Ashtavakra Gita · Verse 12.5 · Janaka speaks
Stage of life or no stage of life, meditation, renunciation of the objects accepted by the mind — finding all these causing distractions to me, thus verily do I abide.
Word by word
आश्रमम्
āśramam
stage of life
noun, masculine, accusative singular
The four āśramas (brahmacharya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa) are prescribed stages of Hindu life with graded duties. For the Self-realized, even these refer only to body and mind — they are transcended.
अनाश्रमम्
anāśramam
absence of stage of life
noun (negative compound), accusative singular
ध्यानम्
dhyānam
meditation
noun, neuter, accusative singular
Even dhyāna (meditation) is seen as a distraction here — because it still implies a meditator and an object of meditation, reinforcing duality. The realized state transcends the meditator-meditation dyad.
चित्तस्वीकृतवर्जनम्
cittasvīkṛtavarjanam
renunciation of what mind accepts
compound noun, neuter, accusative singular (citta + svīkṛta + varjana)
विकल्पम्
vikalpam
distraction, mental modification
noun, masculine, accusative singular
Vikalpa — mental modification or distraction — arises from any engagement with duality, including spiritual practices. All differentiated thought is vikalpa; the Self is nirvikalpa.
मम
mama
my, to me
pronoun, genitive singular, 1st person
वीक्ष्य
vīkṣya
having seen, having discerned
gerund (vi + √īkṣ)
एतैः
etaiḥ
by these
pronoun, instrumental plural (demonstrative)
एवमेव
evameva
thus verily
compound indeclinable
अहम्
aham
I
pronoun, nominative singular, 1st person
आस्थितः
āsthitaḥ
abide, am established
past passive participle, masculine, nominative singular