अष्टावक्र गीता (also known as अष्टावक्र संहिता) is a direct, uncompromising dialogue on अद्वैत (non-duality), traditionally spoken by the sage अष्टावक्र to King जनक. In 298 verses across 20 compact chapters, it alternates between the teacher's sharp pointers and the student's dawning recognition, undoing the habit of taking the body, thoughts, and roles to be the whole of "me".
Chapter 1 opens with three practical questions: how does ज्ञान (clear Self-knowledge) arise, what is मुक्ति (liberation), and how does वैराग्य (dispassion) become natural? अष्टावक्र answers by steering attention away from addictive clinging to विषयs (objects the mind treats as "this will complete me") and toward the witness standpoint (साक्षी).
Chapter 1 lays the foundation for the whole work. It begins with जनक's three questions and अष्टावक्र's two-part reply: (1) loosen compulsion by treating विषय-attachment as poison and cultivating the "nectar" of inner virtues; (2) turn directly to Self-knowledge by recognizing yourself as the witness (साक्षी) rather than as elements, roles, or mind-states.
॥ श्री ॥
अथ श्रीमदष्टावक्रगीता प्रारभ्यते ॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
An auspicious invocation. Now begins the revered Ashtavakra Gita.
जनक उवाच ॥
कथं ज्ञानमवाप्नोति कथं मुक्तिर्भविष्यति ।
वैराग्यं च कथं प्राप्तमेतद् ब्रूहि मम प्रभो ॥ 1-1॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
Janaka said: How is true knowledge attained? How does liberation happen? And how does dispassion arise? Please tell me this, O master.
अष्टावक्र उवाच ॥
मुक्तिमिच्छसि चेत्तात विषयान् विषवत्त्यज ।
क्षमार्जवदयातोषसत्यं पीयूषवद् भज ॥ 1-2॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
Ashtavakra said: If you want liberation, dear one, abandon sense-objects as you would abandon poison. Cultivate forgiveness, sincerity, compassion, contentment, and truthfulness as you would cherish nectar.
न पृथ्वी न जलं नाग्निर्न वायुर्द्यौर्न वा भवान् ।
एषां साक्षिणमात्मानं चिद्रूपं विद्धि मुक्तये ॥ 1-3॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
You are not earth, water, fire, air, or even the sky. Know yourself as the witness of these, whose nature is pure consciousness, and be free.
यदि देहं पृथक् कृत्य चिति विश्राम्य तिष्ठसि ।
अधुनैव सुखी शान्तो बन्धमुक्तो भविष्यसि ॥ 1-4॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
If you set the body aside as separate and rest in awareness, you will be happy and peaceful right now; you will be free from bondage.
न त्वं विप्रादिको वर्णो नाश्रमी नाक्षगोचरः ।
असङ्गोऽसि निराकारो विश्वसाक्षी सुखी भव ॥ 1-5॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
You are not a caste identity, nor a life-stage identity, nor anything the senses can grasp. You are unattached, formless, the witness of the whole universe. Be free and at ease.
धर्माधर्मौ सुखं दुःखं मानसानि न ते विभो ।
न कर्तासि न भोक्तासि मुक्त एवासि सर्वदा ॥ 1-6॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
Dharma and adharma, pleasure and pain are movements of the mind; they do not belong to you, O luminous one. You are neither the doer nor the experiencer. You are free always.
एको द्रष्टासि सर्वस्य मुक्तप्रायोऽसि सर्वदा ।
अयमेव हि ते बन्धो द्रष्टारं पश्यसीतरम् ॥ 1-7॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
You alone are the seer of everything, and you are always nearly free. Your only bondage is that you see the seer as "another" - as something other than yourself.
अहं कर्तेत्यहम्मानमहाकृष्णाहिदंशितः ।
नाहं कर्तेति विश्वासामृतं पीत्वा सुखं चर ॥ 1-8॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
The ego that says "I am the doer" is like being bitten by a great black serpent. Drink the nectar of the conviction "I am not the doer", and live happily.
