The Final Dialogue of Ashtavakra and King Janaka – The Path to Self-Realization and Universal Welfare part 3

let us begin this beautiful episode dedicated to the Ashtavakra Gita, a timeless dialogue of self-realization between Sage Ashtavakra and King Janaka. This is the third and concluding part of the teachings ,today we reach the grand culmination of this divine dialogue—the moment when realization and understanding meet in perfect oneness.

The Examination of Self-Knowledge

After the experience of self-realization, King Janaka’s consciousness had expanded. He had described how it felt to dwell in the state of the Self. Yet, Ashtavakra, his divine teacher, wished to test the depth of this realization. “O Janaka,” he asked, “Now that you have realized the soul to be immortal and priceless, why do you still adorn royal attire and dwell amidst wealth?”

This was not a question of criticism but of compassion. Ashtavakra wanted to ensure that Janaka’s mind was completely detached from all traces of material attachment. He questioned whether Janaka’s royal grandeur had even a shadow of ego or desire. Ashtavakra knew that the ignorance of the Self leads to attachment toward worldly pleasures—just as a clam may appear silvery and deceive the observer. He said, “When you know this world to be temporary, why cling to such trivial matters? Why not live like a saint instead of a king?”

The True Test of a Self-Realized Soul

Ashtavakra’s inquiries grew deeper: “O Janaka, have you realized the same soul in all beings? Why, then, is there still affection toward the world?”

He reminded that with true knowledge, all distinctions vanish—between soul and creation, between body and world. Yet even after self-knowledge, the impressions (samskaras) of the mind and intellect may remain in seed form. True liberation occurs only when these impressions are also dissolved in the state of non-dual samadhi.

Therefore, Ashtavakra questioned Janaka on his remaining desires—especially those related to sensual pleasure, the subtlest and most binding of all desires. “Lust,” he said, “is the greatest enemy of knowledge.”

He further asked, “Have you truly detached yourself from the pleasures of this world and heaven alike? What causes your anger, O Janaka?” A self-realized soul remains balanced—beyond joy and sorrow, honor and insult. The one who experiences both without reaction has indeed attained knowledge.

Janaka’s Realization and Response

King Janaka replied humbly yet with profound wisdom:

“The wise soul no longer identifies with the body. Praise and blame may come, yet they mean nothing. The world to me appears as illusion—neither real nor separate from Brahman. Fear of death exists only in the ignorant. The wise see life and death as the same, both unreal before the infinite Self.”

Ashtavakra observed his disciple carefully, testing him on detachment and purity of mind. He taught:
“If pleasure or pain is felt, the mind is still alive. Self-realization dawns only when the mind is completely silent, beyond duality.”

Ego and the End of Doership

King Janaka explained that a self-realized person acts without ego, naturally and wisely, while a worldly person acts out of desire and fear. Though their actions may appear similar, their inner states are worlds apart. A yogi remains untouched by praise, position, or sin—like smoke rising toward the sky but never touching it. Such a soul transcends merit and demerit, free from the bondage of social and natural law. Even Brahma, the creator, is bound by the desire to create, but the self-realized one alone transcends all desire and aversion, perceiving everything as one soul, one existence.

The Ocean and the Waves

When Ashtavakra asked whether Janaka still desired liberation, Janaka replied:

“I am not the body; I am the soul, infinite like the sky. The world arises from nature, like a pot from clay. How can I abandon what is not separate from me? I am the ocean, and this world is but its waves. The waves may rise or fall, but the ocean remains untouched.”This profound statement affirmed his realization: nothing can be grasped, renounced, or merged when all is one. The illusion of separation dissolves, and the knower abides in peace.

Bondage and Liberation

Ashtavakra then declared, “When the mind desires, renounces, or feels joy and sorrow, that is bondage. When the mind remains without desire, without rejection, and acts naturally—then liberation is attained.”

Bondage arises from ego—the thought of “I.” When this ego dissolves, liberation shines naturally.

True freedom does not require renouncing family, kingdom, or home. Liberation is not in saffron robes but in inner detachment. To act without ego is to live as a liberated being amidst the world.

The Power of Thoughts Over Actions

A striking teaching emerges here: thoughts are more powerful than actions.

Even before an action occurs, the thought creates its impression. Hence, purity of thought is more important than deeds themselves. If one’s mind harbors feelings of universal welfare, that very sentiment has cosmic impact—even if no outward action is performed.

Ashtavakra thus emphasized: purify your thoughts, and liberation naturally follows.

The Duty of Global Welfare

At the close of the discourse, a beautiful realization dawns: even after liberation, one’s duty toward global welfare (Vishva Kalyan) remains. The self-realized soul may transcend all bondage, but out of pure compassion, they continue to work for the upliftment of all beings.

This is not a personal desire—it is divine will flowing through the soul. The desire for liberation is personal, but the desire for universal welfare is cosmic. Therefore, those who have realized Brahman do not seek even liberation; they live as instruments of the Divine, spreading Paramshanti (supreme peace) throughout creation.

Conclusion: Beyond Liberation, Into Service

Thus concludes the sacred dialogue between Sage Ashtavakra and King Janaka. The message is clear:

• Self-realization is not the end but the beginning of divine service.

• True liberation is freedom from ego, not from the world.

• The purest desire is the desire for universal peace and welfare.

Let us all take a vow for global welfare, spread the light of supreme peace, and remember—Paramshanti is the ultimate truth, the highest vibration, and the eternal nature of every soul.