Ashtavakra

*Ashtavakra.....*

*The first incident happened before Ashtavakra was born...* 

*Nothing is known of what came afterwards but this is an incident while he was still in the womb...*

*His father, who was a great scholar, would recite the Vedas every day while Ashtavakra listened from the womb....*

*One day a voice came from the womb saying,*

*“Stop it! This is all nonsense.* 

*There is no wisdom whatsoever in this.*

*Mere words — just a collection of words.  Is wisdom found in scriptures?*

*Wisdom is within oneself. Is truth found in words? Truth is within oneself.”*

*Naturally his father was enraged....*

*First of all he was a father and on top of that a scholar....*

*And his son hidden in the womb was saying such things!*

*Not even born yet!*

*He exploded in anger, became engulfed in fire:*

*The father’s ego had been hit...*

*And a scholar’s ego…*

*He was a great pundit, a great debater, knowledgeable in scriptures….*

*In anger he uttered a curse:*

*When born, the boy would be deformed; his limbs would be bent in eight parts.* 

*Hence his name:*

*Ashtavakra means one whose body has eight bends. He was born crippled in eight places; eight places hunchbacked like a camel. In a rage his father deformed his son’s body....*

*Ashtavakra is a messenger, a messenger of consciousness, of witnessing.....*

*Pure witnessing, just watching....*

*If there is unhappiness, observe it...* 

*If there is happiness, observe it....*

*In unhappiness don’t become identified with unhappiness....*

*In happiness don’t become identified with happiness....* 

*Let both come, let both go....*

*Night has come, observe it....*

*Day has come, observe it....* 

*At night, don’t think you have become night.....*
*In the day, don’t think you have become the day......*🙏🏻