Chapter I1. By the grace of God the Brahmins above all men are inspired withthe disposition to non-duality (unity of the Self with God), whichrelieves them of the great fear.2. How can I salute the Self,which is indestructible, which is all Bliss, which in Itself and byItself pervades everything, and which is inseparable from Itself?3. I alone am, ever free from all taint. The world exists like a mirage within me. To whom shall I bow?4. Verily the one Self is all, free from differentiation andnon-differentiation. Neither can it be said, "It is" nor "It is not."What a great mystery.5. This is the whole substance of Vedanta;this is the essence of all knowledge, theoretical and intuitional. I amthe Atman, by nature impersonal and all-pervasive.6. That God whois the Self in all, impersonal and changeless, like unto space, bynature purity itself, verily, verily, that I am.7. I am pure knowledge, imperishable, infinite. I know neither joy nor pain; whom can they touch?8. The actions of the mind, good and evil, the actions of the body,good and evil, the actions of the voice, good and evil, exist not in me(Atman). I am the nectar which is knowledge absolute; beyond the rangeof the senses I am.9. The mind is as space, embracing all. I am beyond mind. In Reality the mind has no independent existence.10. How can it be said that the Self is manifest? How can it be saidthat the self is limited? I alone am existence; all this objectiveworld am I. More subtle than space itself am I.11. Know the Selfto be infinite consciousness, self-evident, beyond destruction,enlightening all bodies equally, ever shining. In It is neither day nornight.12. Know Atman to be one, ever the same, changeless. Howcanst though say: "I am the meditator, and this is the object ofmeditation?" How can perfection be divided?13. Thou, O Atman, wastnever born, nor didst thou ever die. The body was never thine. TheShruti (revealed Scriptures) has often said: "This is all Brahman."14. Thou art all Brahman, free from all change, the same within and without, absolute bliss. Run not to and fro like a ghost.15. Neither unity nor separation exist in thee nor in me. All is Atman alone. "I" and "thou" and the world have no real being.16. The subtle faculties of touch, taste, smell, form and sound whichconstitute the world without are not thyself, nor are they within thee.Thou art the great all-transcending Reality.17. Birth and deathexist in the mind, not in thee, as do also bondage and liberation. Goodand evil are in the mind, and not in thee. O Beloved, why dost thoucry? Name and form are neither in thee nor in me.18. Oh my mind, why dost thou range in delusion like a ghost? Know Atman to be above duality and be happy.19. Thou art the essence of knowledge, indomitable, eternal, ever freefrom modifications. Neither is there in thee attachment norindifference. Let not thyself suffer from desires.20. All theShrutis speak of Atman as without attributes, ever pure, imperishable,without a body, the eternal Truth. That know to be thyself.21.Know all forms, physical and subtle, as illusion. The Realityunderlying them is eternal. By living this Truth one passes beyondbirth and death.22. The sages call Atman the "ever-same." By giving up attachment the mind sees neither duality nor unity.23. Concentration is not possible either on perishable objects, onaccount of their mutability, nor on Atman. "Is" and "is not" do notapply to Atman either. In Atman, freedom absolute, how is Samadhipossible?24. Birthless, pure, bodiless, equable, imperishableAtman thou knowest thyself to be. How then canst thou say: "I knowAtman," or "I know not Atman."25. Thus has the Shruti spoken ofAtman; "That Thou art." Of the illusory world, born of the fivephysical elements, the Shruti says: "Neti, neti" (not this, not this).26. All this is ever pervaded by thee as Atman. In thee is neither themeditator nor the object of meditation. Why, O mind, dost thoushamelessly meditate"27. I know not Shiva, How can I speak of Him? Who Shiva is I know not, How can I worship Him?28. I am Shiva, the only reality, Like unto space absolute is mynature. In me is neither unity nor variety, The cause of imaginationalso is absent in me.29. Free from subject and object am I, Howcan I be self-realizable? Endless is my nature, naught else exists.Truth absolute is my nature, naught else exists.30. Atman bynature, the supreme Reality am I, Neither am I slayer nor the slain 31.On the destruction of a jar, the space therein unites with all space.In myself and Shiva I see no difference when the mind is purified.32. Brahman alone is, as pure consciousness. In truth there is no jar, and no jar-space, no embodied soul, nor its nature.33. There are no worlds, no Vedas, no Devas, no sacrifices, no castes,no family tribes, no nationalities, no smoke-path, no shining-path.34. Some there are that prize non-dualism, others hold to dualism. They know not the Truth, which is above both.35. How can the supreme Reality be described, since It is neither whitenor any other colour, has no qualities such as sound, and is beyondvoice and mind?36. "I eat," "I give," "I act"; such statements do not apply to Atman, which is purity, birthless and imperishable.37. Where the one Brahman alone is, how can it be said "this is Maya[creative power of the Lord, the means by which the phenomenal worldhas been brought into existence]", or "this is not Maya", "this isshadow" or "this is not shadow"?38. I am without beginning and without end. Never was I bound. By nature pure, taintless is my Self. This know I of a surety.39. From subtle substance (mahat) down to formed creation, there isnothing but Brahman; most clearly do I see this. Where then is thedivision of caste?40. The absolute void and its opposite, all am I everlastingly.41. Atman is not male or female, nor is It neuter; neither is It happiness or suffering. How dare ye pervert It?42. Atman is not purified by the six methods of Yoga. Absence of themind makes It no clearer. The teachings of a Guru reveal It not. It isall purity, in Itself, by Itself.43. I am neither bound nor free. I am not separate from Brahman.44. Neither the doer nor the enjoyer of the fruits of karma am I. The pervader or the pervaded I am not.45. As a volume of water poured into water is inseparably united with water, so, I perceive, matter and spirit are one.46. Why callest thou Atman personal and impersonal. Since thou artneither bound nor free? 47. Pure, pure thou art, without a body,unrelated to the mind, beyond maya; why art thou ashamed to declare: "Iam Atman, the supreme Reality"?48. O my mind, why dost thou cry? Realize thy Atman, o Beloved; drink the timeless great nectar of non-duality.49. Knowledge born of the intellect am I not. By nature Truth eternal am I. I am perpetual immutability.50. Neither formless nor with form, described by the Vedas as "Notthis, not this," free from separation and unity, the true Self reignssupreme.51. There is no father, no mother, no kinsman, no son, nowife, no friend, no prejudice, no doctrine. Why art thou disquiet, o mymind?52. Why do the wise imagine the bodiless Brahman to be abody? In It there is neither day nor night, neither rising nor setting.53. Since the imperfections of attachment and the like are not in me, Iam above the suffering of the body. Know me to be infinite, like untospace, one Atman.54. O my mind, my friend, many words are notneedful, and the world comprehends not reason. In a word, I have toldthee the essence of truth: "thou art Truth, thou art as space."55.In whatever place and in whatever state the Yogi dies, his spirit isabsorbed into That, as, on the destruction of the jar, the space in thejar is united with absolute space.56. Whether he dies conscious orin coma, in a holy temple or in the house of an untouchable, he obtainsliberation, becoming the all-pervading Brahman.57. The Yogisregard righteousness, prosperity, desire for Paradise and liberation,and also the moving and fixed objects, as mere will-o'-the-wisps.58. The Avadhut in unshakable equanimity, living in the holy temple of nothingness, walks naked, knowing all to be Brahman.59. Where there is no "Third" or "Fourth", where all is known as Atman,where there is neither righteousness nor unrighteousness, how can therebe either bondage or liberation?Chapter IIThe Avadhut said: 1. Hold not theimmature, the credulous, the foolish, the slow, the layman and thefallen to have nothing good in them. They all teach something. Learnfrom them. Surely we do not give up a game although we have mastered it?2. Think not lightly of thy Guru should he lack letters and learning.Take the Truth he teaches and ignore the rest. Know well that a boat,painted and adorned, will carry you across the river; so also will onethat is plain and simple.3. The higher intelligence which withouteffort pervades the movable and the immovable, and which by nature isall peace and consciousness, that am I.4. How can the one supremeconsciousness which without effort rules the living and the inert andis all-pervasive, be other than I?5. I am more subtle thanprimordial