Ashtavakra Samhita /26

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<ignore>INSTRUCTION ON SELF-REALIZATION
 

3
 
</ignore>
<footnote>The giving up of external objects implies also

the necessity of controlling the sense-organs.
 
</footnote>
<footnote>2 <italic>Sincerity "</italic> --- &quot;To be one in mind and speech"&quot;,

as Sri Ramakrishna used to put it. He spoke very

highly of this virtue as an essential of spiritual

discipline.
 
</footnote>
<footnote>3 <italic>Truth ---</italic> This virtue also was greatly emphasized

by Sri Ramakrishna and was looked upon by him

as a precious possession of a spiritual aspirant.
 

It should be noted here that the cultivation of

these virtues implies the control and purification of

the internal sense, mind, so that it may reflect more

and more of Divine light.
 
</footnote>
<footnote>This verse mentions the negative and positive

practices of a spiritual aspirant. Giving up attach-

ment for worldly things is the negative practice and

cultivation of the moral virtues is the positive.]
 
</footnote>
<verse text="M">न पृथ्वी न जलं नाग्निर्न वायुद्यौर्न वा भवान् ।

एषां साक्षिणमात्मानं चिद्रूपं विद्धि मुक्तये ॥३॥
 
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<p text="G">भवान् You पृथ्वी earth न not जललं water न not अग्नि: fire
निः fire
न not वायुः air न not द्यौ: ether न not वा or (त्वं you) मुक्तये

for liberation आत्मानम् Self एषां of these साक्षियांणां witness

चिद्रूपं consciousness itself विद्धि know.
 
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<p text="T">3.
 
You are neither earth'<ref>1</ref>, nor water,

nor fire, nor air, nor ether. In order to

attain liberation, know the Self as the

witness of all these and Consciousness

itself.
 
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