Avadhuta Gita- the Song of the Avadhuta
Date: 2015-09-29 04:00:00+00:00

Avadhuta Gita

The Song of the Avadhuta

Translated by

Janki Parikh

Copyright

ISBN 978-981-09-7112-0

Copyright © 2015 Janki Parikh

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

Publisher contact: info@jankiparikh.com

www.jankiparikh.com

Contents

Avadhuta Gita

Copyright

Introduction

Chapters

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Introduction

The Avadhuta Gita is a majestically lofty masterpiece of an Advaitic Sanskrit song… as ancient as it is lyrically eloquent, as profound as it is elevating, as undeniably compelling as it is sublime!

Advaita Explained

Who or what is God? Would you be surprised to know that in spite of reference to thousands of ‘gods’ in Hinduism, the highest and final conception of “God” is not a figure with multiple heads and a thousand arms bearing weapons, it is not Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva or their avatars, it is not even a He or a She! God in the highest sense of the term is a formless, genderless, inanimate principle! God is, in fact, the Supreme Universal Principle, or the Ultimate Universal Reality. In other words, God is Brahman, also known as the Absolute, the One Universal Consciousness, Supreme Reality, Sat-Chit-Ananda (Truth, Consciousness-Bliss). Brahman is the all-pervasive, infinite, unchangeable, indestructible, eternal Reality, the single binding unity behind all the diversity that seems to exist in the universe.

If God is Brahman, then who are you? The other major metaphysical concept in Hinduism is Atman, or the Self. Narrowly seen, Atman may be taken to mean the individual soul, but in Hindu Vedanta, Atman is the very foundation, the first principle, the essence of an individual, the true Self of an individual beyond identification with phenomena.

Advaita (“not-two” in Sanskrit) refers to the recognition that the true Self, Atman, is the same as the highest Reality, or Brahman.

Advaita posits everything there is, is Brahman, and nothing but Brahman. (“Brahmaiva Kevalam Sarvam.”) And this Brahman is the same as Atman, or the Self. There is no difference between Brahman and Atman, and no real existence of, or division amongst the myriad characters, objects, emotions, ideas, places and concepts that make up the universe. All these things that seem to exist separately, are in fact, illusions that are spontaneously but very temporarily projected within Brahman. All projections ultimately end, what remains is always Brahman – never-ending, eternal, imperishable, all-pervading, all-knowing, supreme, always pure, always beyond all forms and dualities!

The three principle source texts of Hindu Vedanta – the Upanishads, the Gita and the Brahma Sutras – all present Advaita as their central, unifying philosophy in multi-faceted ways. For example, the bold, audacious, supreme spiritual philosophy of Advaita is characterized in several Mahavakyas, or the Great Sayings of the Upanishads…

Aham Brahmasmi – I am Brahman (Brhadaranyaka Upanishad of the Yajurveda)

Prajnanam Brahma – Consciousness is Brahman (Aitareya Upanishad of the Rigveda)

Tat Tvam Asi – Thou art That (Chandogya Upanishad of the Samaveda)

Ayam Atma Brahma – This Atman is Brahman (Mandukya Upanishad of the Atharvaveda)

So ‘ham – I am That (Isha Upanishad of the Yajurveda)

The idea of the non-duality of Atman and Brahman is the very fabric and the soul of Vedanta, and it has been expressed in myriad ways for thousands of years!

The Goal of Life and the Process…

According to Vedanta, realization of the absolute oneness of Atman and Brahman through direct, independent, cognitive experience (Anubhuti) is the final goal of all human life, the climax of man’s spiritual evolution! This self-realization is what leads to Moksha (liberation), it is what frees mankind from rebirth, karma, misery and every kind of bondage, and leads man to eternal bliss.

How does one achieve independent self-realization?

The thousands of Hindu scriptures that are available talk about very scientific, logical, rational, sequential methods of achieving self-realization. Though not necessarily written by those who have direct experiential awareness, these writings serve the noblest purpose of making Brahman or God available to mankind…

BUT THEN…

There are those writings that flower (I cannot think of any other word but flower) straight from the writer’s direct experience of the truth, from his own blissful awareness of Advaita or Non-Duality! And how tremendous the difference between these writings and those based on logic and process! What a wonderful taste of bliss these give us! What a glorious, uplifting glimpse into the realms of the writer’s exalted state!

The Avadhuta Gita…

The Avadhuta Gita is not only a text flowering from the writer’s direct experience – it is the most beautiful, the most profoundly poetic piece of Sanskrit writing I have ever come across! The sheer qualitative height of its Sanskrit vocabulary is matched only by the depth of the ideas it expresses; the final result is eloquent Sanskrit poetry that rolls off the tongue like butter, depositing deep within the reader a powerful series of ideas that are unbelievably rich, lofty, uplifting, freeing, ecstatic, blissful, FINAL!

The Avadhuta Gita is the attempt of an illumined, self-realized sage to describe in words the indescribable experience of the realization of Brahman! His name is Dattatreya, but he calls himself an Avadhuta – one who has seen the truth of the Self-as-Brahman, as a consequence of which, the world has fallen away from him. Imagine the state of the one who is alive in this world but free of all its bondage! He lives in bliss and laughs in bliss, with not even a scrap to call his own! He needs nothing from this world, because he is Brahman! He is ever-eternal, unchanging, ever-blissful, abundant, supreme Reality! He is Absolute Universal Consciousness… what can he need from this flimsy, insubstantial world?

I hope you really enjoy immersing yourself into this beautiful song, which is so powerful that even a few lines are enough to give you a taste of the nectar of life lived as Brahman! Read the rest at your own risk – there is no coming back from the Avadhuta’s path of freedom and bliss!

