Truth is not for those who want pleasure

Following is an excerpt from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.

वाग्मिप्राज्ञामहोद्योगं जनं मूकजडालसम् ।करोति तत्त्वबोधोऽयमतस्त्यक्तो बुभुक्षभिः ॥ १५-३॥

vāgmiprājñāmahodyogaṃ janaṃ mūkajaḍālasam ।karoti tattvabodho’yamatastyakto bubhukṣabhiḥ ॥ 15–3॥

This awareness of the Truth makes an eloquent, clever and energetic man dumb, stupid and lazy,and therefore Truth is avoided by those whose aim is pleasure. || 15.3 ||

~ Ashtavakra Gita

Question (Q): Acharaya Ji, Pranaam! Please help me understand the given verse from Ashtavakra Gita.

Acharya Prashant (AP): “Truth makes the eloquent man dumb.”

Ashtavakra is saying, “Truth makes the eloquent man dumb, the clever man stupid, and the energetic man lazy. And therefore those whose aim is happiness in life, they avoid the Truth.”

If you have been eloquent, you talk too much, then Truth puts a lid on your mouth because you start seeing the foolishness of your words. You used to talk so much, and a little touch of the Truth — awestruck! What to say? The words have been stolen away. It feels stupid to express the non-sense within.

Similarly, if you have been clever, Truth makes you see how stupid your cleverness is. So you give up on cleverness. Giving up on cleverness is not stupidity. But in the eyes of the world, only two states exist — cleverness, and the opposite of cleverness, the absence of cleverness, which the world calls ‘stupidity’.

The spiritual one is certainly not clever.

The Saints have said and repeated, and repeatedly emphasised that even a moron can reach there, but not a clever mind.

The ones who have beliefs in their tricks, and methods, and personal wisdom, and intellectual strength are never-never going to reach there.

Truth is for the innocent ones.