When we think of sages and seers, we often imagine serene figures, bathed in a soft glow of otherworldly wisdom, spouting calm aphorisms under the shade of a bodhi tree. But Ashtavakra defies that image in the most unexpected way. His story, both in its origin and its teachings, is one of profound defiance—of the body, of the mind, and of the very fabric of conventional spirituality.

Ashtavakra, whose name literally means “eight bends,” was born with a body twisted in eight places, a physical manifestation of the harsh reality he was thrust into even before birth. His deformity, a result of a curse inflicted while still in the womb, seemed to mark him as different, an outcast from the very start. Yet, this very difference would shape him into one of the most extraordinary sages in the Indian spiritual tradition.

Ashtavakra’s story is primarily found in the Ashtavakra Gita, a text that is remarkable not just for its teachings, but for its stark and radical departure from the norms of spiritual discourse. The Ashtavakra Gita, unlike the Bhagavad Gita, doesn’t dwell on the righteous path of action or the gradual ascent of the soul through virtuous living. Instead, it delivers a direct and uncompromising message: you are not the body, you are not the mind, you are pure consciousness, ever free and unbound.

It’s a message that slices through the usual layers of philosophical complexity with surgical precision. There’s no coddling, no sugar-coating the reality of existence according to Ashtavakra. The mind, with its endless chatter, its fears, desires, and illusions, is dismissed as nothing more than a disturbance in the calm sea of awareness. The body, with its pains and pleasures, its inevitable decay, is merely a transient appearance, having no real substance or identity.

Ashtavakra’s teachings strike at the root of all spiritual seeking: the relentless pursuit of truth, free from the entanglements of ego and identity. He speaks directly to King Janaka, a ruler renowned for his wisdom, who in this dialogue is depicted as a seeker, desperate for liberation from the shackles of existence. In their exchanges, we witness not the gentle guidance of a compassionate guru, but the forceful dismantling of all illusions that bind the soul to the cycle of birth and death.

For those who approach spirituality with a longing for comfort, Ashtavakra’s teachings can be jarring, even unsettling. There’s no room for the ego to hide, no space for the mind to construct elaborate spiritual fantasies. He pulls no punches, reminding us that the true Self is ever-present, but obscured by the very effort we put into finding it. In the words of Ashtavakra:

“You are pure consciousness itself—the witness of all things. There is no other greater than you. Why then do you not realize it?”

This radical directness is perhaps what makes the Ashtavakra Gita less known, less recited, and less celebrated than other spiritual texts. It doesn’t offer the comfort of rituals or the solace of a structured path. Instead, it offers liberation—instant, uncompromising, and absolute. But to accept this liberation, one must be willing to let go of all attachments, including the attachment to the very identity of being a seeker.

Ashtavakra’s life, too, is a testament to this message. Despite his physical deformity, or perhaps because of it, he embodies the truth that the spirit is not bound by the body. His wisdom, sharp and unyielding, invites us to transcend our limitations, not through gradual effort, but through a sudden and total recognition of our true nature.

In a world that constantly urges us to do more, achieve more, and become more, Ashtavakra’s teachings offer a radical alternative: be still, know yourself, and realize that you are already free. It’s a message that challenges us to look beyond the surface of life, to see through the illusions that keep us trapped, and to embrace the boundless freedom that is our birthright.

Ashtavakra, with his twisted body and untwisted wisdom, remains a beacon for those ready to awaken to the truth of their own being. His words are a reminder that liberation is not something to be attained; it is the very essence of who we are. But to realise this, we must be willing to look beyond the appearance of things, beyond the twists and turns of life, and see the unchanging Self that lies within.