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Atmānuśāsana
आत्मानुशासन
accumulated and grown since beginningless time, become sublime. (verses 254-255)
Rid of attachment (rāga) and aversion (dueṣa), every object, favourable and unfavourable, appears bright to the supreme ascetic. Through severe austerities, he brings to premature fruition karmas that have already become subtle. There is no grief for him if karmas get to fruition on their own. He sits in seclusion in a posture called 'palyankasana' on a mountain, in a dreadful forest, or in a cave, and meditates on the way to get rid of the body, on the nature of the pure-soul, or on the Three Jewels (ratnatraya). (verses 256-258)
The dirt sticking to their bodies is their ornament; the surface of the rock is their resting place; the gravelled earth is their bedstead; the natural, insulated abode of the panthers is their dwelling; they are rid of volition concerning 'me' and 'mine'; their knot of darkness of ignorance has opened; and they long for nothing but liberation. They have attained, with great effort, the happiness appertaining to their soul-nature by the spread of the light of knowledge that has appeared due to their constantly advancing austerities; they are seen with self-assurance by the flighty eyes of the she-deer; glory to such revered sages. With their unparalleled ways of conduct, they spend, resolutely, their days and long years. (verses 259-260)
The supreme ascetics whose intellect does not rest till it is able to discern between the desire (mental inclination) and the soul, and, possessed of the wealth of tranquility, vanquish all external volitions by being established in their soul-nature. The discriminating soul which, with the idea of destroying both merit (punya) and demerit (papa) and leaving behind the demon of worldly occupations and possessions, gets established in pure-cognition (suddhopayoga) is worthy of adoration by noble men. (verses 261-262)
When the ascetic becomes indifferent to the fruits, in form of happiness and misery, of the past karmas, and as he becomes rid of attachment (rāga) and aversion (dueṣa), his past karmas fall off and fresh karmas do not bind him. Equipped thus with stoppage (samvara) and dissociation (nirjara) of karmas, the perfect and pristine knowledge - omniscience
(XXXVIII)
