Aṣṭāvakra Saṃhitā
A Dialogue on Self-realization
Chapter 2, Verse 11
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Ashtavakra Gita 2.11 - Self-Realization and the Nature of Consciousness
अहो अहं नमो मह्यं विनाशो यस्य नास्ति मे ।
ब्रह्मादिस्तम्बपर्यन्तं जगन्नाशेऽपि तिष्ठत:
aho ahaṃ namo mahyaṃ vināśo yasya nāsti me .
brahmādi-stamba-paryantaṃ jagan-nāśe’pi tiṣṭhataḥ ..2-11..
Oh! Wonderful ‘I’, prostration to myself, who has no destruction at all, who reigns even when the world from Brahmā down to a clump of grass is destroyed.
Commentary by Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha
How quickly and drastically king Janaka transforms his thoughts and identification! The sentient presence in his body strikes him immensely. Unlike the limited body, the presence in it is infinite. That it witnesses the endless Universe makes it superior to the Universe. Ah, the ‘I’ is the greatest wonder one can think of!
To honour and worship whomever is great is the noble human emotion. ‘I’ is the most adorable, wonderful. Janaka renders prostrations to himself! God and Brahman are synonyms of Self.
Existing in a limited body, ‘I’ embodies the limitless Universe. This is true wonder indeed! That is why Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita that the Self, the Self-knower and the Self exponent, all are wonderful indeed. God of Death, Yama, also told Nachiketas: “One who exposes the Self, and one, instructed well by the Knower, realizes the Self himself, are equally wonderful!”
The knowledge had adorned the ancient Vedic thinkers. It percolated to Treta Yuga, Sage Ashtavakra exposed it to the Mithila king Janaka. And Janaka realizing the knowledge instantly, speaks these touching words before his Teacher!
Self-knowledge is so great, powerful that it endures in this great land ever. Without break even today the knowledge is discussed, as is being done here. What a great legacy of this land!
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