ವ ಚ ವಾ ಮುಕ್ತಃ ಸ್ವಸ್ವರೂಪೇಽಹಮದ್ವಯೇ ॥ 20-6॥
Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
Where is world, seeker, yogi, knower - where is bound or liberated? In my own true nature, I am non-dual.
ಕ್ವ ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಃ ಕ್ವ ಚ ಸಂಹಾರಃ ಕ್ವ ಸಾಧ್ಯಂ ಕ್ವ ಚ ಸಾಧನಮ್ ।
ಕ್ವ ಸಾಧಕಃ ಕ್ವ ಸಿದ್ಧಿರ್ವಾ ಸ್ವಸ್ವರೂಪೇಽಹಮದ್ವಯೇ ॥ 20-7॥
Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
Where are creation and dissolution, goal and means, practitioner and attainment? In my own nature, I am non-dual.
ಕ್ವ ಪ್ರಮಾತಾ ಪ್ರಮಾಣಂ ವಾ ಕ್ವ ಪ್ರಮೇಯಂ ಕ್ವ ಚ ಪ್ರಮಾ ।
ಕ್ವ ಕಿಞ್ಚಿತ್ ಕ್ವ ನ ಕಿಞ್ಚಿದ್ ವಾ ಸರ್ವದಾ ವಿಮಲಸ್ಯ ಮೇ ॥ 20-8॥
Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
Where are knower, means of knowing, known object, and knowledge itself? Where are "something" and "nothing"? For me, always pure, these divisions cannot bind.
ಕ್ವ ವಿಕ್ಷೇಪಃ ಕ್ವ ಚೈಕಾಗ್ರ್ಯಂ ಕ್ವ ನಿರ್ಬೋಧಃ ಕ್ವ ಮೂಢತಾ ।
ಕ್ವ ಹರ್ಷಃ ಕ್ವ ವಿಷಾದೋ ವಾ ಸರ್ವದಾ ನಿಷ್ಕ್ರಿಯಸ್ಯ ಮೇ ॥ 20-9॥
Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
Where are distraction and concentration, confusion and wisdom, joy and sorrow - for me, always actionless in my true nature?
ಕ್ವ ಚೈಷ ವ್ಯವಹಾರೋ ವಾ ಕ್ವ ಚ ಸಾ ಪರಮಾರ್ಥತಾ ।
ಕ್ವ ಸುಖಂ ಕ್ವ ಚ ವಾ ದುಖಂ ನಿರ್ವಿಮರ್ಶಸ್ಯ ಮೇ ಸದಾ ॥ 20-10॥
Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
Where are worldly dealings and "highest truth," where are happiness and sorrow, for me who is always free of anxious conceptualizing?
ಕ್ವ ಮಾಯಾ ಕ್ವ ಚ ಸಂಸಾರಃ ಕ್ವ ಪ್ರೀತಿರ್ವಿರತಿಃ ಕ್ವ ವಾ ।
ಕ್ವ ಜೀವಃ ಕ್ವ ಚ ತದ್ಬ್ರಹ್ಮ ಸರ್ವದಾ ವಿಮಲಸ್ಯ ಮೇ ॥ 20-11॥
Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
Where are illusion and bondage, attachment and withdrawal, the individual and the absolute? For me, always pure, these divisions cannot bind.
ಕ್ವ ಪ್ರವೃತ್ತಿರ್ನಿರ್ವೃತ್ತಿರ್ವಾ ಕ್ವ ಮುಕ್ತಿಃ ಕ್ವ ಚ ಬನ್ಧನಮ್ ।
ಕೂಟಸ್ಥನಿರ್ವಿಭಾಗಸ್ಯ ಸ್ವಸ್ಥಸ್ಯ ಮಮ ಸರ್ವದಾ ॥ 20-12॥
Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
Where are action and withdrawal, liberation and bondage, for me - the unchanging, undivided Self, steady and at home in itself always?
ಕ್ವೋಪದೇಶಃ ಕ್ವ ವಾ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಂ ಕ್ವ ಶಿಷ್ಯಃ ಕ್ವ ಚ ವಾ ಗುರುಃ ।
ಕ್ವ ಚಾಸ್ತಿ ಪುರುಷಾರ್ಥೋ ವಾ ನಿರುಪಾಧೇಃ ಶಿವಸ್ಯ ಮೇ ॥ 20-13॥
Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
Where are instruction and scripture, disciple and teacher, and even the very idea of human goals - for me, the Self without limitation, pure auspiciousness?
ಕ್ವ ಚಾಸ್ತಿ ಕ್ವ ಚ ವಾ ನಾಸ್ತಿ ಕ್ವಾಸ್ತಿ ಚೈಕಂ ಕ್ವ ಚ ದ್ವಯಮ್ ।
ಬಹುನಾತ್ರ ಕಿಮುಕ್ತೇನ ಕಿಞ್ಚಿನ್ನೋತ್ತಿಷ್ಠತೇ ಮಮ ॥ 20-14॥
Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
Where are "exists" and "does not exist," one and two? What is the use of many words? Nothing at all arises as a separate reality in me.
ಇತಿ ಅಷ್ಟಾವಕ್ರಗೀತಾ ಸಮಾಪ್ತಾ ।
॥ ಓಂ ತತ್ಸತ್ ॥
Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
Thus concludes the Ashtavakra Gita. ಓಂ ತತ್ ಸತ್ - the sacred closing invocation.
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