Muktim Ichchhasi Chet Tata (Ashtavakra Gita 1.11)
मुक्तिमिच्छसि चेत्तात (अष्टावक्र गीता १.११)
Also known as: muktim ichchhasi cet tata · muktim icchasi cet tata · ashtavakra gita 1.11 · ashtavakra gita verse 11 · vishayan vishavat tyaja
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✦ Meaning
This is the very first instruction the sage Ashtavakra gives to King Janaka in the Ashtavakra Gita. In a single luminous verse he reveals the entire path of liberation: turn away from sense-objects, which bind like poison, and drink deeply of the virtues — forgiveness, honesty, compassion, contentment and truth — which nourish like nectar. It distils the spirit of Vedantic vairagya (dispassion) and viveka (discernment) into one unforgettable line.
Origin & Story
Ashtavakra Gita (Ashtavakra Samhita), Chapter 1, Verse 11 · Sage Ashtavakra (traditional) · Ancient (text compiled in classical period)
The Ashtavakra Gita records the dialogue between the sage Ashtavakra — born with eight bends in his body, hence his name — and the philosopher-king Janaka. When Janaka asks how knowledge, liberation and detachment are attained, Ashtavakra begins his teaching with this verse, prescribing renunciation of sense-craving and cultivation of virtue as the foundation of the path that culminates in direct realization of the Self.
✦ As told in scripture
Tradition holds that King Janaka attained liberation (jivanmukti) in the very course of this single conversation with Ashtavakra, becoming the ideal of one who is established in Self-knowledge while still carrying out his worldly duties as a ruler.
The Mantra
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मुक्तिमिच्छसि चेत्तात विषयान्विषवत्त्यज। क्षमार्जवदयातोषसत्यं पीयूषवद्भज॥
muktim icchasi cet tāta viṣayān viṣavat tyaja | kṣamārjava-dayā-toṣa-satyaṃ pīyūṣavad bhaja ||
Meaning:My child, if you wish for liberation, then shun the objects of the senses as you would shun poison; and embrace forgiveness, sincerity, compassion, contentment and truth as if they were nectar.
Word-by-Word Meaning
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Benefits of Chanting Muktim Ichchhasi Chet Tata (Ashtavakra Gita 1.11)
Plants the seed of true dispassion (vairagya) by reframing sense-pleasures as poison
Offers a complete, memorable code of spiritual conduct in a single verse
Cultivates the inner virtues — forgiveness, sincerity, compassion, contentment, truth — that purify the mind
Calms craving and restlessness, leading toward inner peace
Serves as a daily reminder and contemplation for seekers on the path of self-knowledge
Prepares the mind for the higher non-dual teaching that follows in the Ashtavakra Gita
How to Chant Muktim Ichchhasi Chet Tata (Ashtavakra Gita 1.11)
Recite the verse slowly, reflecting on its meaning rather than only its sound. Pause on each virtue — forgiveness, sincerity, compassion, contentment, truth — and resolve to embody it through the day. As a contemplative shloka from the Ashtavakra Gita, it is best used for manana (reflection) and nididhyasana (deep meditation) rather than mechanical repetition, though chanting it 11 or 21 times to fix it in memory is a fine practice.