substance, beyond elements and compounds, free from birthand death, above duality and unity.6. The modifications of theinner organ (antahkarana) have no part in me. Like bubbles rising andfalling in a river, thoughts and volitions rise and disappear in theinner organ.7. As softness is not perceived apart from softobjects, as sweetness is not known apart from honey, as bitterness isnot known apart from the Nim tree [tropical Indian tree whose leaveshave an extremely bitter taste], as fluidity and coolness are thenature of water, so the primordial form of matter called mahat [CosmicMind] is no other than the Self (Atman). As the rays of the sun differnot from the sun, so matter does not differ from God.8. How can"I" or "thou" be said of Brahman which is more subtle than mahat, freefrom all attributes, greater than all, above the range of mind andemotion, without medium or limitation, lord of the universe? It canneither be called static or dynamic.9. As space cannot be comparedwith another space, so Brahman being above duality, cannot be comparedwith any object. Brahman alone is perfection, taintless, all knowledge.10. It walks not on the earth, the wind cannot move It, the watercannot cover It, It stands in the midst of Light.11. It pervadesspace-time. Nothing pervades It. From limitations ever free, eternallythe same, with nothing outside It and nothing within, It abides.12. Atman, of which the high Yogis speak, most subtle, beyondperception, without attributes, must be realized step by step, and notby sudden violence.13. Ever practicing Yoga [practice of mindcontrol, detachment and meditation], not depending on any object, theYogi merges his consciousness in Brahman, and becomes Brahman.14.There is but one antidote to the poison of passions, which begetinfatuation and are highly dangerous, and that is to return to thestate of Atman. Atman is unapproachable by the emotions, is everformless and independent.15. Hidden in the realm of eternalconsciousness lies the world's cause, which is prakriti. Within thiscause is Brahman. The husk of a coconut is the world, the pulp isprakriti, and the sweet cool water encased in the pulp is Brahman.16. Like the full moon is Atman. See It in all. Duality is the productof defective vision. As there is only one moon so there is only oneAtman in all.17. No duality can touch the conception of Brahman,because It is all-pervasive. The wise who teach this acquire boundlesspatience, and their disciples can never be too thankful to them.18. The talented as well as the witless attain the state ofdesirelessness by knowing the mystery of Atman, through the grace oftheir spiritual teacher.19. This transcendent state ofconsciousness (Nirvana) is reached by those who are free fromattachment and aversion, ever engaged in doing good to all livingbeings, whose knowledge is firmly rooted, and who are patient.20.The Yogi is merged in the divine after leaving the body, as thejar-space is merged in cosmic space on the destruction of the jar.21. The statement that the future condition is determined by the stateof the thoughts at death is made of the uninitiated, not the initiated.22. The knower of Brahman may leave his body in a holy place, or in the house of an untouchable, he is absorbed into Brahman.23. When a Yogi has realized Atman, which is his true Self, birthlessand beyond the range of the mind and emotions, then the karmas [actionsand their consequences] no longer touch him. He may perform the ritualsor leave them. To him it is all one.24. Atman realized is themaster of creation, eternal, indestructible, formless, withoutdimensions, absolutely independent, without pleasure or pain, full ofall powers.25. The wise discover that Atman is not seen either bythe study of the Vedas, by initiations, by shaving the head, or bybeing a Guru or chela (an approved disciple). Nor is it seen throughpostures.26. That God, Atman, by whose power the whole universe isborn, in which it abides and to which it finally returns like bubblesand waves in the sea, is realized by the wise.27. Atman, which thewise realize, is not the aim of control of breath (pranayama) nor ofthe postures of Hatha Yoga [physical austerities and exercises]. In Itthere is neither knowledge nor ignorance.28. There is neitherunity nor duality in Atman, nor unity-duality, neither smallness norgreatness, neither emptiness nor fullness. All these exist in the mind,and the mind is not Atman.29. The teacher cannot teach Atman; the disciple cannot learn it.Chapter III1. How shall I worship that Atman