Once upon a time there was a student of the scriptures who could not support his family. He would work hard all day every day and then read aloud the holy language of sacred verses late into the night. His wife, round of belly with their coming child, would sit beside him in the dim room, listening as her weary beloved chanted the ancient words.One late night in her eighth month a voice from inside her belly said to the father: “Sir, please be attentive - you are mispronouncing that verse.” Tired and short-tempered, without thinking why he would feel so enraged at being corrected by an unborn child, the father cursed the voice - and because the father had built up merit, his curse took hold: the child was born deformed, with eight crooks in his body. That child was called Ashtavakra, a name which means ‘eight bends’.
At the age of 12, as a result of several incidents Astavakra goes to the court. King Janaka, a very scholarly king, is on the throne and all the courtiers are present, and the moment he enters – everybody starts laughing – seeing his crooked body including the king.
But instead of getting offended, Astavakra also starts laughing.
King Janaka ridicules him “everybody is laughing at you, why are you also laughing”.
Then Astavakra answers very boldly, referring to everybody in the court who was laughing “I am laughing because such a great scholar and king like you has surrounded yourself with cobblers!! And you’re also one among them!!”. He further explains “…because a cobbler looks only at the skin, and not beyond it… likewise you’re all judging me just by my shape, and not looking at my being!”.
And then King Janaka gets the idea that really Astavakra knows what he is talking about, and starts asking him questions. There’s a question and answer conversation, recorded as the Ashtavakra Gita.
The Astavakra Gita is around 5000 years older than the Bhagavad Gita. The speaker said that this is an extremely powerful and concise book, and gives the truth straightaway, without any long winded twists and turns.
Janaka said: How is knowledge to be acquired? How is liberation to be attained? And how is dispassion to be reached?
Ashtavakra said: If you are seeking liberation, my dearest one, shun (to keep away from (a place, person, object, etc.), from motives of dislike, caution, etc.). the objects of the senses like poison. Draught the nectar of tolerance, sincerity, compassion, contentment and truthfulness.
You are neither earth, water, fire, air or even ether. For liberation know yourself as consisting of consciousness, the witness of these five.
At the age of 12, as a result of several incidents Astavakra goes to the court. King Janaka, a very scholarly king, is on the throne and all the courtiers are present, and the moment he enters – everybody starts laughing – seeing his crooked body including the king.
But instead of getting offended, Astavakra also starts laughing.
King Janaka ridicules him “everybody is laughing at you, why are you also laughing”.
Then Astavakra answers very boldly, referring to everybody in the court who was laughing “I am laughing because such a great scholar and king like you has surrounded yourself with cobblers!! And you’re also one among them!!”. He further explains “…because a cobbler looks only at the skin, and not beyond it… likewise you’re all judging me just by my shape, and not looking at my being!”.
And then King Janaka gets the idea that really Astavakra knows what he is talking about, and starts asking him questions. There’s a question and answer conversation, recorded as the Ashtavakra Gita.
The Astavakra Gita is around 5000 years older than the Bhagavad Gita. The speaker said that this is an extremely powerful and concise book, and gives the truth straightaway, without any long winded twists and turns.
Janaka said: How is knowledge to be acquired? How is liberation to be attained? And how is dispassion to be reached?
Ashtavakra said: If you are seeking liberation, my dearest one, shun (to keep away from (a place, person, object, etc.), from motives of dislike, caution, etc.). the objects of the senses like poison. Draught the nectar of tolerance, sincerity, compassion, contentment and truthfulness.
You are neither earth, water, fire, air or even ether. For liberation know yourself as consisting of consciousness, the witness of these five.
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