Ashtavakra Gita Historical Background

Ashtavakra Gita was written by Sage Ashtavakra. This Gita perhaps precedes the Bhagwat Gita as the later has references of the Ashtavakra Gita’s teachings. Sage Ashtavakra, deformed from eight limbs on his body, (so the name) was a very enlightened sage, who at the young age of 12 years became the teacher of King Janak. Ashtavakra’s teachings are presented in the form of his dialogue with Janak, the King of Videha. The story goes that Ashtavakra’s father is defeated by Vandin in an intellectual debate in King Janak’s court. Ashtavakra goes to the court to debate with Vandin to redeem his father’s reputation. In the debate Ashtvakra completes the unfinished thirteenth shloka which implies that Self is essentially non-dual, free and unconditioned. The Self becomes subject to happiness and sorrow, and the cycle of birth and deaths through the thirteen viz. (ten organs of sense and activity, and intelligence, mind and ego-sense). Through wisdom, the Self not only should transcend happiness and sorrow as well as the twelve silas (viz., dharma, truth, self-restraint, penance, good-will, modesty, forgiveness, exemption from envy, sacrifice, charity, concentration and control over the senses) but also surmount the thirteen. This is liberation in life, and the supreme Upanisadic truth, “I am Brahman” (aham brahm-asmi) and the self is all that exists (sarvam atma). Ashvakra defeats Vandin in the debate and King Janak becomes Ashtavakra’s disciple.

The Ashtvakra Gita starts with three questions posed by King Janak to Sage Ashtavakra as follows:

1.    How is knowledge to be acquired?
2.    How is liberation to be attained? and
3.    How is dispassion to be reached?

Ashtvakra gave his answers in the following first three shlokas. Rest of his Gita is only the explanation of his teachings, and question answers with King Janak.

The Sage replies, that if you are seeking liberation, my son, avoid the objects of the senses like poison. Practice tolerance, sincerity, compassion, contentment and truthfulness like nectar.
You are neither earth, nor water, nor fire, nor wind nor sky. For liberation know the self as embodiment of pure consciousness, the witness of all these.
If you differentiate yourself from the body and abide in rest in pure consciousness, then even now you will become happy, serene and free from bondage.

Some of the explanations of the Sage are given below:

All our actions are of body and mind and attachment to body and mind is the cause of bondage. Self is not the doer, it has no bondage. It is only the witness, and witness is not attached to the actions.

Virtue and sin, happiness and sorrow are attributes of the mind, not for you. You are not the doer or the enjoyer. You are only the witness and forever free.

Your bondage is that you believe someone else (God) as the witness. When there is a presence of the other, there is bondage. If there is only you (your Self) then there is no bondage.

I am the doer, this egoism bites one like a black snake. That I am the non-doer, drink this faith like nectar and be happy.

I am the pure consciousness. Burn the deep ignorance in the fire of this certitude.
Abandoning sorrow, be blissful.  To gain the self knowledge, believe in the certainty that you are the pure enlightened Self.

The Self is witness, all-pervasive, perfect, non-dual, free, intelligent, action-less, desire-less, unattached and serene. It appears through illusion as if absorbed in the world. (This verse has a reference in Bhagvad gita also). Karm Yog of Krishna, Sankhya of Kapil Muni and Bhakti of Narad are the three main ways to reach enlightenment. But Ashtavakra does not follow these ways. He says that you are only the Witness, the pure consciousness, the Self. You are not the doer or the enjoyer. You are above that. Know this and you will be free from bondage. Salvation does not come from action (karma), knowledge, because you will get trapped in it. The consciousness is omni-present and not reaching it is an illusion.

Ashtavakra says that one lives in body, mind, intellect and ego and as a result feels happiness and unhappiness. Life, he says, is not a problem, but it becomes so due to his thinking and actions. Like makri he traps himself in his own cobwebs.

But he is not the body, nor mind, or intellect or ego. He is pure consciousness. This awareness present in the body is the soul and the collectiveness of all awareness is called the Brahm.  This awareness is not the doer, not the enjoyer, is not bound or free. This awareness is all pervasive, basis of this universe, and this universe is its expression.

You encompass the universe. You are in reality the embodiment of pure consciousness. Do not give way to the pettiness of the (finite) mind. (16)

All which have form are false. The formless (Self) is the changeless. Knowing this truth there is cessation of births (freedom). The world becomes manifest due to ignorance. With self-knowledge the illusion breaks.

When you say you are the doer, there is ego.  Also, you get the fruits of your actions leading to unhappiness. Instead of the doer, become the witness and let the nature run its course. Witness does not mean, non-action, it only frees you from the doership.

Due to ignorance, I considered the universe fixed in me. In reality it was not true.  Therefore, there is neither bondage nor salvation for me. Free from this dependence, my illusion (the reality of the universe) is now silenced. (Janak 2/18).

Abandon all such distinctions as ‘I am that’, I am this’, I am neither this nor that. Knowing for certain that Self is all, be free from any reasoning whatever and be happy. (15/15).

Even if  Shiv, Vishnu or Brahma is your preceptor, without complete obliteration of their memory, you cannot get peace or liberation. As long as there is knowledge and memory, there is attachment, there is bondage. This world is not the bondage, it is the attachment to it that is bondage.  The effacement of this world can only bring liberation. In Patanjali Yoga it is described as Pratyahara or restraining of or emancipation of the sense organs. (16/11).

One who sees the supreme Brahman, he may meditate on ‘ I am Brahman’. But one who sees no duality, whom should he meditate on!  (I am Brahman, indicates duality, as shows the presence of both ‘I and the Brahman’). (18/16)

With the realization of the primordial, unborn and undivided Self, the notions of existence or non-existence, unity or duality, embodying empirical determinations of the mind are silenced. The unborn and unthinkable Self is the Supreme, beyond definition and denotation, affirmation and denial. The Self is absolute transcendence.

By ….Kalia…..