greatWhich is neither personal nor impersonal. Taintless, above love andaversion, uncreated, All pervasive, of the form of the universe, Havingno attributes, yet not attributeless That all-bliss Shiva, my Self.2. How shall I bow down to mine own Self In my own Self and by my Self? I have no colours, white or yellow; Eternal Shiva am I.3. I am rootless, and without root, Free from smoke, and smokeless amI, Without a lamp, and lightless am I, Equanimity am I, like a sun everrisen.4. How can I name the passionless, desireless One As havingdesires? The Absolute cannot Be described in terms of conditions; Howcan I speak of myself? I am neither with an essence, Nor am I withoutan essence. Space-like all equanimity am I.5. How shall I say thatnon-duality Is all this creation, or that, or that? Even if it beduality, then too I cannot Attribute creation or dissolution to It. Howcan the Eternal, the All Be expressed in any way? Space-like, all-blissam I.6. Neither gross nor subtle is my Atman; It comes not, and Itgoes not; Without a beginning and without an end; Neither higher norlower is It; That Truth absolute, space-like, Immortality-givingknowledge am I.7. Know well that all the senses Are as space, andso also their objects. Know that the One is taintless, The One isneither bound nor free. That all-pervasive ever-blissful Shiva,Immortality-giving knowledge am I.8. The knowledge of the Self,hard to obtain, Which is experienced, is not Atman; The object ofmeditation, Hard to concentrate upon, is not Atman; That which is near,and that which is far, far away, Is not Atman. Space-like, all-blissShiva am I, Shiva am I.9. Without karma am I, I burn up karmas;Without pain am I, I burn up sufferings; Bodiless, homeless am I, andyet I burn up these, All equanimity, space-like am I.10. The seedof the plant of the world exists not in me, Contentment and pleasuresexist not in me; Bondage and ignorance are not in me; Space-like,absolute Shiva am I.11. Atman is not the Knower Nor is It theknown. It is not accessible to inference. Words cannot describe ThisConsciousness Absolute. The mind is lost in Its majesty. How can It beexplained to thee? Space-like immortality-giving knowledge am I.12. There is no separation and no unity in It. Neither is It inner norouter. It is Truth transcendental. It cannot be said "It was allbefore." Verily nothing exists but Atman. And that space-likeimmortality-giving Knowledge am I.13. I am the eternal principle.Free from attachment and aversion, Free from imperfections am I, Fateand providence exist not in me. Eternally free from the sufferings ofthe world, Verily, space-like immortality-giving Knowledge am I.14. As the three states of consciousness Exist not in Atman, How can Itbe the Fourth? Free from past, present and future How can the cardinalpoints exist in IT? Eternal peace, space-like transcendental Truth am I.15. Neither father nor mother have I, Neither wife nor child. Birth anddeath I do not know. The mind is not my own. Eternal peace, space-liketranscendental Peace am I.16. Devas and Gods, like Indra andBrahma, Have no place in Atman. Neither Paradise nor Heaven exist inAtman. The one taintless transcendental Truth am I.17. The sayingof the Shruti "not this, not this" Does not apply to Atman. How can itbe said "When all is subtracted Atman alone remains"? It is symbolicalbut not a symbol; Yet even this cannot be said of Atman. Space-like,the water of immortality am I.18. Maya is not my modification. Noris its glamour mine. Deceit and hypocrisy, truth and untruth Have noplace in me. Space-like, immortality-giving knowledge am I.Chapter IV1. Nothing can be added or taken awayfrom the Universal Consciousness. It cannot be invoked or worshippedwith flowers and leaves. Meditations and Mantrams cannot reach It. Howcould It be worshipped as Shiva for in It there are neitherdistinctions nor unity?2. In the One there is neither bondage norsalvation, neither purity nor impurity. From union and separation theOne is free. That space-like Truth am I.3. As in reality I am Nirvana, thoughts as to the reality and unreality of the world trouble me not at all.4. Eternally free from the taint of ignorance as I am, knowledge orillusion never had birth in me. How can I say whether I am bound orfree?5. Neither sin nor virtue ever existed in me; by nature I amNirvana. Neither the worshiper nor the worshipped am I. No instructionsand no rituals are there for me. Knowledge also am I not. By nature Iam Nirvana.6. Taintless Nirvana am I; I am neither the comprehender nor the