Chapters

Chapter 1

Indeed, it is by the grace of God that the understanding of non-duality arises in man, and rescues him from the great fear of birth and death! ||1-1||

Everything that is, is filled by the Self, and nothing but the Self. How then, do I worship that formless, undivided and limitless Shiva? ||1-2||

The five elements of which this universe is composed are illusory like water in a mirage. To whom then, shall I bow? I myself am that stainless one! ||1-3||

The Self alone is everything, it does not know division or unity. How then, can I say whether it exists or not? I can only gaze at it with wonder! ||1-4||

The final essence of all Vedas, all knowledge and all wisdom is only this – “I am the formless Self, all-pervading by my very nature!” ||1-5||

That God which comprises everything there is, who is undivided like the sky, who is pure and now that the Self is continuous, one, infinite, everywhere. I am the seeker, but I am also the object sought. Where then, is the division in this one unbroken whole? ||1-12||

You are neither born nor do you die, nor are you ever the body! It is well-known that “Everything is Brahman.” The scriptures have stated this often. ||1-13||

You are that which is both outside and inside, you are Shiva, eternal and all-pervading. Why then, do you run here and there, wandering around like a ghost? ||1-14||

There is no union or separation for me or for you. There is no you, no me, no world! There is only the Self everywhere! ||1-15||

Where are the five senses such as hearing here? You do not belong to them, nor they to you. You are indeed the ultimate Reality! Why then, do you need penance? ||1-16||

Birth and death have no power to stay in your consciousness, nor do bondage and liberation, nor good and bad. Why then, do you grieve, my child? You and I have no name or form! ||1-17||

O mind, why do you wander and run around like a ghost? Know the Self as indivisible, abandon your passions, and be happy! ||1-18||

You are indeed the never-changing essence, immovable unity, totally free and formless! Neither attachment nor aversion are in you. How then, can you let the dictates of passion distress you so? ||1-19||

All the scriptures say Reality is pure, equanimous, imperishable, bodiless, beyond qualities. Realize this undifferentiated truth beyond doubt! ||1-20||

Realize that the essence of all forms is that which is formless and eternal! Once this truth is realized, there is no need for rebirth. ||1-21||

There is only one unequivocal truth, say the wise. Whether you keep or renounce attachments, consciousness remains one, never many! ||1-22||

Where is deliverance in perceiving everything as external to Self? Where is deliverance in perceiving everything as the form of the Self? Where is deliverance in perceiving the Self as either existing or non-existing? Liberation is only in perceiving everything as One! ||1-23||

You are pure, undifferentiated Reality, you have no body, no birth and no death. How then, can you believe ‘I know the Self’ or ‘I do not know the Self? ||1-24||

Sayings such as ‘Thou art That’ explain the nature of your own Self, indeed. Sayings such as ‘Not this, not this’ show the unreality of the five elements. ||1-25||

The Self itself is the identity of everyone. You are complete and infinite, the differences between thinker and the thought do not belong to your consciousness at all. How then, can you shamelessly go on thinking so! ||1-26||

I do not know Shiva, how can I speak of him? I do not know Shiva, how can I worship him? I myself am Shiva, the supreme Reality, ever the same, just like the sky! ||1-27||

‘I am not Reality’, ‘I am indeed, Reality’ – I am beyond all such fanciful thoughts. I am beyond the perceiver and the perceived. How then, can I be the object of my own perception? ||1-28||

There is no such thing as ‘the infinite form’, there is no such thing as ‘the real form’. The Self is the only one supreme Reality – it is not a destroyer, and it has no violence. ||1-29||

You are that pure, unchanging Reality. You have no body, no birth and no death. How then, can delusion exist for the Self? And how can the Self be deluded? ||1-30||

When a pot is broken, the difference between the inside of the pot and the outside does not exist! Similarly, when the mind is purified in Shiva, there appears no duality to me! ||1-31||

In reality, there is no pot or space within, no body or soul within! Know that there is only one Brahman, who is beyond both the knower and the known! ||1-32||

Everywhere, eternally, in everything, only the Self is constant. Everything – nothingness or existence - is only my Self; I know this without doubt. ||1-33||

There are no Vedas, no people, no gods, no sacrificial rites, no classifications of life (ashramas), neither castes nor creeds, neither smoky, unclear paths nor well-lit paths. There is only Brahman – the one supreme Reality! ||1-34||

When you know that state of oneness which is beyond both subject and object, how can you believe the Self as either the observer or the observed? ||1-35||

Some desire non-duality, others desire duality. They do not know the undifferentiated truth which is beyond both duality and non-duality. ||1-36||

It is beyond colours such as white, it is beyond qualities such as sound. What can one say about the Absolute Reality? It is far beyond both mind and speech. ||1-37||

When you understand how the body and all else is unreal and empty as the sky, then you know Brahman, and then you disown the entire tradition of duality. ||1-38||

I perceive the innate nature of the Self as transcendental and undivided. Indeed, it is undivided like space! How, then, can the subject and object of meditation be two? ||1-39||

What I do, what I eat, what I sacrifice or give, none of this ever exists for me. I am purity itself, beyond birth and death! ||1-40||

Know this entire universe is formless, know this entire universe is changeless. Know this entire universe is pure, know this entire universe is the singular form of Shiva! ||1-41||

You are the Absolute Reality, never doubt that or think ‘How can I know it?’ The Self knows the Self! How can you ever believe it is unknowable? ||1-42||

Delusion or non-delusion? How could that be? Refuge or non-refuge? Those concepts do not exist! The only thing that exists is one, all-pervading, stainless Reality! ||1-43||

I am free of beginning, middle and end, I have never been bound. My nature is pure and stainless, I know this firmly. ||1-44||

To me, the great expanse of this universe appears as nothing! Brahman alone is everything! Where then, are the stations or stages of life (ashramas)? ||1-45||

I always know everything as one, undivided reality. The world, the void, space, and the five elements – they are all One! ||1-46||

It is neither neuter, nor masculine, nor feminine. It has neither intellect nor imagination. How then, can you believe the Self is blissful or not blissful? ||1-47||

Practicing six-limbed yoga will not purify you, conquering the mind will not purify you, a guru’s teachings will not purify you. Purity is your very essence, it is your consciousness! ||1-48||

Neither the physical body consisting of five elements, nor the subtle body exists. The Self alone is everything. Where then, is the fourth state of mind (Samadhi) or the other three states? ||1-49||

I am neither bound nor free. I am nothing other than Brahman. I am neither the doer, nor the experiencer, I beyond pervading or being pervaded. ||1-50||

Just as when water is poured on water, there remains no distinction between the two different streams of water, similarly, I see no distinction between nature (Prakriti) and the consciousness (Purusha). ||1-51||

If its identity is neither ‘liberated’ nor ‘bound’, how can one think that the Self is either manifest or non-manifest? ||1-52||

