Among Vedantic works, this text stands out for its radical brevity and directness. Rather than building a step-by-step philosophical system, it speaks almost entirely from the standpoint of the already liberated Self, presenting nondual realization as something immediate rather than a distant goal. Its verses are short, aphoristic, and often paradoxical, offering bold assertions of identity with pure consciousness here and now, without elaborate argumentation or gradual preparatory stages. This creates a sense of intense concentration on a single theme: the ever-present reality of awareness, untouched by bondage or liberation.

Structurally, it is framed as a dialogue between the sage and King Janaka, yet the narrative element is kept to a bare minimum. The conversation is heavily weighted toward the sage’s pronouncements, with little dramatic context or storyline, unlike more elaborate scriptural dialogues. There is no attempt to weave in discussions of social duty, ritual obligations, or reconciliations between action and knowledge; the focus remains on uncompromising nondual insight. This lack of narrative and doctrinal scaffolding gives the text an intimate, almost confrontational quality, as though the teaching were addressed directly to the reader’s own sense of self.

Another distinguishing feature is its near-total absence of concern for scriptural authority, ritual practice, or ethical codes. It does not lean on citations from other texts, nor does it construct logical proofs; instead, it relies on the sheer force of direct pointing. Traditional frameworks of karma, dharma, and progressive yogic disciplines are largely set aside, not by detailed refutation but by being ignored in favor of immediate recognition of pure awareness. From this standpoint, even the notions of seeker and path begin to lose their footing.

The language of the work is highly experiential and poetic, marked by ecstatic and uncompromising declarations that can shock conventional understanding. Its verses often read more like mystical poetry than like systematic philosophy, using stark, contemplative statements to evoke an inner sense of freedom, detachment, and peace. Rather than providing a method, it functions as a mirror, repeatedly affirming the reader’s identity as the formless witness. In this way, its style and structure serve the same purpose as its doctrine: to strip away every support until only the luminous fact of awareness remains.