comprehended. Neither the cause nor the effect exist in me.7. Neither am I a body, nor am I bodiless. The buddhi [higher mindwhich includes the discriminative faculty and intuitive reason], themind and the senses are not mine. How can I talk of attachment anddetachment, since I am taintless Nirvana?8. In me exist not birth,death, purity, impurity, poison or the water of immortality. Verily Iam free even from the taint of Nirvana. I cannot speak of the "Third"or the "Fourth".9. Neither a fool nor a pundit am I, neithersilent nor of many words; how can I speak of reasoning or argumentsince I am free even from the taint of Nirvana?10. Giving up allmeditations, all good and evil karma, drinking the water ofimmortality, the heros know that I from the taint of Nirvana am free.11. No ritualist injunction is binding on me; mind, the seat ofanxieties, does not exist in me. Far, far from me also is egotism.Space-like, immortality-giving knowledge absolute am I. 12. I cannotsay whether the world is nothingness or if it is partly real and partlyunreal, or, if like a flowing river though ever changing, it is in factreal as a whole. Space-like immortality-giving knowledge absolute am I.13. There is not the least shadow of name or form in the Infinite, noris there unity or diversity in me. O my shameless mind, why createstthou a confusion? Space-like immortality-giving knowledge absolute am I.14. O my friend, there is no cause for disquietude since thou art notthe body. Thou art imperishable and eternal, then why criest thou? Restin peace. Space-like, immortality-giving knowledge absolute am I.15. Why art thou troubled, O friend, since avarice, lust, attachment,are not in thee? Space-like, immortality-giving knowledge absolute am I.16. Why this craving for power, O companion, when in truth wealth is not thine. "Mine" and "thine" are not in thee.17. In thy heart there is no meditator, there is no Samadhi, nor isthere any possibility of meditation in Atman. Time and causation neverexisted in thee.18. I have told the, o disciple, the essence ofTruth. There is no "thou" nor "I", no world, no Guru, or disciple. Knowthat by nature I am freedom absolute. I am transcendental Truth.19. When Atman, the absolute existence, alone is, and It is I, thenwhere is transcendental Truth, where is bliss, where is knowledge,secular or spiritual?20. Unknown to fire, water and earth, motionless, all-pervasive as space, knowledge absolute know thy Atman to be.21 Renounce, renounce the world, and also renounce renunciation, andeven give up the absence of renunciation. By nature all-pervasive asspace, knowledge absolute art thou.Chapter V1. The syllable OM spoken is the essenceof the lower and the higher knowledge. It is Brahman, space-like. Thereis neither existence nor non-existence in this world. Brahman is everfree from duality.2. Thou art that Atman of which the Shruti says,"Tat Twam Asi [That thou Art]." Know that thou art free from maya. Crynot, o mind, verily thou art all.3. There is neither higher norlower in thee. Thou pervadest all equally, and there is neither innernor outer. Then why mournest thou, O mind? All, all is Brahman.4.Neither that which is imagined, nor the imagination exist in thee; knowthat cause and effect touch thee not. Free from words and allexpressions art thou, eternally the same. O mind, cry not.5. Toknow that there is neither higher nor lower in Atman is Samadhi; toknow that Atman is ever free from time and space is Samadhi. Cry not, Omind, all is Brahman.6. As there is no jar, there is no jar space.As there is no jiva body, no conditioning medium [The conditioning ofconsciousness to form the individual soul (jiva) encased in the humanbody is compared to the apparent enclosure of space in a jar. As jarsdo not really limit space, so the conditioning medium of body and mindcannot limit Atman.], there is no jiva. The cause and effect whichproduce conditions do not exist in Atman. Why then dost thou cry, O mymind?7. It is all one whether we live in a hut in retirement, orin a house with many kinfolk, for Atman is free from the multitude asfrom solitude. Free also is It from knowledge, theoretical andpractical, Atman being All, O my mind, cry not.Chapter VI1. The whole universe is a projection ofthe mind; therefore it is a mode of the mind. The true nature of themind is bliss, and when the mind is stilled, bliss absolute is revealed.2. Consciousness absolute, being unknowable by the mind, how can speech explain it?3. The Self is free from day and night, and therefore the conception of