Theories of renunciation in the Ashtavakra Geeta
I have been a regular reader of the Bhagwat Gita since childhood. There is a verse in a chapter III of Gita that King Janak got siddhi, even while actively participating in administration of a Kingdom viz.
कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः। लोकसंग्रहमेवापि संपश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि।।3.20।।
Now it is a natural question in my mind that King Janaka learnt the technique of self-realization from Ashtavakra, when he stepped his left leg into the stirrup of a horse. Does this mean the Ashtavakra Gita precedes the Bhagavad Gita? The Song of Ashtavakra is a classical Hindu text in the form of a dialogue between the sage Ashtavakra and Janaka, king of Mithila, thus was there another Ashtavakra in the era of Ramayana? Or was there another King Janak in the era of Mahabharata? Is the king Janak mentioned in Valmiki's Ramayana or Brihadaranya Upanishad someone else?
An Indian sociologist Radhakamal Mukerjee, dated the book to the period immediately after the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita 600 BCE. But J. L. Brockington, emeritus professor of Sanskrit at the University of Edinburgh, places the Ashtavakra Gita much later, supposing it to have been written either in the eighth century by a follower of Adi Shankara, or in the fourteenth century during a resurgence of Shankara's teaching. Sri Swami Shantananda Puri suggests that since the book contains the seed of the theory of non-creation Ajata Vada developed later by Gaudapada in Mandookya Karika, this book comes from a period prior to that of Gaudapada (6th century) and hence prior to Shankara. Ashtavakra is probably identical to the holy sage with the same name who appears in Mahabharata, though the connection is not clearly stated in any of the texts.Mukherjee identifies Janaka as the father of Sita and disciple of the sage Yajnavalkya in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. Janaka is also depicted as a king who has attained perfection in vedas.
I do not know about the reality, but Ashtavakra in the story of Van Parva of Mahabharata, who was the son of Kahor and Sujata, allured me a lot. Still, there is a famous legend about him that when Kahor was reciting mantras of the Vedas for his wife, but his pronunciation was not up to the mark. The child inside the foetus suddenly said, "Father, your pronunciation is not correct". His father, Kahor, became angry and cursed the foetus- child that eight parts of your body would be curved or deformed. In this way, he became Ashtavakra after his birth.
And one day, when Kahor went to court to King Janak for begging alms, King Varuna's son Vandi invited him to debate on the Vedas, which he accepted and defeated, so he was taken in abysmal of the sea for sacrificing by Varuna.
When Ashtavakra became young, accompanied with his maternal uncle Shwetaketu, he reached King Janaka's court to challenge Wandi. Seeing him, the people of the court started laughing, then he insulted King Janak in filthy words, “Your court is full of Chamar and Chandal people”.
When the King asked him the reason for saying this, he replied, "He, who does not know the soul and determines one's wisdom by looking at one's body and skin, then is it not appropriate to say them Chandala and Chamar?"
About the deformity of his crooked body, Ashtavakra explains that the size of a temple is not affected by how it is shaped, and the shape of his own body does not affect himself (or Atman). The ignorant man's vision is shrouded by names and forms, but a wise man sees only himself.
After Wandy's defeat, his father was released, but his name remained forever Ashtavakra.
No matter whether it is a folk tale or other mythological story, but the great thing that emerged out through this story was that soul is completely separate from the body and the body has nothing to do with wisdom. Similar voice erupted in Professor Nandini Sahu's poem 'Lord Jagannath'. The theme of the poem why Lord Jagannath is black in colour and without hands and feet? The answer was given in the poem is that God also resides in the hearts of all the disabled and black people of the world. The lines of the poem are as follows: -
“ It’s convergence my son! It’s His way of
humanizing the mechanics of tolerance.
The Lord of the Universe, Lord Jagannath,
sans complete limbs, with an ugly face,
ogling, unblinking eyes and a dark skin, is
the charming, absorbing of all, the pious of all.
The most accomplished, the most adorable, most alluring. ”
On minutely studying the Ashtavakra Gita, I found It offers a radical version of non-dualist philosophy. The Ashtavakra Gita insists on the complete unreality of the external world and absolute oneness of existence. It does not mention any morality or duties, and therefore is seen by commentators as 'godless'. It also dismisses names and forms as unreal and a sign of ignorance.
