Ashtavakra Gita
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The Ashtavakra Gita (Sanskrit in Devanagari: अष्टावक्रगीता; IAST: aṣṭāvakragītā)[1] or the Song of Ashtavakra, also known as Ashtavakra Samhita is an Advaita Vedanta scripture which documents a dialogue between the Perfect Master Ashtavakra and Janaka, the King of Mithila.[2]
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[edit] Significance
Ashtavakra Gita presents the traditional teachings of Advaita Vedanta. The work was known, appreciated and quoted by Ramakrishna and his disciple Vivekananda, as well as by other well known gurus such as Sant Shri Asaramji Bapu, Swami Chinmayananda, Ramana Maharshi, Osho and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Radhakrishnan refers to it with great respect. [3]
[edit] Overview
Ashtavakra Gita states that there is no such thing as existence or non existence, right or wrong, or moral or immoral. In the eyes of the Ashtavakra, one's true identity can be found by simply recognizing oneself as Pure Existence and that as individuals we are the Awareness of all things.
The Ashtavakra Gita teaches that one is already free once one realises one is free (verses 1.7 & 1.11).
There is a commentary of "Ashtavakra Gita" by Osho (also known as Bhagwan Rajneesh) and by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar with applications to contemporary life and philosophy in Hindi. It is available as audios and books (5 volumes).
[edit] English discourse
Nath (1907) opened the discourse of this Gita into the English language.[4] Mukerjee (1889–1968) continued the discourse into English with his posthumous work published in 1971.[5] Stroud (2004) wrote on the Astavakra Gita as a work of multivalent narrative.[6]
[edit] Original text
- in Original Sanskrit as PDF
- in Original Sanskrit
- in Devanagari
- in Romanized Sanskrit
- Ashtavakra Gita in Devanagari @ Wikisource
- Ashtavakra Gita in Devanagari with English translation side by side
[edit] Translations
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Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Ashtavakra Gita |
- Poetic translation of Ashtavakra Gita in Hindi by Dr Mridul Kirti
- Ashtavakra Gita in Devanagari with English translation side by side
- s:Ashtavakra Gita Translation at Wikisource by John Richards
- Online Translation by John Richards - second editions:Talk:Ashtavakra Gita#Different editions
- John Richards translation in pdf format
- First in a series of 41 Discourses on Ashtavakra Gita available for Free Downloading
- Swami Nityaswarupananda (1940). Ashtavakra Samhita: [Sanskrit] text with word-for-word translation, English rendering and comments. Mayavati, Almoral, Himalayas: Advaita Ashrama.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Radhakamal Mukerjee (1971). The song of the self supreme (Aṣṭāvakragītā): the classical text of Ātmādvaita by Aṣṭāvakra. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. ISBN 8120813677, 9788120813670. Source: [1] (accessed: Friday March 19, 2010)
- ^ s:Ashtavakra Gita#Translator's Notes
- ^ s:Ashtavakra Gita#Translator's Notes
- ^ Baij Nath (Lala.) (1907). The Ashtavakra Gita: being a dialogue between King Janaka and Rishi Ashtavakra on Vedanta. Office of the Vaishya Hitkari.
- ^ Radhakamal Mukerjee (1971). The song of the self supreme (Aṣṭāvakragītā): the classical text of Ātmādvaita by Aṣṭāvakra. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. ISBN 8120813677, 9788120813670. Source: [2] (accessed: Friday March 19, 2010)
- ^ Stroud, Scott R. (2004). "Narrative as Argument in Indian Philosophy: The Astavakra Gita as Multivalent Narrative." Philosophy and Rhetoric - Volume 37, Number 1, 2004, E-ISSN: 1527-2079 Print ISSN: 0031-8213, pp. 42-71