its pilgrimage in time and space is no true one.4. No sun illumines Atman; the fire and the moon cannot shine therein.It is not equanimity or even desirelessness; how then can action existin it?5. Neither can it be said that It is to be known by theabsence of action. It is neither within or without. It is naught butbliss absolute.6. How can it be said that It is the first or thatIt is the last, since It is neither element or compound, nor emptinessnor fullness? Eternal, ever the same, the essence of all is Shiva.7. The statement that Atman is describable or indescribable cannotstand. Neither is It the knower nor the known. It cannot be imagined ordefined. How can we say that It has a mind or any of the senses?8.Space, time, water, fire, earth, constituting the world, are a meremirage. In truth the One, imperishable, ever blissful, alone exists.There is neither cloud nor water in It.9. As there is nopossibility of birth and death in It, so no conception of duty nordereliction of duty can be applied to It. That undifferentiated,eternal, all-pervasive Shiva alone is.10. The modifications ofprimordial matter and of individualized consciousness are in the realmof cause and effect. When there is eternal all-pervasive Shiva alone,how can there be matter or spirit therein?11. There is in It no suffering, and no possibility of suffering, because It is free from all attributes.12. There is no duality in It. How can there be age, or youth, or childhood in that One eternal principle?13. Atman is dependent on nothing and is unlimited. The law of causeand effect touches It not. How can the buddhi, which operates only induality, and which is perishable, discern It?14. It grasps not,nor is It grasped. It is not born nor does It bring forth. We can onlysay that in It there is no destruction.15. In Atman there is neither manhood nor womanhood, because such conceptions cannot exist in eternity.16. There is no pleasure in It, and no faculty of enjoying pleasure,since It is free from such defects as attachment. Equally free fromdoubts and suffering, one and eternal is Shiva; thus the conception of"I" and "mine" do not apply to It.17. Neither is there Brahman inIt, nor the absence of Brahman. Since It alone exists and is eternity,it must follow that It is free from pain, and also from freedom frompain.18. There is no gain and there is no loss. Infatuation andworldly wisdom have no place therein. When the eternal consciousnessalone exists, how can discrimination or wisdom, or any such thing becontained in It?19. In It there is no "thou" and no "I", thereforefamily and caste exist not therein. It is neither true nor untrue.Neither is It of this world nor of the next. How then can one pray toIt?20. Illusory is the connection of the learner and the teacher.Teaching and contemplation, when thus beheld, are not admissible."Verily, I am Shiva." This alone is the whole Truth. How then can Ipray to It, or worship It?21. The body itself is imagined inAtman, as is the whole universe. Atman is free from alldifferentiations. Then since I am Shiva, there can be no idea of prayeror worship.22. Consciousness absolute has no body. It cannot besaid that It is without a body or attributes. All that can be said isthat It is bliss absolute, and that bliss am I. This is the height ofworship, and this is the culmination of all prayer.23. The Avadhutwho has realized this mystery of all mysteries, and has risen to thestate of unceasing and perfect bliss, moves about in the crowdsunconcerned, radiating bliss and higher knowledge.24. He isclothed in a habit of old and worn. He walks in a path that is freefrom religious merit or sin. He lives in the temple of absoluteemptiness. His soul is naked, and free from all taints andmodifications of maya.25. The Avadhut has no ideal, neitherstrives he after the attainment of an ideal. Having lost his identityin Atman, free from the limitations of maya, free also from theperfections of Yoga, thus walks the Avadhut. He argues with no one, heis not concerned with any object or person.26. Free from thesnares of expectations and hopes, he has cast off the worn-out garmentsof purity, righteousness, and all ideals. His path is free from anysuch consideration. It can only be said about him that he is purityabsolute, and is far, far above the clouds of maya and ignorance.27. He has no such thoughts as "I am not in the body," or "I am not thebody." He has no aversion, attachment or infatuation towards any objector person. Pure as space he walks, immersed in the immaculate bliss ofhis natural state.28. The Avadhut may be compared to immeasurablespace. He is eternity. In him is neither purity nor impurity. There isno variety nor unity in him; no bondage nor absence of bondage. 