This Geeta was appreciated and quoted by Ramakrishna Paramhans and his disciple Vivekananda in their discourses, as well as Ramana Maharshi. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan also referred it with great respect.
I had taken following theories of renunciation from the Ashtavakra Gita :-
1. Theory of deep observations of the world :-
It is a popular proverb that when a man stumbles, we should learn by him. The Gautama Buddha, seeing the old woman on the way, left the world to find the causes of suffering. Today someone is crying, someone's son has died, someone's wife has died, someone has committed suicide, etc. all these incidents, can create disinterest automatically in any awakened mind.
कस्यापि तात धन्यस्य लोकचेष्टावलोकनात् । जीवितेच्छा बुभुक्षा च बुभुत्सोपशमं गता ॥२ ॥
In very practical terms, sanyasa means leading a free and effortless life, or living as life happens, without choice, effort, desire, expectation or likes and dislikes. A sanyasi is the one who is not bound to anything, not even to the idea of a particular God or to his own vows, which he may observe without any attachment. He has to be mentally and physically free from everything and remain steadfast, unrestrained by the attractions and temptations of life.
That’s why, first of all, we point out faults in worldly affairs. The 'Yoga-Vashishtha' says, “गर्भे दुर्गन्धिभूयिष्ठे जठराग्निप्रदीपिते । दुःखं मयाप्तं यत्तस्मात्कनीयः कुम्भिपाकजम्।”
Means a soul experiences sorrow, after coming into the womb of the mother, which is filled with a heavy foul smell and is lit by the fire of the stomach, is not less than the sorrow of Kumbhipaka hell.
Similiarly, ‘Garbhopanishad' also emphasises over the sorrows of soul in the womb during pregnancy period who prays to God, O Lord! This time I will definitely take birth and pursue the means of knowledge, but after birth, this soul gets entangled in the pleasures of the world and forgets the sorrows of the womb, due to which he is born and dies again and again.
The sorrows of death have also been shown in 'Shiva-Gita' हा कान्ते हा धनं पुत्राः क्रन्दमानः सुदारुणम् । मण्डक इव सर्पेण मृत्युना गीर्यते नरः
That is, when one gives up his life, then he calls out, O brother! Hey wealth! O sons! Save me from this death, he utters such terrible words as a frog lying in the mouth of a snake calls out.
अयः पाशेन कालस्य स्नेहपाशेन बन्धुभिः । आत्मानं कृष्यमाणस्य न खल्वस्ति परायणम्
That is, at the time of death, this soul is tied by the noose of time, on the other side it is pulled by the ropes of love of relatives, but no one can protect it from death.
या माता सा पुनर्भार्या या भार्या जननी हि सा। यः पिता स पुनः पुत्रो यः पुत्रः स पुनः पिता
That is, the same mother who was in his previous birth becomes the son's wife in the next birth due to her love for him. The father in the previous birth becomes the son in the next birth. The son in his previous birth becomes a father in his next birth.
एको यदा व्रजति कर्मपुरःसरोऽयं विश्रामवृक्षसदृशः खलु जीवलोकः। सायंसायं वासवृक्षं समेतः प्रातः प्रातस्तेन तेन प्रयान्ति
Just as, birds fly here and there in the evening and gather on one tree to rest for the night and in the morning they all fly again here and there, in the same way all the living beings gather together in this world-like tree. Then after the completion of Prarabdha Karma, everyone goes away alone. No woman, son, wealth etc. go with him, nor come with him, think like this and never get attached with them.
And in 'Devi Bhagwat', Shukdevji has shown the faults in women - नरस्य बन्धनार्थाय शृङ्खला स्त्री प्रकीर्तिता । लोहबद्धोऽपि मुच्येत स्त्रीबद्धो नैव मुच्यते.
The woman is described as a fetter for the purpose of man's bondage. Even a man tied with iron shackles can be freed, but a man tied with a noose in the form of a woman's love can never be freed. But I disagree with Devi Bhagwat in this regard because according to Ashtavakra, renunciation (sannyasa) is not an outward practice. It should be the spontaneous expression of inner detachment, without any motive or desire. If you practice renunciation with an intention or desire, it cannot truly be considered renunciation since renunciation itself means giving up all desires. Renunciation must be a natural act. It must be an expression of the soul rather than the mind or the ego. You practice it, not because your guru initiated you or your tradition demands it. It must be spontaneous, natural and free from motives, and must arise from soul-centric awareness.
Similarly, it is said in 'Vivek-Chudamani' - विषयाशा महापाशात् यो विमुक्तः सुदुस्त्यजात् । स एकः कल्पते मुक्त्ये नान्ये षटशास्त्रवेदिनः
That is, women, sons and money matters are a big noose, which is very difficult to give up. Only the man, who is free from those traps. is entitled to liberation. Whereas, even a person who knows all the scriptures is not entitled to salvation. On this, Ashtavakraji says that in this world, only one among millions, is free from all sensual desires, is called Jivanmukta. You are not associated with anything because deep within your consciousness, you represent an alternate reality, which is the sum of all ideals and perfections we know, and which is not of this world. You may identify yourself with your mind and body or your name and form or with your accumulated possessions and memories. They are attachments or mental associations, which settle in your consciousness and prevent you from knowing and seeing who you truly are.
2. Theory of the three sufferings:-
There are three types of suffering in the world: spiritual, physical and divine. All beings are plagued by these sufferings. No creature wants to be born or die. It has also been said in the Gita that the one who is born will definitely die and the reverse is also true. Learned people consider the soul to be immortal, imperishable and eternal, but when they see their fellows dying in front of their eyes, their mind upsets and they also want to renounce the world.
अनित्यं सर्वमेवेदं तापत्रितयदूषितम् । असारं निन्दितं हेयमिति निश्चित्य शाम्यति ॥ ३ ॥
The sorrow that occurs due to lust, anger, greed, attachment, jealousy, etc., is called spiritual sorrow. And the sorrow caused by humans, animals, snakes, trees etc. is called materialistic sorrow. The sorrow that is caused by Yaksha, Rakshas, Vinayaka is divine sorrow. A man always remains unhappy due to these three types of sorrows. For this reason, all this nonsense world is meaningless, insignificant, and should be discarded.
The human mind itself is an extension of the world. It derives its nourishment from the world and is made up of the perceptions and thoughts of the world. Further, the world outlasts us all until the end of creation. We also depend upon it. Our lives and destinies are shaped by it. We cannot also fathom its cause or why it is an illusion or a projection. Therefore, we cannot physically perceive the world other than what it appears to be. We cannot perceptually ignore its overwhelming presence or our dependence upon it for our survival and self-preservation. We cannot see it with the vision or the awareness of a seer, or convince ourselves that we live in an unreal world.
3. Theory of Timeless Dualities:-
This is my duty, and that is not my duty. This is Krit and that is Akrit. This means that it is definitely right for me to do or that is not right for me to do it. Noone ever can become free from such type of dualities, say happiness and sorrow, because dualities have never been or will be calmed by anybody. That’s why Ashtavakraji says, O Janak! May you attain renunciation even by renouncing these dualities.
Ashtavakraji says, O disciple! Renunciation arises in the mind of one the luckiest person among thousands.
Even his desire to live and enjoy also goes away. Because the disinterest in the worldly things is renunciation. All the creatures and things that are born and perishable in this world, have some flaws. In this world, women, sons, wealth, body and senses etc. are dear to everyone, and for their happiness man commits many evil-doings, and these are the reasons for the bondage of all the living beings. So, without attaining renunciation from these, one can never attain salvation. It is not possible.
According to Ashtavakra, there will never come a time when the series of dualities will end. Dualities will always exist and as long as dualities exist, you cannot be free from them. And unless you can be free from them, how can you realise God? The Ashtavakra Gita says that God can be attained only after reaching the height beyond conflicts.
