Ashtavakra Gita

The Ashtavakra Gita (Aṣṭāvakra Saṃhitā) is a classical Sanskrit text of radical non-dualism, cast as the sage Ashtavakra’s instruction of King Janaka. It is among the most quoted Advaita texts after the Bhagavad Gita and Avadhuta Gita.

Content

In 298 verses across 20 chapters, Ashtavakra teaches that the Self is already free: “You are not the body, you are pure consciousness, the witness of all. Be happy.” Where the Bhagavad Gita grades the path (karma, bhakti, jnana), the Ashtavakra Gita acknowledges no stages — practice itself presupposes the bondage the Self never had. Later chapters soften into devotional ease; the dialogue’s arc runs from instruction to recognition to effortless being.

Significance

The text’s uncompromising presentation has made it a favorite of the neo-Advaita and satsang movements (Nisargadatta’s readership, Ramana’s circles) and of classical Vedantins alike. The frame — a king taught by a sage born with eight bodily deformities (ashta-vakra) — embodies the teaching that freedom is independent of circumstance.

Verification notes

• Dating and authorship are unknown; estimates range from the early centuries CE to the medieval period.
• Audited against Wikipedia (September 2026).