Rajeesh Kumar

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Janaka and Ashtavakra: A Journey Beyond

by Ashraf Karayath (Goodreads Author)

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Rajeesh Kumar said: " The story of Ashtavakra is alien to many, even those who love Indian mythology. Consequently, Ashtavakra Gita, the conversation between sage Ashtavakra and King Janaka limited to a few who are interested in Advaita Vedanta. According to Osho Ashtavak The story of Ashtavakra is alien to many, even those who love Indian mythology. Consequently, Ashtavakra Gita, the conversation between sage Ashtavakra and King Janaka limited to a few who are interested in Advaita Vedanta. According to Osho Ashtavakra Gita is an advaitic masterpiece. He once opined that "Man has many scriptures, but none are comparable to the Gita of Ashtavakra. Before it the Vedas pale, Upanishads are a mere whisper. Even the Bhagavad Gita does not have the majesty found in Ashtavakra Samhita."

Bhagavad Gita is poetic and devout; thus, multiple interpretations are possible. One can read and learn Bhagavad Gita and transform his/her life accordingly. But, Ashtavakra Gita is a statement of pure truth and possibility of interpretations is limited. To understand Ashtavakra, unlearning is a must. Since the process of unlearning is painful, many are hesitant to engage with Ashtavakra. This is where Ashraf Karayath's Janaka and Ashtavakra: A Journey Beyond comes into play. By rereading the story of Janaka and Ashtavakra, Ashraf, not only gives a new narrative to the duo's unique friendship but provides a distinct dimension and a fresh interpretation of ancient Indian spiritual wisdom related to liberation, enlightenment, consciousness and the realities of life.

One of the questions the author asked me during our chat about the novel was, as a materialist, what is my interest in spiritual wisdom? This will be answered when you know what is inside in this book. The main plot of the novel, Janaka's illusions, the quest for truth and relationship with Ashtavakra, progresses in four sections. While the first portion hangs around the concept of Mithya, the rest expands on notions of Samsara, Sankalpa and Maya, respectively. In between, the author depicts many lives, incidents, relationships, conflicts, and conspiracies.

The first thing that pulled me to Ashtavakra is that the boy was ready to go to Janaka's palace in search of the truth about his father. It was his zeal for truth, and his confidence in his wisdom empowered him to go to the King without fear. The same spirit enabled him to laugh louder than the King and his courtiers when they laughed at his deformed body. Ashtavakra's laughter is a big blow to society's (even today) attitude of judging people by their appearance and brand value of clothes.

Like Ashtavakra Gita, Ashraf's novel is also a treasure of philosophy of knowledge. Sometimes it speaks about inductive reasoning. For instance, Ashtavakra asks Janaka to be a pure observer, an observer of truth. He also asks the King to surrender to his material experience, what he see, touch, sense and feel. To become aware of his thoughts and not to react to them, but just to watch them. Watch them by detaching from them. This realization is vital for everyone who is confused by the conflict of mind, ego, and the self. And there is no doubt that discourse of 'self' in various Indian spiritual texts employ deductive logic.

Similarly, the author's depiction of Sankalpa Shakti (the power of intention) is fascinating. According to Indian philosophy, right intention is the basis for right thinking and right actions. The noblest of all intentions is the intention of liberation. We know Paulo Coelho's famous line- "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." The power of Sankalpa is precisely the same. In other words; "Sankalpa will harness your will, and the entire universe will work for you to achieve what you are seeking". You would also find Nietzsche's ethical relativism in Ashtavakra's advice to the King: "If you become too obsessed about it, then you only encourage it". Nietzsche' said: "if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."

Ashtavakra's questions about ownership are exciting. For instance, his question to Janaka "How do you become the owner of the kingdom (that was not yours before and will not be yours in future) in between?" is equally applicable to all men, who conquers and claims. But my favourite sentence is nothing else than what Janaka said to his wife, Sunayana: "Why should we worried about what others say?" I have been asking the same to my wife, family, and friends.

But the novel is not pure philosophy alone. From cover to cover, many beautiful lives are there. The concern over Sita's marriage, Sunayana's complaints about Janaka's apathy towards the affairs of Mithila, Kushadwaja's predicament, Sudhanavan's enmity and Mahosadha's troubles are some of them. Janaka's acumen such as "a king is a prisoner," and "a common man is free to think and act" is also provocative.

Many more to reflect on the novel and its author as well the characters and their thoughts. Let me end by saying one: the language is lucid, and expressions are candid. Whoever wants to know more, read Janaka and Ashtavakra: A Journey Beyond

Rajeesh Kumar ...more "

Aug 06, 2020 04:52AM · see review