Acharya Prashant explains that when Ashtavakra refers to the knower of truth as 'dumb', it signifies the disappearance of the compulsive tendency to be verbose. People often speak excessively to convince themselves of their own knowledge and existence. The man of truth, however, abides in deep self-assurance and no longer feels the insecure need to boast or relate to others solely through words. Similarly, 'stupidity' in this context is not a lack of intelligence but the absence of cleverness and manipulative tendencies. Ashtavakra uses provocative language to challenge the seeker's ego and dissolve insecure tendencies rather than to prescribe a specific behavior.