एको विशुद्धबोधोऽहमिति निश्चयवह्निना ।
प्रज्वाल्याज्ञानगहनं वीतशोकः सुखी भव ॥ 1-9॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
With the fire of firm certainty, "I am one, pure awareness", burn the dense forest of ignorance. Be happy and free from sorrow.
यत्र विश्वमिदं भाति कल्पितं रज्जुसर्पवत् ।
आनन्दपरमानन्दः स बोधस्त्वं सुखं भव ॥ 1-10॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
In you, this world appears as an imagination, like a snake imagined on a rope. You are that awareness, whose nature is bliss beyond bliss. Be at ease.
मुक्ताभिमानी मुक्तो हि बद्धो बद्धाभिमान्यपि ।
किंवदन्तीह सत्येयं या मतिः सा गतिर्भवेत् ॥ 1-11॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
One who holds the conviction "I am free" is free indeed, and one who holds the conviction "I am bound" is bound. What more is there to say? This is the truth: as one's understanding is, so one's state becomes.
आत्मा साक्षी विभुः पूर्ण एको मुक्तश्चिदक्रियः ।
असङ्गो निःस्पृहः शान्तो भ्रमात्संसारवानिव ॥ 1-12॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
The Self is the witness - all-pervading, complete, one, free, pure consciousness, and actionless. It is unattached, without craving, and peaceful; yet due to delusion it appears as if it is caught in the cycle of worldly bondage.
कूटस्थं बोधमद्वैतमात्मानं परिभावय ।
आभासोऽहं भ्रमं मुक्त्वा भावं बाह्यमथान्तरम् ॥ 1-13॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
Contemplate the Self as unchanging awareness, non-dual. Give up the delusion "I am only an appearance", and abandon identification with both outer objects and inner mental states.
देहाभिमानपाशेन चिरं बद्धोऽसि पुत्रक ।
बोधोऽहं ज्ञानखड्गेन तन्निकृत्य सुखी भव ॥ 1-14॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
You have long been bound by the noose of identifying with the body, dear one. Cut it with the sword of knowledge, "I am awareness", and be free and at ease.
निःसङ्गो निष्क्रियोऽसि त्वं स्वप्रकाशो निरञ्जनः ।
अयमेव हि ते बन्धः समाधिमनुतिष्ठसि ॥ 1-15॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
You are unattached, actionless, self-luminous, and unstained. Your bondage is only this: you keep striving for or clinging to meditative absorption.
त्वया व्याप्तमिदं विश्वं त्वयि प्रोतं यथार्थतः ।
शुद्धबुद्धस्वरूपस्त्वं मा गमः क्षुद्रचित्तताम् ॥ 1-16॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
This universe is pervaded by you and truly woven in you. Your nature is pure and awake. Do not fall into small-mindedness.
निरपेक्षो निर्विकारो निर्भरः शीतलाशयः ।
अगाधबुद्धिरक्षुब्धो भव चिन्मात्रवासनः ॥ 1-17॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
Be independent, changeless, complete, and calm within. Let your understanding be deep and unshaken. Live with your mind resting only in pure consciousness.
साकारमनृतं विद्धि निराकारं तु निश्चलम् ।
एतत्तत्त्वोपदेशेन न पुनर्भवसम्भवः ॥ 1-18॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
Know that what has form is not the final reality, while the formless is steady and unmoving. Through this understanding of truth, there is no further rebirth.
यथैवादर्शमध्यस्थे रूपेऽन्तः परितस्तु सः ।
तथैवाऽस्मिन् शरीरेऽन्तः परितः परमेश्वरः ॥ 1-19॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
Just as a mirror remains within and around the images appearing in it, so the supreme reality is within this body and also all around it.
एकं सर्वगतं व्योम बहिरन्तर्यथा घटे ।
नित्यं निरन्तरं ब्रह्म सर्वभूतगणे तथा ॥ 1-20॥
Translation (भावार्थ):
Just as one all-pervading space is inside and outside a pot, so Brahman is always continuous and without gaps in the multitude of all beings.
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