का s सौ कालो वयः किं वा यत्र द्वन्द्वानि नो नृणाम् । तान्युपेक्ष्य यथा प्राप्तवर्त्ती सिद्धिमवाप्नुयात् ॥ ४ ॥
The duality of happiness and sorrow does not prevail for men at any particular time or stage, but the duality always remains the same in them in all conditions and in all times. It is stated in Adhyatma Ramayana. “After happiness there is sorrow, and after sorrow there is happiness; Both of these are unavoidable for the living being, i.e. they cannot be removed.” There is sorrow in happiness, and happiness in sorrow, that is, from the things that give only momentary happiness, many diseases-related sorrows arise, and from the fasting which cause sorrow, create happiness. These both happiness and sorrows are mixed like water and mud. These pleasures and pains cannot be forsaken by any creature at any time; hence a wise man gives up his desires even in those conflicts of pleasures and pains and leaves himself on destiny.
The duality of subject and object and the relationship or association are created in your mind by your senses. If you withdraw them and enter deep sleep or deepest consciousness, they disappear. In the deepest part of your consciousness, you are alone, without a second. There, you do not experience objectivity or otherness. Unlike your surface mind which is subject to modifications and disturbance, it is pure, stable, and completely free from names and forms, objectivity and associations. It is a purely subjective state, which cannot be distinguished by any mode, quality, comparison, association, norm or measure. Each association requires the duality of subject and object. They exist in your mind, but not in your deep consciousness, which is independent, indivisible and indistinguishable.
Any attachment which you develop is a mental notion. It may also have a physical correlation as in case of filial relationships or attachments of sexual nature. They would not last forever. They also have a beginning and an end. You develop them over time, and you will also discard many as time goes by. Each association is formed by preference, need, judgment, habit, belief, emotion, feeling or expectation. You can get over it by changing your thinking.
4. Theory of conflictlessness
Ashtavakra Gita emphasizes on stable intellect, stable intelligence. Those who are always equanimous in honour and humiliation, victory and defeat, profit and loss. No enemies, no friends. No malice, no congratulations. Those with such a stage can attain disinterest in the worldly matters
नाना मतं महर्षीणां साधूनां योगिनां तथा । दृष्ट्वा निर्वेदमापन्नः को न शाम्यति मानवः ॥ ५ ॥
One should abandon the logics and rituals, but devote only to self-knowledge. Because all the logicians and scriptures are misleading to the intellect. The views of Gautam etc are against the Vedas and logical evidence and only lead to confusion. The origin of the world is believed to be from atoms. Then atoms are considered to be amorphous!
Similarly, a wise person should not have any faith in the opinions of those who have devotion to duty, because there are various types of conflicts in their opinions also. Some consider Yagya as the main thing, some consider chanting of mantras as the main thing, some consider only observing fasting as religion, some consider violence against animals in Yagyas as religion, some consider idol worship as religion. Some consider pilgrimage as religion. The web of karma is so huge that even if a person does one karma every day, all the karmas will not be finished in his entire life.
Jaimini's opinion is also against Shruti-yukti, because Jaimini considers both forms of the soul as animate and inanimate and attainment of heaven as salvation. The same substance cannot be in both forms of inanimate and animate. Because till today, no example is found on this earth. Then the conscious is formless, and the inanimate have shape, but impermanent. Just as cold and heat are opposites to each other, similarly the two forms of inanimate and animate are also opposites. And even nowhere in the Vedas, the duality of the soul is not written, nor is the attainment of heaven even mentioned in the name of salvation.
The Shruti says that just as the cultivation achieved by doing good deeds in this world gets destroyed after the passage of time, similarly the heaven achieved by doing virtuous deeds also gets destroyed. The impermanence of heaven is proved by the sayings. And when heaven itself is impermanent, then salvation too must be impermanent. For this reason, Jaimini's doctrine should be abandoned by those who are devoted to self-knowledge.
When your mind is free, you are free. You will make your choices without judgment, fear, guilt, anger or aggression. You will be the same, whether you are in a palace, in a prison, in the company of people or in a deep cave. It is this attitude of freedom which Ashtavakra suggested Janaka to cultivate. When attachments are dissolved, one becomes stable-minded (dheera), radiating qualities such as fearlessness, indifference, detachment, sameness, equanimity, self-control, inner purity, deepened awareness, universal vision, expansive mind and egolessness.