I know that supreme One that extends everywhere like the sky. And it is that same supreme One that appears distorted like the water in a mirage. ||1-53||

I have neither a guru, nor any teachings. I have no disciple and no duty. Know that I am formless like the sky, and pure by my very nature! ||1-54||

You are pure, you have no body or mind, you are the most supreme of truths! “I am the Self, the supreme Reality!” - say this without shame! ||1-55||

Why do you weep, O mind? Decide yourself that ‘I am the Self’. O child, drink the supreme nectar of Oneness, which surpasses all! ||1-56||

You are neither intelligent, nor foolish, nor are you a mixture of the two. See yourself as pure, infinite intelligence, and nothing other than this intelligence! ||1-57||

I am neither in knowledge, nor in logic, nor in transcendental meditation, nor in any particular place or time, nor in the guru’s teachings. Even though I appear scattered, I am the ultimate Reality, and my nature is innately constant like the sky! ||1-58||

I have no birth, no death, no duties, and have incurred no good or bad karma. I am pure Brahman, beyond all qualities. How can bondage or liberation exist for me? ||1-59||

If God is all-pervading, unmoving, complete, constant, then I do not see any division in him at all! How can he be regarded as within or without? ||1-60||

The entire universe shines as an undivided constant! The concept of maya is a great delusion, and duality and non-duality are merely fancies! ||1-61||

The manifest and the unmanifest – neither ever exist! Forever beyond the realm of union and separation, only Shiva alone exists! ||1-62||

You have no mother, no father, no relative, no wife, no son or friend. You are neither partial, nor impartial to anything. Why then, do you carry such deep torment in your heart? ||1-63||

There is neither day and night, nor rising and setting within your consciousness. How then, can the wise one ever imagine the formless as having a body? ||1-64||

Know the never-changing Self! It is neither undivided nor divided. It experiences neither joy nor sorrow nor anything else. It is not everything, nor is it nothing! ||1-65||

I am neither the doer, nor the experiencer. I have no karma, either in the past or in the present. I am neither with nor without a body. What then, is ‘mine’ or ‘not mine’? ||1-66||

There is no attachment or other fault in me, there is no pain in the body or elsewhere for me. I only know I am the One Self, vast as the sky! ||1-67||

O mind, my friend, why cling to things so much? O mind, my friend, everything that you see is doubtful! I have told you the essence of the truth. You yourself are the ultimate Reality, free as the sky! ||1-68||

Wherever or in whatever state a yogi dies, he becomes absorbed into the Absolute, just as the space within a pot becomes absorbed into outer space when the pot is broken. ||1-69||

Whether he quits his body at a holy place of pilgrimage, or at a degenerate place, or with his memory totally lost - at the time of death, he merges into freedom, into Absolute unity! ||1-70||

Righteousness, wealth, desire, liberation, people, all moving and stationary things in the world – the yogi believes all these to be illusory, like water in a mirage. ||1-71||

There is no action in the past, present or future that has been performed or experienced by me. I know this without a doubt. ||1-72||

The Avadhuta stays alone and happy in a deserted place, pure and with an equanimous mind. He roams about naked, having surrendered all pride, knowing everything is the Self! ||1-73||

Where there is no third state (deep sleep) or the fourth state (pure consciousness), only the Self exists! Where there is no righteousness or non-righteousness, where there is no bondage or liberation, how can desire exist! ||1-74||

Where there is no knowing even upon knowing, there are no scriptures or diverse knowledge. Deeply immersed in equanimity, purified and in the highest spiritual state, I, the Avadhuta, thus speak of the Absolute Reality! ||1-75||

Neither nothing nor everything exists, neither truth nor falsehood exists. All scriptures in agreement assert that there exists only that Self – the root nature of all nature! ||1-76||

In this Song of the Avadhuta composed by Shri Dattatreya, this is the first chapter on the teaching of the wisdom of the Self.

Chapter 2

You may be young, addicted to sensual pleasures, foolish, a servant or a householder. When does a jewel need a guru to be valuable? When is it ever thrown away in anger just because it is covered in mud? ||2-1||

You may consider yourself unskilled in literature, but know that the true essence is beyond such qualities! When you really want to go across, even an unpainted, undecorated, unattractive boat will take you! ||2-2||

The Self appears as both deliberate and unintentional, both animate and inanimate. It is always absorbed in its own tranquil natural state. It is pure consciousness, vast as the sky! ||2-3||

It effortlessly appears as either inaminate or animate, but it is One and all-pervading! Where then, is duality? There is only unity in me! ||2-4||

I am that which is supreme, the essence of all essences, I am Shiva! I am beyond coming and going, I am without imagination, I am unperturbed. ||2-5||

I am beyond all my component parts. Therefore, even though thirty gods may worship me, I do not accept any divisions, such as thirty gods, within my perfect completeness! ||2-6||

Neither foolishness nor doubt can have any impact on my nature. They are like bubbles rising and subsiding in water. ||2-7||

The numerous material elements that compose the material world are always finite, including all things that are soft, sharp, sweet or bitter. ||2-8||

Bitterness, coldness, softness – are all qualities of water. Similarly, material nature (Prakriti) and consciousness (Purusha) are my undifferentiated qualities. ||2-9||

Free of all names, beyond the subtlest of the subtle, transcending the mind, the intellect and the senses – such is the stainless one – the lord of the universe! ||2-10||

When such is the original state, then how can there be an “I”? How can there be a “You”? How can there be animate and inanimate things? ||2-11||

What is said to be like the sky is indeed like the sky. It is pure consciousness, without faults, all-knowing, complete. ||2-12||

It does not walk on land, it does not blow in the wind, it does not drown in water, nor is it situated in the midst of fire. ||2-13||

Space is pervaded by it, but it is not pervaded by anything. It stands both within and without, it is indivisible and infinite. ||2-14||

It is very subtle, it is invisible, it is beyond qualities, say the yogis. It is the foundation, it is said, on which all other things come to rest in due course. ||2-15||

When one practices being established in the Self continuously, then one becomes non-attached. Thus absorbed in the Self, one goes beyond the faults of all qualities (gunas). ||2-16||

The vicious, withering poison of lust and infatuation with the world can be destroyed by only one antidote – the nectar of the original nature! ||2-17||

Unmanifest states cannot be perceived by the mind, only manifest states are perceived by the eye. But what is beyond both manifest and unmanifest states is known as the inner Self. ||2-18||

The state experienced without takes the form of the universe, the state experienced within takes the form of nature. But know deep in the inner core of the inner state, is the real milk of the coconut! ||2-19||

Various diversified knowledge is the outer shell, equanimous self-knowledge is the middle, and in the core of the centre is the real milk of the coconut (consciousness). ||2-20||

Just as the moon appears as one and resplendent on a full-moon night, so should Reality be seen as one. A sight that perceives division is faulty. ||2-21||

The perception of many is an aberration of the mind, Reality is one, not many. The one who is purified with this wisdom deserves to be praised a thousand times. ||2-22||

A guru gives the prasada of wisdom to everyone, be he foolish or learned. But only he crosses over this ocean of existence, who learns the truth for himself. ||2-23||

He who is free from attraction and repulsion, who is engaged in doing good for all, who is firmly determined and wise, he attains the supreme state. ||2-24||

When a pot breaks, the space inside merges into the space outside. Similarly, when a yogi quits his body, he becomes one with his true Self – the supreme universal consciousness. ||2-25||

It is said the destiny of those who are devoted to action is decided by their state of mind at the end of their life. But the destiny of the one established in yoga is not determined by his state of mind at the end. ||2-26||

The destiny of those devoted to action can be expressed with speech. But how to describe the destiny of the yogi? It is beyond expression. ||2-27||

A yogi does not imagine knowing any particular path, he simply ceases to imagine! In this state, perfection naturally occurs! ||2-28||

Wherever a yogi dies – whether it is at a place of pilgrimage or at an immoral place, he does not take birth again. He merges into the Absolute. ||2-29||

When one realizes the Self which is innate, unborn and inconceivable, faults cannot cling even when one continues to be occupied according to one’s own wish. The disciplined ascetic’s conduct is always benevolent, he is always free of karma, and he is always free. ||2-30||

Free of illness, free of illusion, free of form, free of dependence, free of bodily obsession, free of hope, free of duality, free of desire, free of power - he attains God, the Self, the Eternal! ||2-31||

Neither the Vedas nor initiation, nor a ceremonially shaved head; neither guru nor disciple; neither possessions nor wealth - he attains God, the Self, the Eternal! ||2-32||

Neither the great Shiva nor goddess Shakti nor human beings; neither the solid form nor the feet of God; neither beginning, nor climax, nor descension - he attains God, the Self, the Eternal! ||2-33||

That fundamental nature from which the animate and inanimate world is born, on which it stands, and into which it ultimately merges, like the change in the state of foam and bubbles when milk is shaken or kept still – he attains (that nature of), God, the Self, the Eternal! ||2-34||

The state where there is neither holding of breath nor curbing of visual enjoyment; neither perceiving wisdom nor foolishness; nor studying of nerve patterns – he attains (that state of) God, the Self, the Eternal! ||2-35||

What is beyond ‘one-ness’, ‘two-ness’, ‘many-ness’ or manifoldness, beyond minisculeness or expansiveness, beyond greatness or nothingness, beyond measurability, quantification or comparison – he attains (that state of) God, the Self, the Eternal! ||2-36||

Whether he is disciplined or undisciplined, whether he clings to senses or is free of them, whether he clings to actions or is free of them – he attains God, the Self, the Eternal! ||2-37||

Neither the mind, nor the intellect, nor the body, nor the senses; neither the subtle elements nor the five gross elements; neither ego nor the subtle body – he attains God, the Self, the Eternal! ||2-38||

Rejecting all precepts, he rests in the supreme Self. Thus, the consciousness of the yogi becomes free of duality. Purity or impurity, expressing lust or restricting everything – these have no meaning for him. ||2-39||

What the mind or speech are not able to express, indeed, how can a guru’s teachings express that? How can a guru say anything about that primordial essence which illuminates everything! ||2-40||

In this Song of the Avadhuta composed by Shri Dattatreya, this is the second chapter on the teaching of the wisdom of the Self.

Chapter 3

For him, there is no distinction between being with qualities or without. He is beyond both attachment and non-attachment, he is stainless and uncomplicated. Beyond both good and bad qualities, he permeates the entire universe! How do I worship that Shiva, who is formless like space! ||3-1||

Shiva is always beyond colours such as white, Shiva is beyond both cause and effect. Truly, I am Shiva, beyond imagination! My friend, how do I myself bow down to myself? ||3-2||

Beyond pointedness or pointlessness, I am an ever-rising sun! Beyond smoky obscurity or clarity, I am an ever-rising sun! Beyond light and darkness, I am an ever-rising sun! I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-3||

Desire, desirelessness – now how do I define these concepts? Attachment, non-attachment – now how do I define these concepts? Pointlessness, pointedness – now how do I define these concepts? I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-4||

How do I define the absolute concept of non-duality? How do I define the absolute concept of duality? How do I define absolute eternity and non-eternity? I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-5||

I am neither gross nor subtle, I neither come nor go. I am free of beginning, middle and end, I am neither superior nor inferior. Indeed, I speak only the truth about the supreme Reality. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-6||

Know that all sense organs are empty as the sky, know that all sense objects are also empty as the sky. Know that there is only one stainless One that is neither liberated nor bound – I am that nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-7||

I am unfathomable, inaccessible via intellect - intellect cannot define me. I am imperceptible, inaccessible via sight - sight cannot define me. I am not solid, unlimited by form - form cannot define me. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-8||

I am without karma, I am the fire in which all karma is consumed. I am without sorrow, I am the fire in which all sorrow is consumed. I am without body, I am the fire in which all forms are consumed. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-9||

I am sinless, I am the fire in which all sins are consumed. I am dutiless, I am the fire in which all duties are consumed. I am unbound, I am the fire in which all bondage is consumed. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-10||

I am free of existence and non-existence, these are not in me, child. I am free of union and separation, these are not in me, child. I am free of mindfulness and mindlessness, these are not in me, child. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-11||

I am free from illusion, I cannot even imagine the state of delusion. I am beyond grief, I cannot even imagine the state of grief. I am beyond greed, I cannot even imagine the state of greed. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-12||

