King Janaka opens the dialogue with three questions that frame the entire Aṣṭāvakra Gītā: how is knowledge (jñāna) attained, how is liberation (mokṣa) reached, and what defines a wise person (jñānin)? These are not casual inquiries — Janaka is a sovereign who has everything the world can offer, yet senses that something essential remains missing. His questions mirror the classical Vedantic triad: the means to truth, the end of bondage, and the mark of one who has realized both. The entire text that follows is Aṣṭāvakra’s response to this single, urgent plea.