Ashtavakra
Gita is one of the most important books on path of knowledge, which is even
praised by Shri Ramkrishna Paramahansa and Sri Raman Maharishi alike. Just as
the Gita has the dialogue of Sri Krishna and Arjun, so in the same way,
Ashtavakra Gita has Ashtavakra as the speaker and king Janaka as the
listener. In the Gita, the three ways of enlightenment (action, knowledge and
devotion) are described whereas in Ashtavakra gita, only the path of
knowledge is discussed.
अष्टावक्र के नाना ऋषि उद्दालक का छान्दोग्य उपनिषद् में एक ब्रह्मज्ञानी के रूप में उल्लेख किया गया है। वेदांत के सबसे महत्त्वपूर्ण महावाक्य तत्त्वमसि का उपदेश इनके नाना उद्दालक के द्वारा इनके मामा श्वेतकेतु को दिया गया है जो अष्टावक्र के समवयस्क हैं, अतः अष्टावक्र उपनिषद् कालीन ऋषि हैं।
The
maternal grandfather of Ashtavakra, the sage Uddalaka has been mentioned as an
enlightened man in Chhadogyya Upanishad. The most important mahavyakya (the
final statement) in the philosophy of Vedanta, 'You are That", has been
given by him to his son Shvetaketu. Shvetaketu is maternal uncle of
Ashtavakra, therefore, Ashtavakra and was of same age. This proves that
Ashtavakra was a sage of Upanishadic times.
वाल्मीकि रामायण के युद्धकाण्डमें अष्टावक्र ऋषि का बड़े आदर से उल्लेख हुआ है।रावण-वध के पश्चात्, देवराज इंद्र के साथ राजा दशरथ अपने प्रिय पुत्र श्रीराम से मिलने आते हैं, उस समय वे श्रीराम से कहते हैं–“हे महात्मा राम तुम्हारे जैसे सुपुत्र के द्वारा मैं वैसे ही बचा लिया गया हूँ जैसे कि धर्मात्मा कहोड ब्राह्मण अपने पुत्र अष्टावक्र के द्वारा।”
In
Valmiki Ramayana, during the time of battle in Yuddha Kanda, sage Ashtavakra
has been mentioned with great respect. After the killing of Ravana, King
Dashrath along with the king of demi-gods Indra comes to meet his beloved son
Rama, at that time he says to Rama,"O great Ram, I have been saved by you as
righteous Kahoda Brahmin was saved by his son Ashtavakra."
महाभारत के वन पर्व में लोमश ऋषि युधिष्ठिर को अष्टावक्र की कथा सुनाते हैं।
Sage
Lomash recites the story of Ashtavakra to Yudhishtira in the Mahabharata's Vana
Parva.