The vine of worldly existence does not affect me in the least. The entire expanse of contentment and pleasures does not affect me in the least. This bondage of ignorance does not affect me in the least. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-13||

The entire expanse of worldly passion (rajas) cannot cause any disturbance in me. The entire expanse of suffering caused by ignorance (tamas) cannot cause any disturbance in me. The entire expanse of righteousness generated by goodness (sattva) cannot cause any disturbance in me. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-14||

Suffering due to sorrow never arises in me in any manner whatsoever. Suffering due to the practice of yoga never arises in my mind. That from which ego is generated is never in me. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-15||

Having destroyed both decisiveness and indecisiveness, I am neither doubtful nor firm. Having destroyed both dreaming and awakening, I do not see the advantage or disadvantage of either. Having destroyed both essence and essencelessness, I do not see the difference between animate and inanimate. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-16||

I am neither the knower nor the known, nor the cause of knowledge. I am imperceptible through speech, mind or intellect. Indeed, how can I describe the ultimate Reality with words? I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky. ||3-17||

I am beyond division and non-division, I am the supreme Reality. How can there be a within or without when I am the supreme Reality? I was there before existence but I am not attached to any object of existence. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-18||

Free from the faults of attachment, you and I are one Reality. Free from the faults of destiny, you and I are one Reality. Free from the sorrows of the worldly existence, you and I are one Reality. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-19||

When I am not any of the three states of mind (waking, dreaming, deep sleep), how can I be the fourth state (pure awareness)? When I am not the three kinds of time (past, present, future), how can I be the fourth? I am the supreme foundation of serenity, I am the Absolute Reality. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-20||

Words like long or short cannot divide me (by defining me). Words like broad or narrow cannot divide me. Words like angular or round cannot divide me. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-21||

No mother, father or son was ever mine. No birth, death or mind was ever mine. I am untroubled and steady, I am the Absolute Reality. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-22||

My nature is infinite, beyond concepts of purity or impurity. My nature is infinite, beyond concepts of stain or stainlessness. My nature is infinite, beyond thoughts of being broken or unbroken. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-23||

How can Brahma and other gods be here, how can heaven and its residents be here, if I am the One, ultimate, stainless, supreme Reality? I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-24||

How can I speak of that which is pure beyond both ‘this’ and ‘not this’? How can I speak of that which is pure beyond being either complete or incomplete? How can I speak of that which is pure beyond gender definition or genderlessness? I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-25||

I am always beyond both action and inaction. I am beyond attachment and non-attachment, always supremely blissful. I am beyond body and bodilessness, continuously blissful. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-26||

This stage-play of maya does not cause any disturbance in me. The play of dishonesty or fraud does not cause any disturbance in me. The play of truth or falsehood does not cause any disturbance in me. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-27||

Distinctions of time like evening etc. cannot cause a split in me. Manifesting or unmanifesting cannot make me deaf or mute. I am not pure “being”, in fact, I am beyond all conceptualization. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-28||

Beyond being with or without God, I am undisturbed. Beyond being mindful or mindless, I am undisturbed. Know I am beyond everything, I am truly undisturbed. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-29||

How can I say whether this is wilderness or a temple? How can I say whether this is accomplishment or doubt? I am ceaselessly equanimous, untroubled! I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-30||

Beyond being alive or lifeless, I ceaselessly shine forth. Beyond being potent or impotent, I ceaselessly shine forth. Beyond being liberated or bound, I ceaselessly shine forth. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-31||

I am beyond a beginning, I ceaselessly shine forth. I am beyond this continuing world, I ceaselessly shine forth. I am beyond destruction, I ceaselessly shine forth. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-32||

Even if you are spoken of, you have no name or form. Whether you are divided or undivided, you are not an object. O shameless mind, how can you lament so? I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-33||

For what named object do you weep, my friend? There is no old age or death for you. For what named object do you weep, my friend? There is no pain of birth for you. For what named object do you weep, my friend? You have no disturbance in you. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-34||

For what named object do you weep, my friend? You have no form of your own. For what named object do you weep, my friend? You have no deformity. For what named object do you weep, my friend? You are not subject to aging. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-35||

For what named object do you weep, my friend? You are not subject to aging. For what named object do you weep, my friend? You can never lose your mind. For what named object do you weep, my friend? You have no sense organs. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-36||

For what named object do you weep, my friend? Lust is never in you. For what named object do you weep, my friend? Greed is never in you. For what named object do you weep, my friend? Infatuation is never in you. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-37||

For what can you desire wealth? You have no treasure (to add to). For what can you desire wealth? You have no wife (to support). For what can you desire wealth? You have no sense of ‘mine’. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-38||

This stage of human forms is neither mine nor yours, it is only the shameless mind that perceives different forms. You and I are free of division and non-division. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-39||

There is not even an atom’s worth of dispassion in you, there is not even an atom’s worth of passion in you. There is not even an atom’s worth of lust in you. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-40||

There is no meditator in your heart, there is no state of Samadhi. There is no act of meditation in your heart, there is no outer world. There is nobody to worship in your heart, there is no object or time. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-41||

I have told you that which is the essential truth of this entire existence. There is no you, no me, no great being, no guru, no disciple. I am that Absolute Reality whose nature is innately spontaneous. I am the nectar of knowledge, I am equanimous bliss, I am vast as the sky! ||3-42||

How can the supreme Reality be found in a blissful state? How can the supreme Reality be found in a non-blissful state? How can the supreme Reality be found in knowledge or realization, when I myself am the supreme One, vast as space! ||3-43||

Know that it is beyond fire and air, realize the One! Know that it is beyond earth and water, realize the One! Know that it is beyond all coming and going, realize the One! Know that it is vast as space, realize the One! ||3-44||

My nature is neither partial nor complete nothingness. My nature is neither partial nor complete purity. My nature is neither beauty nor deformity – not even a little of all these exist in me. My only nature is the Self - Absolute Reality! ||3-45||

Set aside, renounce the world, then renounce all renunciation as well! Renunciation and non-renunciation both are poison. The only one pure nectar is that which is innately changeless! ||3-46||

In this Song of the Avadhuta composed by Shri Dattatreya, this is the third chapter on the teaching of the wisdom of the Self.

