Chapter-3, Verse 5

Ashtavakra Gita Verse 3.5

सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि। मुनेर्जानत आश्चर्यं ममत्वमनुवर्त ते॥५॥

5. This is amazing that the sense of ownership (mineness) should still continue in the wise men who have realised ‘the Self in all beings and all beings in the Self’. 

The sense of ownership, experienced in the attitude of ‘mine-ness’ in an ordinary worldly man’s mind, is an expression of his ‘ego’. The sense of individuality (ego) is experienced, within one's own bosom, as the ‘I-ness’ and the very same ‘ego’ experienced, in terms of the objects around it, is the mineness. 

The combination of this ‘I’ and ‘mine’ is the individuality, which is a product of the ‘ignorance’ of the nature of the Self. Sage Aṣṭāvakra, with his tongue in his cheeks, audibly wonders how a Man of Realisation can still maintain his sense of 'mineness' to the objects of the world. The suggestion is that Janaka is continuing to rule over the kingdom of Videha because of his continued sense of possession to his throne: ‘This kingdom is mine’. In the following chapter we shall listen to the eloquent self-defence of the humble disciple, who is being nailed to ‘ignorance’ by these sharp and sturdy verses. 

The vision of Man of Realisation described here, by Aṣṭāvakra in the first line, is a faithful echo of the Bhagavad Gītā:

sarvabhūtasthamātmānaṁ sarvabhūtāni cātmani, īkṣate yogayuktātmā sarvatra samadarśanaḥ.

Bhagavad Gītā-6.29

Yoga-yukta-atma, one who has his mind Self-absorbed through Yoga, whose mind is merged in samadhi; and sarvatra-sama-darsanah, who has the vision of sameness everywhere-who has the vision (darsana) of sameness (sama-tva), the knowledge of identity of the Self and Brahman everywhere (sarvatra) without exception, in all divergent objects beginning from Brahma to immovable things; iksate, sees; atmanam, the Self, his own Self; sarva-bhuta-stham, existing in everything; and sarva-bhutani, everything from Brahma to a clump of grass; unified atmani, in his Self.