We are in Ashtavakra Samhita in Chapter 20.

As you all aware that till chapter 18th, there is indepth discussion between King Janaka &
Sage Ashtaavakra. The chapters 19 & 20, King Janaka is declaring his wisdom, indirectly
conveying that, his dialogue with ashtaa vakra is totally successful and therefore in these
two chapters we get the vedantha sara declared.
Which is nothing but Bramha sathyam, Jagath Mithya.
Bramha alone is sathyam the ultimate reality (Tathvamasi), jagath is mithya
and I the jeeva alone that bramhan (Aham Bramhasmi).
Bramhan being myself Aham Sathyam and the rest all including my mind, body, my
relations everything the whole external and entire experienced universe is mithya.
Aham the observer is the sathyam and the observed universe is mithya. This is the jist of the
vedantha.
It can be understood, the existance of the world, doesnot affect me the observer, the sakshi
chaithnyam, the pure conciousness, either positvely or negatively.
By explaining his state of mind, King Janaka is giving us an opportunity to review the
teachings of sage ashtavakra for our own benefit. Just like chapter 18 in Bhagavadgitha.
Let’s start Sloka 5

క్వ కర్త క్వ చ వా భోక్త నిష్క్రియం స్ఫూరణం క్వ వా, క్వ ఆపరోక్షం ఫలం వా క్వ నిః స్వభావస్య మే సదా.

క్వ కర్త క్వ చ వా భోక్త Where is the question of Doer and enjoyer

నిష్క్రియం స్ఫూరణం క్వ వా Where is the question of changeless consciousness,

క్వ ఆపరోక్షం ఫలం వా క్వ Where is the question of Direct knowledge whre Body, mind, guru & Sasthra
which all are already negated. For him all these are as good as not there at all. It doen’t matter for the
Sakshi is for whom
Nih-Swabhavasya : Swabhavarahitha
The one with out any swabhavam (natural attributes).
Swami Chinmayananda says, the natural attributes of a human being is that he is prompted
always by his ego and ego centric desires.
What is this Ego. It is one of the functions of the mind. The functions of the mind are
1. Perception – seeing, tasting, hearing, smelling, feeling all this information will be
dumped in the mind. Processing.
2. Memory – Store and recall (Smrithi)
3. Knowledge (Buddhi) – dawning of the Clarity –Once the information is processed and
stored now, we will say, I got it. I know this.

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 4. Ego (ahankaara) – It is the Manager – The central coordination – That which
appropriates itself to all the other functions.

Seeing is going on – “I” see

Tasting - “I” taste
Likes and dislikes are coming up – I like I dislike

All these functions are separate processes but I makes them it’s own. It is necessary
to function for the organs.

What we need to understand is that”I” is actually is not you. That I is not I.

We identify ourself with the body & mind at the point of contact is ego.
This ego will continue to function. Non-stop. We can’t i it. That is the reality. Where it
will shuts down. When we fall asleep, in Samadhi state it shuts down.

Not only for us, even animals as well will have such ego. Lions hunts Cheetahs not for food
but out of a great passion to prove that evnthough cheethas are fastest but I am the king of
jungle.
The next is ego centric desires, comes always alongwith the bondings. When Deepthi was in
her second pregnancy. I wished that my son should come home either in audi or infinity and
I have arranged. I myself satisfied my ego with that and ofcourse along with the car I had to
go through a long term relationship with the banks.That is one of the bondings I have gained.
Thank God now I am free from that bonding by the grace of God.
The liberated in life is one, who has freed himself completely from his ego and ego centric
desires. Therefore, in his behaviour, in the world outside, we can define him only, as one
who is Svabhava rahitha.
Here King Janaka is in such state.
Here what we need to look for is
So, how can we overcome our natural attributes?
In Bhagavdgita Lord Krishna teaches that true action is often driven by a deep sense of duty
and devotion rather than a desire for personal gain
Ashtavakra teaches that true inaction means is not the absence of action, but rather, the
absence of attachment to that action.
Chapter 15, Verse 5:

రాగద్వేషో మనోధర్మో న మనస్తే కదాచన |

నిర్వికల్పోఽసి బోధాత్మా నిర్వికారః సుఖః చర

"O Janaka, YOU are pure consciousness itself. You are neither the doer nor the enjoyer.
You are beyond all actions and experiences. You are the witness of all that happens."
In sloka 6 the line “Vignaaya nirahankaaro nirmamathvam sukhi bhava”.

