How to achieve perfection? A great secret revealed by Ashtavakra to Janaka

Tānyupekshya yathāprāptavartī siddhimavāpnuyāt.

Contentment, perfection and siddhī dawns in that person who is happy and contented with whatever has come; who does not hanker for something more. It is so strange, and yet very true! Be contented with what you have and you will see perfection or siddhī dawning in you. If you hanker for siddhī, you will not attain it. You may think you will be fulfilled and satisfied when you have siddhī. But it’s the other way around. When you are satisfied, you will get siddhī. You may think that achievements follow siddhī(perfection), i.e. when you get fulfilled then you will achieve. Or when you achieve something, then you will be fulfilled. But Ashtāvakra says, ‘Be satisfied now’. Achievements will dawn in you. Siddhī(perfection) will dawn in you. He was revealing a big secret to Janaka. Be satisfied and perfection will dawn. You will become a siddha. You cannot ever achieve siddhī by your hankering, your restlessness. Be happy with what you have. Your hankering is always for what you don’t have. And there will always be something you will not have. So your hankering has a continuum and, thus, there is a postponement of your perfection. Ashtāvakra says that by dropping the hankering and being fulfilled and satisfied, perfection will come rushing to you!

Krishna said the same, that when you are fulfilled then all the desires and their fulfillment, and their achievements will flow towards you, just as all the rivers flow into the ocean. And this is our practical experience! Just look at your life. Take one step back and look at your life. Has this not happened?

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji