AVG 1.9

Chapter 1 (Guidance on self-realization): Verse 9

एको विशुद्धबोधोऽहं इति निश्चयवह्निना ।
प्रज्वाल्याज्ञानगहनं वीतशोकः सुखी भव ॥ १-९॥

Transliteration:

एकः विशुद्धबोधः अहम् इति निश्चयवह्निना ।
ekaḥ viśuddhabodhaḥ aham iti niścayavahninā ।
प्रज्वाल्य अज्ञानगहनम् वीतशोक सुखी भव ॥ १-९॥
prajvālya ajñānagahanam vītaśoka sukhī bhava ॥ 1-9॥

Meaning:

एकः (one/single) विशुद्धबोधः (clear and cleansed illumination/enlightenment) अहम् (I) इति (this) निश्चयवह्निना (by the heat/fire of this positive conviction and resolve) ।
प्रज्वाल्य (aflame/radiance and brilliance of a flame) अज्ञानगहनम् (the impenetrable thicket of spiritual ignorance) वीतशोक (free from anguish and affliction) सुखी (comforted and happy) भव (be/remain)॥ १-९॥

Purport:

Burn down the thickets of ignorance
by the fire of positive conviction
asserting: I am pure and sole awareness.
Thus, remain free from anguish,
and accordingly be comforted.

Comments: Ashtavakra's lines here, in addition to being poetically and metrically mellifluous, further reminds Janaka that each one of us, at the very core of our beings, are nothing but states of awareness. Our goals as we seek to understand ourselves better is to extend this incipient awareness to a state of impartial insight. Let me unpack that a tiny bit. Awareness is characterized by the quality or state of being aware; when the knowledge that something is happening or unfolding in the present moment is acute. Insight is the intuitive act of seeing a situation and apprehending the inner nature of the present unfolding of events. 
While true insight and awareness cannot be taught, the first step towards getting to the state of 'pure and sole awareness' that Ashtavakra talks about is to approach our realities with a mind and outlook that is unprejudiced. An approach to the current moment where the observer is intuitively understanding and being aware of the present without biases, distortions or preferences of any sort is a state of awareness where impartial insight starts to happen. This is easier said than done. The impediment to even approaching this state of awareness with impartial insight is that familiar yet distant biological process that goes on within our heads - the incessant arising, abiding and extinguishment of thoughts.
The sum total of garnered experiences, stored memories and collected knowledge manifest themselves perpetually from the substratum of our conscious experience like schools of dolphins that briefly launch themselves out of water only to smoothly dive back into the water. The substratum of our conscious experience is very much like the water and the cyclical dance of the dolphins our thoughts. Science and research on a phenomenon called 'mind-wandering' has shown that the recurring cycle of thoughts that springs forth is a natural process within our brains that is wired into our evolutionary development. The state of ‘awareness with impartial insight’ can potentially be attained when one consciously works towards stilling the substratum of our mental fluctuations by approaching the moment in front of us with an unbiased impartial mindset. Ashtavakra metaphorically reminds us here to burn down the thickets of ignorance that cloud our minds using the fire of conviction - a conviction borne of the fact that you are pure and sole awareness – that is all. This will be a recurring theme within the text and Ashtavakra will go back to clarifying the concepts further. I plan to do so and clarify as this theme recurs.

Notes: There is a popular phrase that goes as follows "die before you die". The sentiment behind the phrase is of some use here. The first 'die' in the phrase refers to letting go of identification with the mind and the thoughts thereof. Letting go of thoughts and the attachments and the associated clinging to implicit biases brings peace before we finally dissolve with the earth.