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You attain the knowledge of I that is ego and then slowly thin out the ego and be happy. It is
not said to remove ego, which is not possible. Then how to thin out, instead of attacking I,
attack on Mine which is body guard of I. The possessive ness, this is mine, that is mine. You
come out of that. You give all the credit to Lord. Nothing is mine. Once Mine gone, I ie., ego
will be helpless. That is the way to thin out the ego.
if we can learn to detach ourselves from our ego and desires, we can attain liberation. We
can learn to see ourselves as part of a greater whole, interconnected with all beings and with
the universe itself. We can learn to act not out of selfish desires but out of a sense of duty
and service to others. Like wise to be part of our Nivruthi Gurukul and be in the path shown
us by our pujya guruji without expecting anything in return.
In the Mahabharata, Arjuna's son Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu was trapped inside a
chakravyuha, during the battle of Kurukshethra. He knew how to enter the formation but did
not know how to exit it. He fought bravely but ultimately lost his life. Here we need to
understand that, Abhimanyu was not fighting for personal gain or glory; he was fighting out
of a sense of duty to his family and his kingdom. He knew that he might not survive but was
willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good.
So, how can we apply these teachings in our own lives?
cultivate a sense of detachment
Practice self-awareness: Observe your thoughts and emotions without getting attached to
them. Learn to recognize when you are experiencing raga (attachment) or dvesha (aversion)
towards something.
Cultivate equanimity: Try to maintain a balanced and calm state of mind in all situations,
whether pleasant or unpleasant. This can be achieved through practices such as meditation,
mindfulness, and deep breathing.
Develop a non-judgmental attitude: Avoid labeling people or situations as good or bad,
right or wrong. Instead, try to see things as they are, without any preconceived notions or
biases.
Focus on the present moment: Avoid dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.
Stay focused on the present moment and try to make the most of it.
Practice self-inquiry: Reflect on the nature of the self and try to gain a deeper
understanding of your true nature. This can help you develop a sense of detachment
towards external factors and cultivate inner peace and contentment.
So let us strive to overcome our natural attributes and live a life of selfless service, just like
Abhimanyu did on the battlefield.

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Sloka 6

క్వ లోకం క్వ ముముక్షుర్వా క్వ యోగీ జ్ఞానవాన్క్వ వా |

క్వ బద్ధః క్వ చ వా ముక్తః స్వస్వరూపే'హమద్వయే

"Where is the world?", "Where is the seeker of liberation?", "Where is the yogi?", "Where are
bondage and liberation?", and asserts that everything exists within one's own true nature,
which is non-dual.

క్వ లోకం Where is the experienced world,

క్వ ముముక్షుర్వా a seeker of liberation,

క్వ యోగీ a practitioner of spiritual sadhanas, a sadhaka

జ్ఞానవాన్క్వ వా a gnani,

క్వ బద్ధః A bound person,

క్వ చ వా ముక్తః or even a liberated person all these – where are they. Why I have to be bothered
for all these.
Imagine if a person woke up from a dream in whichb he has got a lottery or a dream in which
he was chased by crime department – after awaken from dream – does it make any
difference for him? he says, kallivalli.where is money or where are the police. All are in just
dream.
Similarly for a person who is in enlighten state,

స్వస్వరూపే'హమద్వయే In my real nature which is non dual I. These are as good as not there. I
don’t bother about them.
Non dual I – which is only Existance : Let’s try to understand this further.
What is existence.Some philosophers say there is nothing like existence itself. There are only
existing things.
For example,
When it is asked what is a liquid. Then we say every liquid thing is included in the list. A
lemonade, water, a soda, every liquid is included but the solids and gases are excluded.
If you ask what is life, you are talking about every living being but excluding non-living
things.
Similarly, what is existence means, you are asking about everything. What is not included
here in existence. Some one may say, nonexistence is not included in existence. Ok. But
nonexistence does not exist right. So we need not bother about it.

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So, we can say that existence is everything as one.
Ashtavakra says, the self in all beings and all in the self.
Like Gold is in all ornaments, clay in all pots, Wave ultimately dissolves into water. Similarly
all this vast univers is existence in existence only. Then what are these differences? It is just
appearances. Just like Jalaakaasa we studied in panchadasi.
The world appears from the IGNORANCE of the self and disappears with the
KNOWLEDGE of the self just as snake appears from the non-cognition of the rope and
disappears with its recognition.
If we see the idol of Dakshina murthy, He will always shows us Chinmudra. This chinmudra
means, The thumb represents Bramhan, This fore finger is Jeeva, the other three are Body,
mind and senses. If we separate this jeeva from all these three and combine Jeeva with
Bramhan by removing this gap which is nothing but ignorance is the real meaning of this life.
On the other hand, he will have vedas explaining us that we can gain knowledge through this
vedas to remove the ignorance.
When you dream everything you experience inside your mind yet it appears to be outside of you. Adi
sankaracharya says, that the same is true about the world you experience when you are awake.
In dakshinamurthy stotram, Aadi sankaracharya teaches us like

విశ్వం దర్పణ-దృశ్యమాన-నగరీ తుల్యం నిజాంతర్గతం

Like a city reflected in a mirror the world is with in you.

పశ్యన్నాత్మని మాయయా బహిరివోద్భూతం యథా నిద్రయా ।

Arising in consciousness like a dream, but appearing outside due to maya.