Chapter 4

How can there be prostrations or various rites with flowers and leaves? How can there be meditation or the chanting of mantras? The worshipper and Shiva are exactly the same! ||4-1||

I am not only free of partial and complete bondage, I am not only free of partial and complete purity, I am not only free of union and separation, I am freedom itself, just like the sky! ||4-2||

All this creation is the truth, some say. All this creation is not the truth, some say. Such concepts do not arise in me. I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-3||

I am neither faulty nor faultless. I am neither with an end nor endless. I do not perceive divisions or subdivisions. I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-4||

Ignorance or intelligence do not arise in me, various forms of intelligence do not arise in me. How then, can I talk about knowing or not knowing? I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-5||

I am tied neither to righteousness, nor to sin. I am tied neither to bondage nor to freedom. I have no perception of the state of being tied to this or that. I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-6||

I have no concept of superiority or non-superiority. I am always neutral, with no enemies or friends. How then, can I talk about good or evil? I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-7||

I am neither the worshipper nor the object of worship. I have no teachings or rites. What then, can I say about my nature that is knowledge itself? I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-8||

There is nothing here that pervades or is pervaded. There is nothing that is destroyed or indestructible. How then, can I talk about the void or non-void? I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-9||

I am neither the subject nor the object at any time. I am neither the cause, nor the effect. How then, can I speak about what can or cannot be contemplated? I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-10||

I am neither the one who differentiates, nor that which is differentiated. I am neither the knower, nor the known. How then, can I speak about that which comes and goes? I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-11||

I am not embodied, nor am I without body. I have no intellect, mind or senses. How then, can I speak about passion or dispassion? I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-12||

I cannot conceive even an allusion to division. I cannot conceive even an allusion to what has vanished in me. How then, friend, can I speak about ‘equality’ or ‘inequality’? I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-13||

There is no victory over the senses for me or for you, and there is neither discipline nor rules nor classifications. How then, friend, can I speak about victory or defeat? I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-14||

There is no form or formlessness for me, there is no beginning, middle or end for me. How then, friend, can I speak of childhood or old age? I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-15||

Mortality or immortality, evil or good – these never arise in me, child. How then, can I speak of purity or impurity? I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-16||

Dreaming, awakening, yogic meditative states, day or night – these are never in me. How then, can I speak of the four or other states of mind? I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-17||

Know well that I am beyond everything and nothing, there is no maya or its absence in me. How then, can I talk about duties of evening etc. (duties of the three junctures of the day)? I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-18||

Know well that I am established forever in the state of Samadhi, know well that I am forever beyond achievement and non-achievement. How then, can I talk about union or separation? I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-19||

I am neither a fool, nor a learned expert, there is no silence or non-silence in me ever. How then, can I talk about reasoning or non-reasoning? I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-20||

I have neither father nor mother nor family nor caste, neither birth nor death are ever in me. How then, can I talk about affection or non-affection? I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-21||

I never set, I am forever a rising sun, there is never presence or absence of light in me! How then, can I speak about the duties of evening etc. (duties of the three junctures of the day)? I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-22||

Know without doubt that I am never disturbed, know without doubt that I am endless! Know without doubt that I am ever stainless. I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-23||

They renounce all meditation, they renounce all good and evil – O child, the wise drink only that nectar of renunciation. I am free of maya, my nature is freedom itself! ||4-24||

Where there is no knowing even upon knowing, there are no scriptures or diverse knowledge. Deeply immersed in equanimity, purified and in the highest spiritual state, I, the Avadhuta, thus speak of the Absolute Reality! ||4-25||

In this Song of the Avadhuta composed by Shri Dattatreya, this is the fourth chapter on the teaching of the wisdom of the Self.

Chapter 5

The sound of the syllable ‘aum’ is equally spread like the sky, there are no thought concepts of ‘absolute’ or ‘relative’ within it. When concepts of manifestation and non-manifestation are eradicated, what is the need for even a drop of this utterance? ||5-1||

“Thou art that" the scriptures have said from the very beginning, and the Self also proclaims “Thou art that”. You are free of all limitations, and equanimous to everything. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-2||

Free of terms such as prostrate or upright, you are equanimous to everything. Free of terms such as within and without, you are equanimous to everything. Free of terms such as many or one, you are equanimous to everything. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-3||

There are no such things as concepts or conceptualization, there are no such things as causes or causation. Beyond all words and word-combinations, you are equanimous to everything. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-4||

There are no concepts of knowledge or ignorance in the state of samadhi. There are no concepts of local or foreign in the state of samadhi. There are no concepts of transience or eternity in the state of samadhi. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-5||

There is no space in the jar, there is not even a jar! There is no body to hold the soul, there is not even a soul! There is no division of cause and effect. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-6||

Here in the state of ever-endless liberation, there are no concepts such as small or big. There are no distinctions such as round or angled. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-7||

This state here is free of concepts such as emptiness and fullness, it is free of purity and impurity, it is free of everything and nothing. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-8||

There are no concepts such as differences or equality. There are no concepts such as within, without, or the merging of the two. You are ever-equanimous, beyond distinctions such as friend or enemy. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-9||

There are no forms such as disciple or non-disciple, there are no distinct concepts such as animate or inanimate. There is only the ever-endless state of liberation here. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-10||

Indeed, it is beyond form and formlessness. Indeed, it is beyond division and non-division. Indeed, it is beyond creation and non-creation. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-11||

Neither the gunas nor anything else can bind it. How then, can life, death or actions bind it? It is pure, stainless, equanimous. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-12||

There is neither existence nor non-existence here. There is neither desire nor desirelessness here. There is only pure consciousness and oneness with freedom here. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-13||

There is no everlasting reality or unreality here, there is no union or separation here. When you are equanimous and beyond everything, why do you grieve in your heart? You are truly equanimous to everything. ||5-14||

Reality is the same whether one is homeless or in a home with family. It is supreme, beyond attachment or detachment. It is supreme, beyond knowledge or ignorance. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-15||

Perversion or non-perversion, both are false. Purposefulness or purposelessness, both are false. When only the Self is the truth, why do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-16||

Indeed, there is only one equanimous soul here. There is only one ever-eternal soul here. There is only one changeless soul here. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-17||

