yadi dehaṃ pṛthakkṛtya citi viśrāmya tiṣṭhasi |
adhunaiva sukhī śānto bandhamukto bhaviṣyasi ||
"If you distinguish yourself from the body and abide in consciousness, you will immediately become happy, peaceful, and free from bondage."
This shloka from the Ashtavakra Gita expresses one of the central insights of Advaita Vedanta with striking clarity. True happiness, peace, and liberation are not distant goals, but are immediately accessible the moment we recognize our true nature—not as the body, but as pure, undivided consciousness. The body, bound by time and space, is subject to change, suffering, and limitation. Consciousness, by contrast, remains untouched, witnessing all phenomena without being caught in them.
The figure of Ashtavakra himself gives this teaching extraordinary resonance. According to tradition, he was born with physical deformities—his name meaning "eight bends," referring to the crooked shape of his body. Yet his wisdom reveals the ultimate truth: the Self is not defined or confined by the body. In realizing this, one transcends all bondage, regardless of outer circumstances. Through this single shift in perspective, the seeker steps directly into freedom.