యస్సాక్షాత్కురుతే ప్రభోధసమయే స్వాత్మానమే వాద్వయం

To Him who bestows enlightenment by revealing all as the non-dual self

తస్మై శ్రీగురుమూర్తయే నమ ఇదం శ్రీ దక్షిణామూర్తయే

Salutations to Dakshinamurthy God who in the form of Guru

Imagine There is an image of a city seen in a mirror. Suppose we can see in that, buildings, roads,
bridges all living & non living things etc., Can we touch those buildings, roads cars and all. It is just a
glass.
He says this entire universe is like a city seen in a mirror. If we recall jalaakaasa the cloud we have
seen in the pot is the reflection of the sky available above. Here in this mirror where is the actual city.

That’s why Sakaracharya says immediately నిజాంతర్గతం.

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When I wokeup what did I realise. స్వాత్మానమే వాద్వయం, it is my non dual self which appears as the
content of my dream. All those are not different from each other. It is a projection on my own
consciousness. They don’t even exist separately.
Similarly after waking up from the dream of ignorance that is after you become enlightened, you
realise that the world you experience all around you is also a projection. It’s a projection on non-dual
bramhan. Which will understand as being identical to your trueself athman.
One day Ram wokeup and came to me saying, why were you shouting at me. It is completely your
fault. Don’t do that. When did I do anything. This was his dream.
So, If we carefully sense it further, that is ness in our dream is not out there. That is ness is your is
ness.
This is existence. This is reality. This is ness, it itself appears as multitude of beings. The self in all
beings is the all in the self.
King Janaka has realised this. So where is the world for him. Nijanthargatam.

Kva mumukshurva : Where is aspirant for liberation

There was a mahathma who used to take satsang sessions in a temple everyday. Oneday his
brotherinlaw came home and started attending these sessions. He was mesmerised by this
Mahathma’s speech. And so he continued daily. Everyday he comes back and express his
vairagya state to his elder sister. She was really worried. What is happning to him. He is yet
to marry still a long time to see this world. If this guy gets vairagya, what happens to my
parents.
So she started raising all these concerns with her husband. He said, no worries. Nothing like
that happens. If a person really get enlightened, he won’ sit here and talk. He will walk away
as it is far from all these sansara. No one can stop him. But this total scenario continued
everyday.
One fine day when she raised the same issue with her husband, he said see if a person really
gets vairagya, he will take his cloth put it on his shoulder and leave his home like this said he
walked away. She thought he will come back. Bu he never.
Actually, it doen’t mean like that, if one got enlightened, there is no need to leave everything
and go to himalayas. There are so many mahathmas who got enlightened and continued in
this sansara. Like Thyagaraja, Annamacharya even King Janaka also he continued as King
even after enlightenment.
He don’t bother about the aspiration for liberation, he don’t care about the bondings.
Because he has realised that this experienced world is an illusion.

Gnanavan Kva :
I will close this with last one small story with all your permission.
Here I remember one story from my childhood. A boy is practcing for his elocution
competition. He could learn only about the cow. Like Cow is a holy animal. Mostly cow will
be in white and it gives milk. Milk is in white and good for health etc., etc., goes on.

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Next day he has been asked to talk about flight for which he was not prepared. So, he started
saying flight is used for travelling. While travelling up in the sky, if we see down, we see
cows. And then he started cow is a holy animal. Etc., etc., go on.
He went to next level. Fortunate. There he was asked to talk about Horse. He started as horse
is very fast running animal. Next to my school there is a stable for horses. Besides to that
there is a cow shed as well. Cow is holy animal And then goes on…
Judges got confused and given a chance to talk on different subject. Now this boy has gained
his confidence. What ever the topic, he will end up with cow.
Here explaining King Janaka’s state is also similar to this story. It is advaitam. The existence
is only existence. There is no secondary.
Bhagavan said, ‘Because Brahma Jnana is not something external, which is somewhere
faraway where you can go and get it, you cannot say that it will take so long or so+ short a
time to attain it. It is always with you. . . . All that is necessary is to surrender yourself
completely to the Guru, and learn on how to surrender your notion of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ ….”
Of course, that is what King Janaka did. He surrendered his notion of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ to Sage
Ashtavakra.
Bhagavan Ramana said that surrender and Self-enquiry are the only two ways to Self-
Realisation.

All these slokas reminds me nirvana shatakam which is given by Aadi sankaracharya. I would
like to recite one relevant sloka and close this today’s session.

అహం నిర్వి కల్పో నిరాకార రూపో

విభూతశ్చ సర్వత్ర సర్వేంద్రియాణాం

న చ సంగతం నైవ ముక్తిర్న మేయ

చిదానంద రూప శివోహం శివోహం

I exist everywhere pervading all the senses

I am not attached neither am I liberated nor am I even defined.
My true identity, is the eternally blissful form of shiva

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