Discrimination or non-discrimination, both are ignorance. Imagination or non-imagination, both are ignorance. When there is only one eternal consciousness here, why do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-18||

There is no state of liberation, there is no state of bondage, there is no state of virtue, and no state of sin. There is no state of completeness, and no state of emptiness. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-19||

When you are equanimous beyond caste and castelessness, when you are equanimous beyond cause and effect, when you are equanimous beyond division and non-division, why do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-20||

Everything is limitless, everything is pure consciousness here. There is only the never-changing one, everything is pure consciousness here. Beyond being human or otherwise, everything is pure consciousness. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-21||

It is perfectly ever-eternal, all-pervading. It is completely stainless, unchanging, all-pervading. Beyond day or night, it is all-pervading. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-22||

It is neither bound nor free, it is a unified whole. It is neither united nor separated, it is a unified whole. It is neither thought nor reasoning, it is a unified whole. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-23||

Here, time and timelessness do not exist. Even atoms and their particles do not exist. Only Absolute Reality never ceases to exist. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-24||

There is neither body nor bodilessness here. The supreme is beyond sleeping or dreaming. The supreme is beyond expression or enumeration. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-25||

It is equanimous, pure, vast like space. It is equanimous, completely transcending everything. It is equanimous, beyond all conclusions, non-conclusions and distortions. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-26||

Here there is no passion for righteousness or non-righteousness. Here there is no passion for objects or non-objects. Here there is no passion for desire or desirelessness. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-27||

Here, there is equanimity beyond joy and sorrow. The supreme is beyond grief or non-grief. Supreme Reality is beyond guru or disciple. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-28||

It does not sprout out of purposefulness or purposelessness, animateness or inanimateness, equanimity or non-equanimity. It is beyond thought and thoughtlessness. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-29||

This is the highest essence of all principles. How then, can there be division in its own self? Every object of perception is false. Why then, do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-30||

The scriptures have said in many ways – the world and heaven are like water in a mirage. When there is only one eternal Reality, why do you grieve in your heart? You are equanimous to everything. ||5-31||

Where there is no knowing even upon knowing, there are no scriptures or diverse knowledge. Deeply immersed in equanimity, purified and in the highest spiritual state, I, the Avadhuta, thus speak of the Absolute Reality! ||5-32||

In this Song of the Avadhuta composed by Shri Dattatreya, this is the fifth chapter on the teaching of the wisdom of the Self.

Chapter 6

The scriptures have told us in many ways – the world and heaven are like water in a mirage. If there is only one limitless Shiva (Self) who is everything, then how can it be compared, and to what? ||6-1||

The Supreme is free of division or non-division, the Supreme is free of action or inaction. If there is only one limitless Shiva who is everything, what is the need for sacrificial fires or austerities? ||6-2||

The One mind is infinite and all-pervading. It is supreme, beyond vastness or smallness. The One mind is limitless Shiva. How then, can it be found in thought or speech? ||6-3||

The difference between night and day does not exist. The difference between sunrise and sunset does not exist. When there is only one, infinite Shiva who is everything, how can it be the sun and the moon which are shining? ||6-4||

It has transcended both desire and desirelessness. It has transcended both craving and non-craving. When there is only one limitless Shiva who is everything, how can there be thoughts of divisions such as without or within? ||6-5||

If it is beyond both conclusions and non-conclusions, if it is beyond both emptiness and fullness, if there is only one limitless Shiva who is everything, how can there be a ‘first’ or a ‘last’? ||6-6||

If division and non-division do not exist, if the knower and the known do not exist, if there is only one limitless Shiva, how can there be a ‘third’ (mental state) or a ‘fourth’ (mental state)? ||6-7||

What can be understood by speech is not the truth. What cannot be understood by speech is also not the truth. When there is only one limitless Shiva who is everything, how can objects, senses, intellect or mind exist? ||6-8||

Neither space nor air is the truth. Neither earth nor fire is the truth. When there is only one limitless Shiva who is everything, how can the ocean exist and how can water? ||6-9||

When the concept of the world does not exist, when the concept of heaven does not exist, when there is only one limitless Shiva who is everything, how can there be concepts such as the ‘gunas’ and their faults? ||6-10||

Death or life do not exist. Cause or effect do not exist. When there is only one limitless Shiva who is everything, how can one speak of going or coming? ||6-11||

There is no difference between matter (Prakriti) and consciousness (Purusha). When there is only one limitless Shiva who is everything, how can one speak of Self or not-Self? ||6-12||

There is no third ‘guna’ (rajas) which brings one to misery. There is no second ‘guna’ (tamas) which brings one to misery. When there is only one limitless Shiva who is everything, how can there be old age, youth or childhood? ||6-13||

The supreme is beyond stages of life, the supreme is beyond cause and effect. When there is only one limitless Shiva who is everything, how can there be concepts such as perishable or imperishable? ||6-14||

Both the destroyer and the destroyed are false concepts. Both the knowable and unknowable are false concepts. When there is only one limitless Shiva who is everything, how can the perishable or the imperishable exist? ||6-15||

Concepts such as male or non-male are destroyed. Concepts such as female or non-female are destroyed. When there is only one limitless Shiva who is everything, how can amusement or boredom exist? ||6-16||

When the Supreme is beyond infatuation and lamentation, when the Supreme is beyond doubt and sorrow, when there is only one limitless Shiva who is everything, what is this sense of “I” and “mine”? ||6-17||

There is no righteousness or non-righteousness – these are destroyed. There is no bondage or liberation – these are destroyed. When there is only one limitless Shiva who is everything, how can there be concepts such as sorrow or happiness here? ||6-18||

There is no distinction between the performer of the sacrificial rite, and the sacrificial rite itself. There is no distinction between the object of the sacrifice or the sacrificial fire. When there is only one limitless Shiva who is everything, tell me how can rewards for one’s actions exist? ||6-19||

Indeed, it is free of joy and sorrow. Indeed, it is free of pride and humility. When there is only one limitless Shiva who is everything, indeed, how can there be concepts such as passion or dispassion? ||6-20||

There are no distortions such as delusion or non-delusion. There are no distortions such as greed or non-greed. When there is only one limitless Shiva who is everything, how can there be concepts such as discrimination or non-discrimination? ||6-21||