5. Theory of equanimity
Ashtavakra says that unless you are equanimous, you cannot attain complete knowledge of consciousness. How can we redeem the world in such a state? I here mention the famous lines of renowned Odiya poet Bhima Bhoi that my life, even if it goes to hell, may be the salvation of the world. Ashtavakra opposes that you can save the world from sinking, only when you know swimming. When you have complete knowledge of consciousness, then you will be able to preach the world about consciousness.
कृत्वा मूर्तिपरिज्ञानं चैतन्यस्य न कि गुरुः। निर्वेदसमतायुक्त्या यस्तारयति संसृतेः ॥ ६ ॥
Ashtavakraji says, O Janak! The one who has renounced the sensual desires and has equanimity between enemy and friend and has realized his soul in the form of Sacchidananda by using the method according to the Shruti, and who has experienced himself in all forms, he has separated himself from the world, not other. You will be free by your own effort, not by anyone else's efforts.
By the practice of detachment through equanimity with worldly objects, one becomes free from passions and emotions. You cannot be truly free, unless you are mentally detached from the things that bind you or hold you in control. You can cultivate detachment by practicing dispassion (vairagyam) and indifference to worldly objects, keeping your mind free from both passion (raga) and loathing (dvesha).
Question - People in the world say that the Guru frees the disciple. You say against him that the disciple becomes free only by his own efforts, what is this? Answer: Hey Priyadarshan! People of the world are often ignorant fools; they do not know the meaning of the words Guru-Disciple. As Muslims believe that the Prophet will free them from their sins. Similarly, Christians believe that Jesus will liberate them from their sins, whereas other worldly people believe that the Guru will liberate them from their sins, such type of their belief is the main source of sorrow. According to the Vedas and Shastras, the one who blows mantras in the ear is not called a Guru, but the one who frees from the world of ignorance, preaches self-knowledge and removes the doubts of the mind, he is Guru. The one who chants the mantra is not Guru. Ram raised thousands of doubts before Vashishth and by answering them all, made Ram free from doubts and realize him the soul, then Ram considered him as his Guru. Arjun put thousands of doubts before Shri Krishna. When God showed Arjun his divine form, then Arjun considered him as his Guru. Similarly, all the great men in the past, considered the person their Guru, who removed doubts from their mind. Even so, it is accepted from the behavioural point of view, not from the soul point of view. Regarding self-realization, Ashtavakra said that the ignorant disciples of the guru, who whispers mantras into the ears of worldly fools become complete animals, because they do not realize that the transcendental guru is the name of the self-knowledgeable one. Such gurus are very rare in the world.
The teachings of fake Gurus do not remove any doubt, rather give rise to the opposite discrimination. Someone makes him against Mahadev by giving mantras of Vishnu, someone makes against Vishnu by other mantras, etc. They teacher and disciples are entrapped in the mud of discrimination. To earn their living, they wander around like beggars. Both are fools because they do not serve or worship the true Gurus, who remove doubts. When the Guru himself does not know the path to salvation, then how can the disciple know? The minds of the disciples are filled with many desires. To fulfil those wishes, they chant mantras and die while chanting, but no one's wish is fulfilled.
Kabir has also said on this :-
“ गुरु लोभी चेला लालची, दोनों खेलें दाँव
भव-सागर में डूबते बैठ पत्थर की नाँव “
In 'Guru-Gita', it is also written to renounce an ignorant and foolish Guru. A teacher who is inferior in knowledge, false, or sarcastic should be discarded. Because when he cannot do his own welfare, then how will he do the welfare of his disciples? There are many scriptures supporting the abandonment of such foolish and ignorant gurus, but foolish ignorant people do not abandon evil foolish gurus, because first of all, they do not know about the welfare of the soul itself. Secondly, there is a fear in their mind that if they disrespect their Guru, they might face some trouble. Due to this, these fools remain animals throughout their life. After attaining knowledge, the behaviour of Guru-disciple also becomes false, because he has no discrimination.
