Chapter-9, Verse 5

Ashtavakra Gita Verse 9.5

नाना मतं महर्षीणां साधूनां योगिनां तथा। दृष्ट्वा निर्वेदमापन्नः को न शाम्यति मानवः॥५॥

5. Where is that man, who having observed the diversities of opinions among the great seers, sages and yogins, and thus becoming completely indifferent, does not attain tranquillity. 

Though the infinite experience is one and the same, when based upon their direct experience, different intellectual Masters try to explain the Truth and expound the methods of achieving It, it is natural that there should be as many different points of view as there are Masters. 

Thereafter, mere erudite scholars try to distil the philosophy of each Master; through these mere intellectual interpretations, different schools are born. Amidst the logical arguments arrayed by each school, in support of itself and for the condemnation of all other schools, an ordinary student must necessarily get utterly confused. This is unavoidable. 

Even Śaṅkara in Vivekacūḍāmaṇi warns us. ‘The wordy arguments are a dense forest which makes the mind lose its way and wander about. Hence, intelligent seekers should earnestly set about to realise the illumining principle of Consciousness – the essential Self.’ (śabdajālaṁ mahāraṇyaṁ cittabhramaṇakāraṇam, ataḥ prayatnājjñātavyaṁ tattvajñāistatavamātmanaḥ. – Vivekacūḍāmaṇi-60)

When an intelligent student carefully reads the various viewpoints, he must necessarily come to the same conclusion that by words and arguments Truth can never be finally ascertained. A true student, therefore, becomes indifferent to mere intellectual learning and logical argumentation. 

They discuss the nature of the Truth with their Teachers and among themselves. There is a lot of difference between arguments and discussions. Exchange of ignorance is arguments (vāda); and exchange of intelligence is discussion (vicāra). True seekers, after some amount of study and discussion must turn indifferent to mere learning and should strive their best to cultivate and experience the tranquillity of the Self in themselves. 

If these Ᾱcāryas are contradicting among themselves, and each is championing one school or the other, whom should a seeker follow as his preceptor, guide or Guru. Aṣṭāvakra explains the qualifications of a Real Guru in the following verse.