Indeed! You and I have never ever existed! Concepts such as caste or creed are false. I, myself, am Shiva, the supreme Reality! To whom here then, should I offer my devotion? ||6-22||

Concepts of guru and disciple are shattered. Concepts of teachings are shattered. I, myself, am Shiva, the supreme Reality! To whom here then, should I offer my devotion? ||6-23||

There are no concepts of separate bodies. There are no concepts of separate worlds. I, myself, am Shiva, the supreme Reality! To whom here then, should I offer my devotion? ||6-24||

There is no such thing as clean or unclean. Indeed, there is no stainlessness, changelessness or purity. I, myself, am Shiva, the supreme Reality! To whom here then, should I offer my devotion? ||6-25||

There are no concepts of body or bodilessness. Uncertainty or certainty both are false. I, myself, am Shiva, the supreme Reality! To whom here then, should I offer my devotion? ||6-26||

Where there is no knowing even upon knowing, there are no scriptures or diverse knowledge. Deeply immersed in equanimity, purified and in the highest spiritual state, I, the Avadhuta, thus speak of the Absolute Reality! ||6-27||

In this Song of the Avadhuta composed by Shri Dattatreya, this is the sixth chapter on the teaching of the wisdom of the Self.

Chapter 7

An old rag crushed beneath chariots may serve as the garment of the one who walks on the path beyond virtue and sin. He lives naked in an empty hut - pure, stainless, immersed in equanimity. ||7-1||

His aim is beyond aim and aimlessness. His wisdom is beyond sensibility and insensibility. He is established only in stainless and pure Reality. How then, can the Avadhuta get into speeches and discussions? ||7-2||

He is free of bondage from the rope of hope. He is free from the harness of acceptable conduct. Thus free from everything, he is pure and stainless - the very essence of peace. ||7-3||

Where is the thought of body or bodilessness? Where is the thought of passion or passionlessness? Pure and unchanging like the sky, he himself is truth in its natural form. ||7-4||

Where there is the Absolute Reality, how can there be knowledge or the presence or absence of forms? Where there is the Supreme, infinite as the sky, how can there be perception of sense objects? ||7-5||

The Self is infinite like the sky, the Self is pure, stainless Reality. How then, can there be division or non-division, bondage or liberation, distortions or divisions? ||7-6||

There is only one limitless Reality everywhere. Where then, is union or separation or pride here? That One is supreme, never-ending and everything there is! How can that Supreme One have substance or non-substance here? ||7-7||

Everything is only one stainless Reality. It is pure and limitless like the sky. How then, can it be together or separate? How can this truth be colourful or colourless? ||7-8||

He is a yogi who is beyond union or separation. He is an enjoyer who is beyond enjoyment or non-enjoyment. He walks slowly and leisurely, while his mind experiences natural bliss. ||7-9||

How can the one who is constantly obsessed with knowledge and ignorance, duality and non-duality, be considered liberated? How can a yogi be considered simple or passion-free? Isn’t he an avid enjoyer of One, pure, stainless equanimity? ||7-10||

He is the divider who is beyond division and non-division. He is the unifier who is beyond union and separation. How then, can he who is equanimous and all-pervading like the sky, be subject to principles or non-principles here? ||7-11||

He is constantly one with, yet beyond everything! He is one Reality, beyond everything, and free. How can there be life or death for him? How can there be meditation or non-meditation for him? ||7-12||

All this everywhere is a web of illusion, like the water of a mirage. Reality is only Shiva, unbroken, formless. ||7-13||

We are transcendental to righteousness and liberation, indifferent to everything! How then, could we wise ones ever even imagine passion or passionlessness? ||7-14||

Where there is no knowing even upon knowing, there are no scriptures or diverse knowledge. Deeply immersed in equanimity, purified and in the highest spiritual state, I, the Avadhuta, thus speak of the Absolute Reality! ||7-15||

In this Song of the Avadhuta composed by Shri Dattatreya, this is the seventh chapter on the teaching of the wisdom of the Self.

Chapter 8

In my journey towards you, your all-pervasiveness has been destroyed! Through my meditation, the sense of the superiority of your consciousness has been destroyed! By singing hymns unto you, the sense of your superiority of speech has been destroyed! Please always forgive these threefold tendencies in me. ||8-1||

Free of lust, wise, restrained, gentle, always pure, indifferent, calm, steady, and with all hungers vanished, is the sage who has taken refuge in me. ||8-2||

The profoundly wise soul is deeply intelligent and aware, has triumphed over the six ‘gunas’ (five senses and the mind), is not arrogant but respectful to others, is deeply insightful, friendly and compassionate towards all. ||8-3||

He is merciful, non-violent, compassionate and soft towards all embodied beings. He is the essence of truth, an innocent soul, equanimous and the benefactor of all. ||8-4||

The qualities of the Avadhuta and the meaning of the syllables are known by the blessed ones who know the meaning of the syllables of the Vedas and their essence, who know and talk about the Vedas and Vedanta. ||8-5||

The quality pertaining to the sound ‘A’ in ‘Avadhuta’ is – one who is free from the bondage of hope (asha pasha vinirmukta), who is free of beginning, middle and end (adimadhyanta nirmala), and who always stays in the state of happiness (ananda). ||8-6||

The quality pertaining to the sound ‘Va’ in ‘Avadhuta’ is – one who is free of lust (vasana varjita), whose speech (vaktavya) is free of negativity, and who always stays in the present (vartamana). ||8-7||

The quality pertaining to the sound ‘Dha’ in ‘Avadhuta’ is – one whose limbs are covered in dust (dhulidha), whose mind is devoid of all negativity (dhutachitta), and who is free from all efforts towards concentration and meditation (dharana, dhyana). ||8-8||

The quality pertaining to the sound ‘Ta’ in ‘Avadhuta’ is – one who deeply contemplates on the truth (tattvachinta dhruta), who is free of worries and desires (chinta, cheshta), and who is free of ignorance and ego (tamoahankara). ||8-9||

This song of the Avadhuta has been composed in joy by Dattatreya. Whoever reads this or hears this never has to undergo rebirth. ||8-10||

In this Song of the Avadhuta composed by Shri Dattatreya, this is the eighth chapter on the teaching of the wisdom of the Self.

The End.