6. Theory of imbalance in Five elements
Ashtavakra says that any person who see only quantitative changes in the five elements in any creature, then he attains a bondage-free form at that very moment. This is the principle of matter conservation i.e. no element is created or destroyed. Only their proportions are being changed.
पश्य भूतविकारांस्त्वं भूतमात्रान यथार्थतः । तत्क्षणाद्वन्धनिर्मुक्तः स्वरूपस्थो भविष्यसि ॥ ७ ॥
Oh Janak! You should see the disorders related to the body and senses in body only, not in the soul. When you will see like this, then at that very moment, you will be separated from the body and will be situated in the soul as a witness.
We become attached to the things of the world and form a relationship with them when we accept them to be true and material. Logically and perceptually, it is difficult to believe that the world is an illusion. At least, it does not appear to be so to our minds and senses. Its physical existence cannot be denied, nor can we ignore our perceptual experience of it. Conceptually, it may make sense from certain perspectives, but perceptually it does not. One may have different notions of what that world may mean. but everyone perceptually knows that the world exists and has materiality.
The change in your thinking will happen only through spiritual practice, when you centre yourself in the Self rather than the mind and body and see the world from the depths of your consciousness, with peace, detachment and equanimity firmly established. Through the study of the scriptures and other means you must cultivate a new awareness about the world as an illusion, even if logically it may not make sense, knowing that appearances can be deceptive. You must surrender your intelligence and erudition to the wisdom of the scriptures and their affirmation that the world is unreal and illusory.
7. Theory of ‘Lust is the world’.
Ashtavakra says that lust is the world. Mahavir Jain preached that the world is full of sorrows, the cause of sorrows is lust, by moving away from lusts, you can remove sorrows. Both Ashtavakra and Mahavira Jain emphasize 'aparigraha'
वासना एव संसार इति सर्वा विमुञ्च ताः । तत्त्यागो वासनात्यागात् स्थितिरद्य यथा तथा ॥ ८ ॥
Question - Even when a man knows his soul through any method, then how will he have loyalty in it?
Answer: The many desires of subjects are the world itself, i.e. bondage.
It is said in 'Yogavashistha' - लोकवासनया जन्तोः शास्त्रवासनयापि च । देहवासनया ज्ञानं यथावन्नैव जायते
There are three types of desires.
1- Desire for the world, that is, may I attain the best world, starting from heaven.
2- Desire for the scripture means that by reading all the scriptures, I should become such a scholar that there will be no one else like me.
3. The third desire for the body means that my body should always remain the most beautiful and strong.
By renouncing these three types of desires, the man is freed from bondage and his mind also becomes stable in the soul.
Question – What will be the condition of the body if one gives up all desires? Answer - Just as a nascent child or as a mad person due to the destiny karma. .
Question - If a man gives up all the desires, then even self-knowledge will not be attained, because Mumukshu always has the desire to attain self-knowledge. And the knowledgeable person also has the desire to control his mind and then he also has the desire to be liberated from life. No one can give up all the desires. Answer - It is written in 'Valmikiya Ramayana' - वासना द्विविधा प्रोक्ता शुद्धा च मलिना तथा । मलिना जन्महेतुः स्याच्छुद्धा जन्मविनाशिनी. Two types of desires have been said - the first is pure Lust, second dirty lust. The instinct of self-realization is a pure desire. The lust for sensual pleasures is impure lust. Impure lust is the cause of birth and pure lust is the destroyer of birth. For those, who are knowledgeable and Mumukshu, there is no need for renunciation of auspicious desires. The self-knowledge has primacy in liberation from the external world. Destruction of good desires is not useful, but for salvation, renunciation of all desires, even destruction of mind and self-knowledge, all three are useful. Here Ashtavakra tells Janak to give up all the desires for the sake of attaining salvation.
The Ashtavakra Geeta clearly affirms that true renunciation is renunciation of desire for things or for the fruit of your actions.. A true renunciant who reaches that level of perfection on the path is not disturbed by positive or negative circumstances. He is not conditioned by having or not having things. He accepts what comes to him by itself, be it pleasures or pain, without judgment, choice and expectation. This is the ideal state of renunciation, a life without effort, choice, desires and attachments.
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