29.Free from separation and union, free from enjoyment or absence ofenjoyment, he moves calm and unhurried through the world. Having givenup all activity of the mind, he is in his normal state of indescribablebliss.30. Atman, with which the Avadhut has found natural unity,is limitless and inconceivable. It is unknowable by the mind. It isneither a part nor is It divided. It cannot be said, "So far is itsprovince and no farther." Verily, it is hard to describe and hard toobtain.31. The Avadhut is not concerned with the things of theworld, because the natural state of Self-realization renders all elseinsignificant. Death and birth have no meaning; he meditates not,neither does he worship.32. All this world is a magic show, like amirage in the desert. Concentrated bliss, alone and secondless, isShiva and that is the Avadhut.33. The wise man strives not foranything, not even for Dharma [law of unity and righteousness] orliberation. He is free from all actions and movements, and also fromdesire and renunciation.34. What do they, the pundits, know ofhim? Even the Vedas cannot speak of him perfectly. That bliss absolute,ever indestructible, but a source of bliss to all, is the Avadhut.Chapter VII1. When as a pilgrim, I began to journey towards Thee, then my little notions of all-pervasiveness of Atman died.2. When my mind began to meditate on Thee, it lost all interest inobjects. When my tongue began to praise Thee it lost the power ofpraising others. I forgot my three great sins.3. He whose buddhiis no longer attracted towards desires and pleasures, whose nature hasbecome joyful and compassionate, he who, even in his heart, has no ideaof possessions, who is ever peaceful and most temperate in all thingsand is not moved by any happenings and events - that Muni {sage] takesrefuge in Atman. Ever watchful, solemn as the ocean and full ofpatience.4. He who has conquered the feelings of pleasure, wrath,avarice, attachment, vanity and aversion, this one is peace itself, andfree from all pride.5. Efficient in his undertakings, full of compassion is the sadhu [holy man]; he gives pity to all, has enmity towards no one.6. He bears patiently heat and cold, seeing the one Self enlighteningall bodies. He walks solitary as a rhinoceros [symbol of detachment,solemnity and peace]. He has become an ocean of Truth and is everengaged in the work of mercy. Such is the Avadhut, free from birth anddeath.7. The knowers of God will know the meaning of the word AVADHUT by the four letters which form it, A, V, Dh, T.8. A stands for freedom from the snares of hopes and expectations, purein the beginning, in the middle and the end, merged in Self-bliss.9. V stands for the rooting out of all desires after pleasure, subtleor material, and for life in the present as all-sufficient, the presentbeing eternity.10. Dh is the physical body, covered with dirt anddust, but with the mind ever pure, and the heart ever still, abovecontemplation and meditation.11. T is the unceasing contemplationof the eternal Truth, and indifference to the activities of the mindand senses. It also bespeaks freedom from egoism and pride.12. Woeto them that give up this knowledge of the wisdom of Atman, which initself constitutes eternal freedom and joy throughout all worlds, andturn to the realms of limited pleasure and of ignorance.13. Thosewho are desirous of acquiring this eternal bliss and of communicatingit to others through their teaching, must give up all sensuouspleasures, more especially those which arise from sex union.14.The body is made up of impure elements, of blood, flesh, bones and thelike. Woe to those who are attached to it, and indifferent to the everblissful Atman.15. There are three kinds of wine, produced fromsyrup, grain and honey. But there is a fourth, the darkest of all, thewine of sex, which has intoxicated the whole world.16. When themind is uncontrolled, then the body, which is the object of affectionto the ignorant, also suffers, and when the mind is controlled, thenthe body also remains in good estate.17. Wherefore, all ye lovers of wisdom, protect your minds from feelings of pleasure, and engage them in spiritual wisdom.18. This is the song of the great Dattatreya Avadhut. Those who read itand hear it with respectful attention, they are not reborn on thisearth.
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