A
Excellent question — and a profound one.
In the Aṣṭāvakra Gītā (Aṣṭāvakra Saṁhitā), the term ignorance (ajñāna or avidyā) refers to false identification — mistaking the transient (body, mind, world) for the Self.
Ashtavakra doesn’t list “ignorances” as numbered items, but throughout the text, he identifies specific forms of ignorance that veil Self-knowledge.
Below is a compiled and thematic list — drawn directly from the teachings spread across the chapters:
🕉️ LIST OF IGNORANCES IN ASHTAVAKRA SAMHITA
1. Identification with the Body
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Thinking “I am the body, I am a man/woman, I am tall, short, etc.”
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Ashtavakra: “You are neither earth, nor water, nor fire, nor air, nor space. You are the witness of all these.” (1.3)
2. Belief in Doership
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Thinking “I act, I perform, I choose.”
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Ashtavakra: “Bondage is imagining the Self to be the doer; freedom is knowing the Self is not the doer.” (8.1)
3. Identification with the Mind and Thoughts
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Thinking “I think, I feel, I decide.”
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Ashtavakra: “The mind is the source of bondage. When it ceases, liberation shines.” (4.1)
4. Belief in Duality (Subject–Object Distinction)
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Seeing the world as separate from oneself.
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“As space is one though appearing divided by pots, so consciousness is one though appearing divided by beings.” (8.4)
5. Attachment and Aversion
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Clinging to pleasure, avoiding pain.
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“He who sees pleasure and pain as the same is free from attachment.” (3.4)
6. Desire and Craving for Sense Objects
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The illusion that sense-pleasures bring fulfillment.
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“As the desire for pleasure binds, renunciation of desire brings peace.” (6.1)
7. Mistaking the Unreal for the Real
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Taking appearances as reality — believing the world is permanent.
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“This world is a projection of the mind and therefore unreal, like a dream.” (2.9)
8. Seeking Liberation as an Attainment
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Thinking liberation is something to achieve later.
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“You are ever free; bondage is only an illusion created by the mind.” (1.12)
9. Dependence on Rituals or External Practices
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Believing external acts, austerities, or pilgrimages lead to truth.
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“Neither rituals, nor renunciation, nor wealth lead to freedom; only knowledge of the Self.” (1.18)
10. Belief in Birth, Death, or Change of the Self
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Thinking the Self is born, lives, or dies.
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“The Self is changeless, birthless, deathless, eternal.” (7.1)
11. Egoism (the ‘I’-thought)
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The root ignorance: identification with the egoic “I.”
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“When the mind stops identifying with ‘I’ and ‘mine,’ liberation is immediate.” (8.4)
12. Dependence on External Conditions for Peace
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Thinking peace comes from quiet surroundings or solitude.
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“The wise one is not disturbed in the crowd nor delighted in solitude.” (9.4)
13. Mistaking Knowledge for Experience
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Thinking intellectual knowledge is realization.
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“Mere talk of knowledge does not end bondage; realization of the Self does.” (2.10)
14. Fear and Hope (Future Projection)
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Living by expectations and fears.
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“He whose mind is free from hope and fear enjoys supreme peace.” (9.2)
15. Valuing Praise or Blame
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Dependence on others’ opinions.
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“The wise man is neither pleased nor troubled by praise or blame.” (6.2)
🪶 Summary Essence
Ignorance = Misidentification with anything other than the Self.
Wisdom = Recognition that “I am pure consciousness, untouched, infinite, ever free.”
Would you like me to make a condensed chart or table version — “Ignorance → Corresponding Realization (Wisdom)” — suitable for reflection or study use?
It’s very effective for contemplative reading or teaching notes.
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