'Ashtavakra Samhita' is the dialogue between King Janaka and the Sage Ashtavakra. King Janaka wants to know how to acquire 'Knowledge', how is renunciation possible, and liberation attained? these questions are concerned about jnyan, mukti, and vairagya. Knowledge or jnyan does not mean material science here; it involves the knowledge that redeems the jiva from the eternal cycle of births and deaths on this earth, called 'mrutyu-loka'. All that is born has to deteriorate, die and disintegrate; this is the rule. Everything made of parts are bound to disintegrate and fall off. Hence, an intelligent jiva does not aspire for anything but redemption once it comes to know this truth. Thus, jnyan is this realization. Realization of the Self, 'atma-sakshatkara', is true jnyan.
The human beings are the only creatures that have been bestowed with the power of thinking, dissertion, discretion, discrimination and dissemination. The evolution of mankind is a very slow process and over the millennia, the jiva has developed this power of mind that can think. Still it is not yet fully developed to a stage where it can overcome all the defects involved in the process of development of mind and most of the qualities of the lower animals still dominate the human beings,and, as such, they behave reckless without discrimination. It takes a long, long, time to develop the faculties of proper thinking and act like the humans. These humans have just been promoted in the scale and as such, are yet to learn to behave like the true humans discarding all the acquired animal instincts and propensities. It is a long way to higher up in the scale and reach the state of pure consciousness, brahmn. It is this attainment of state of pure consciousness that is leading to liberation, mukti.
The human beings have evolved from the stage of embodiment of jiva as a living being, that include plant life, aquatic, arboreal, and amphibian, through the reptiles, mammals and primates. All through it is the physical aspect that became prominent with a system of nerves and neurons, veins, ducts, or such other means to carry or convey (food, water, sensations, etc.). These two stages are:annamaya kosha and the pranamaya kosha. The jiva is a physical entity with ethereal aspect developing slowly, leading to development of 'mind' (manomya kosha). When mind is fully developed it is called manu, manav (man). It is only the first stage where rudimentary aspects of mind are manifesting in humans predominantly with qualities of hunger, thirst, desire (Kama), sleep and copulation. Man is yet to develop the higher aspects of pure love, piety, compassion, sacrifice, self-less behavior and other humane qualities. And, as such we find people fighting wars, committing crimes, and indiscriminately engaging in games of power and profit-mongering, much against the common interest, welfare of the fellow beings. However all these do not mean anything here in the higher level of consciousness where the humans become more and more divine and engage themselves in the pursuit of higher truth, atma-sakshatkara, Brahma-jnyan and finally, liberation, emancipation (mukti and moksha).
Thus, King Janaka is interested in knowing what is jnyan, renunciation and liberation. Ashtavakra gives a beautiful exposition of the 'true nature of our existence' and reveals the secrets hitherto never so clearly explained by any learned sage! The greatness of Ashtavakra lies in the frankness with which he presents the 'truth' and his ability to explain what is inexplicable!
to be contd.)
The human beings are the only creatures that have been bestowed with the power of thinking, dissertion, discretion, discrimination and dissemination. The evolution of mankind is a very slow process and over the millennia, the jiva has developed this power of mind that can think. Still it is not yet fully developed to a stage where it can overcome all the defects involved in the process of development of mind and most of the qualities of the lower animals still dominate the human beings,and, as such, they behave reckless without discrimination. It takes a long, long, time to develop the faculties of proper thinking and act like the humans. These humans have just been promoted in the scale and as such, are yet to learn to behave like the true humans discarding all the acquired animal instincts and propensities. It is a long way to higher up in the scale and reach the state of pure consciousness, brahmn. It is this attainment of state of pure consciousness that is leading to liberation, mukti.
The human beings have evolved from the stage of embodiment of jiva as a living being, that include plant life, aquatic, arboreal, and amphibian, through the reptiles, mammals and primates. All through it is the physical aspect that became prominent with a system of nerves and neurons, veins, ducts, or such other means to carry or convey (food, water, sensations, etc.). These two stages are:annamaya kosha and the pranamaya kosha. The jiva is a physical entity with ethereal aspect developing slowly, leading to development of 'mind' (manomya kosha). When mind is fully developed it is called manu, manav (man). It is only the first stage where rudimentary aspects of mind are manifesting in humans predominantly with qualities of hunger, thirst, desire (Kama), sleep and copulation. Man is yet to develop the higher aspects of pure love, piety, compassion, sacrifice, self-less behavior and other humane qualities. And, as such we find people fighting wars, committing crimes, and indiscriminately engaging in games of power and profit-mongering, much against the common interest, welfare of the fellow beings. However all these do not mean anything here in the higher level of consciousness where the humans become more and more divine and engage themselves in the pursuit of higher truth, atma-sakshatkara, Brahma-jnyan and finally, liberation, emancipation (mukti and moksha).
Thus, King Janaka is interested in knowing what is jnyan, renunciation and liberation. Ashtavakra gives a beautiful exposition of the 'true nature of our existence' and reveals the secrets hitherto never so clearly explained by any learned sage! The greatness of Ashtavakra lies in the frankness with which he presents the 'truth' and his ability to explain what is inexplicable!
to be contd.)
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