ashtavakra-gitaadvaitavedantamoksha

𑌮𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌮𑌿𑌚𑍍𑌛𑌸𑌿 𑌚𑍇𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌾𑌤 (𑌅𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌾𑌵𑌕𑍍𑌰 𑌗𑍀𑌤𑌾 ௧.௧௧)

Muktim Ichchhasi Chet Tata (Ashtavakra Gita 1.11) in Grantha · 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

🕉️ hindu·📿 11× repetitions·🕐 Early morning during meditation, or in the evening as a contemplation before sleep·📜 Ashtavakra Gita (Ashtavakra Samhita), Chapter 1, Verse 11

Read in your language / script

हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ English සිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

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.

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The Mantra

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𑌮𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌮𑌿𑌚𑍍𑌛𑌸𑌿 𑌚𑍇𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌾𑌤 𑌵𑌿𑌷𑌯𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌷𑌵𑌤𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌜। 𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌮𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌜𑌵𑌦𑌯𑌾𑌤𑍋𑌷𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌪𑍀𑌯𑍂𑌷𑌵𑌦𑍍𑌭𑌜॥

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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𑌮𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌮𑍍🔊muktimliberation, freedom (moksha)

𑌇𑌚𑍍𑌛𑌸𑌿🔊icchasiyou desire, you wish for

𑌚𑍇𑌤𑍍🔊cetif

𑌤𑌾𑌤🔊tātadear one, my child (a term of affection used by the teacher Ashtavakra for his student Janaka)

𑌵𑌿𑌷𑌯𑌾𑌨𑍍🔊viṣayānthe objects of the senses, sense-pleasures

𑌵𑌿𑌷𑌵𑌤𑍍🔊viṣavatlike poison

𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌜🔊tyajaabandon, give up, renounce

𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌮𑌾🔊kṣamāforbearance, forgiveness, patience

𑌆𑌰𑍍𑌜𑌵🔊ārjavastraightforwardness, sincerity, uprightness

𑌦𑌯𑌾🔊dayācompassion, kindness

𑌤𑍋𑌷🔊toṣacontentment, satisfaction

𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌮𑍍🔊satyamtruth, truthfulness

𑌪𑍀𑌯𑍂𑌷𑌵𑌤𑍍🔊pīyūṣavatlike nectar, like ambrosia (amrita)

𑌭𑌜🔊bhajapartake of, cultivate, resort to, embrace

Benefits of Chanting Muktim Ichchhasi Chet Tata (Ashtavakra Gita 1.11)

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Plants the seed of true dispassion (vairagya) by reframing sense-pleasures as poison

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Offers a complete, memorable code of spiritual conduct in a single verse

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Cultivates the inner virtues — forgiveness, sincerity, compassion, contentment, truth — that purify the mind

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Calms craving and restlessness, leading toward inner peace

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Serves as a daily reminder and contemplation for seekers on the path of self-knowledge

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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)

Repetitions11times

Best TimeEarly morning during meditation, or in the evening as a contemplation before sleep

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Muktim Ichchhasi Chet Tata (Ashtavakra Gita 1.11) written in the Grantha script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

It is verse 1.11 of the Ashtavakra Gita (also called Ashtavakra Samhita), a classical Advaita Vedanta text recording the dialogue between the sage Ashtavakra and King Janaka of Mithila. This is the sage's opening instruction.

Like poison, sense-objects may taste pleasant for a moment but ultimately bind the soul to repeated birth, agitation and suffering. The verse asks the seeker to recognize this and turn instead to the virtues that nourish and free the spirit, which it compares to nectar (amrita).

It teaches inner detachment, not necessarily outward abandonment. The point is to stop clinging to sense-objects as the source of happiness, and to ground oneself in virtue and self-knowledge. Janaka, to whom it was spoken, was a king who continued to rule while remaining inwardly free.

Kshama (forgiveness/forbearance), arjava (sincerity/straightforwardness), daya (compassion), tosha (contentment), and satya (truth). The verse says to embrace these as one would joyfully drink nectar.