AVG 1.2

Chapter 1 (Guidance on self-realization): Verse 2

अष्टावक्र उवाच ॥
मुक्तिं इच्छसि चेत्तात विषयान् विषवत्त्यज ।
क्षमार्जवदयातोषसत्यं पीयूषवद् भज ॥ १-२॥

Transliteration:
अष्टावक्र उवाच ॥
aṣṭāvakra uvāca ॥
मुक्तिम् इच्छसि चेत् तात विषयान् विषवत् त्यज ।
muktim icchasi cet tāta viṣayān viṣavat tyaja ।
क्षमा आर्जव दया संतोष सत्यम् पीयूषवत् भज ॥ १-२॥
kṣamā ārjava dayā saṃtoṣa satyam pīyūṣavat bhaja ॥ 1-2॥

Meaning:
अष्टावक्र (Ashtavakra) उवाच (speaks)॥
मुक्तिम् (liberation [for]) इच्छसि (you so desire) चेत् (if) तात (dearest!) विषयान् (perceived or experienced by the senses) विषवत् (like poison) त्यज (abdicate/abandon/give up)।
क्षमा (forgiveness/pardon) आर्जव (sincerity/rectitude/honesty) दया (compassion/mercy/sympathy) संतोष (satisfaction/contentment) सत्यम् (truth) पीयूषवत् (like nectar) भज (resort to/to serve) ॥ १-२॥

Purport:

Ashtavakra replies:
Dearest, if you so desire liberation,
then discard, like poison,
anything perceived by the senses;
and [instead] serve, like nectar
forgiveness, sincerity, compassion, contentment and the truth.

Comments: It is interesting to note that even though Janaka had asked the way to knowledge first, then attaining liberation and afterwards understanding detachment (in the previous verse), Ashtavakra clarifies that focus on liberation (rather than on knowledge and detachment) is fundamental. Attachment to anything perceived and enjoyed by the senses will need to be discarded (like one shuns poison). Note that it is the aspect of attachment (and the resultant assumptions of permanency that attachment engenders within the perceiver) that needs to be discarded. The enjoyment of sense objects itself is not the problem and should not be so construed. Notions of permanency precipitated through attachment and imbued upon the sense objects perceived can be eliminated by focusing ones attention to forgiveness, sincerity, compassion, contentment and the truth.