Ashtavakra Gita [sanskrit]

by John Richards | 1994 | 2,996 words

Ashtavakra Gita is a Sanskrit text belonging to the Advaita Vedanta school of orthodox Indian philosophy, instructing the reader in some of the core concepts. Traditionally believed to be authored by sage Ashtavakra, it is presented in the form of a dialogue between him and Janaka, king of Mithila. Alternative titles: अष्टावक्रगीता, Aṣṭāvakragītā, Astavakragita, अष्टावक्र-गीता, Aṣṭāvakra-gītā.

janaka uvāca |
aho nirañjanaḥ śānto bodho'haṃ prakṛteḥ paraḥ |
etāvantamahaṃ kālaṃ mohenaiva viḍambitaḥ || 1 ||
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yathā prakāśayāmyeko dehamenaṃ tathā jagat |
ato mama jagatsarvamathavā na ca kiñcana || 2 ||
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saśarīramaho viśvaṃ parityajya mayā'dhunā |
kutaścitkauśalādeva paramātmā vilokyate || 3 ||
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yathā na toyato bhinnāstaraṅgāḥ phenabudbudāḥ |
ātmano na tathā bhinnaṃ viśvamātmavinirgatam || 4 ||
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tantumātro bhavedeva paṭo yadvadvicārataḥ |
ātmatanmātramevedaṃ tadvadviśvaṃ vicāritam || 5 ||
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yathaivekṣurase kḷptā tena vyāptaiva śarkarā |
tathā viśvaṃ mayi kḷptaṃ mayā vyāptaṃ nirantaram || 6 ||
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ātmājñānājjagadbhāti hātmajñānānna bhāsate |
rajjvajñānādahirbhāti tajjñānādbhāsate na hi || 7 ||
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prakāśo me nijaṃ rūpaṃ nātirikto'smyahaṃ tataḥ |
yadā prakāśate viśvaṃ tadā'hambhāsa eva hi || 8 ||
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aho vikalpitaṃ viśvamajñānānmayi bhāsate |
rūpyaṃ śuktau phaṇī rajjau vāri sūryakare yathā || 9 ||
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matto vinirgataṃ viśvaṃ mayyeva layameṣyati |
mṛdi kumbho jale vīciḥ kanake kaṭakaṃ yathā || 10 ||
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aho ahaṃ namo mahyaṃ vināśo yasya nāsti me |
brahmādistambaparyantaṃ jagannāśe'pi tiṣṭhataḥ || 11 ||
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aho ahaṃ namo mahyameko'haṃ dehavānapi |
kvacinna gantā nāgantā vyāpya viśvamavasthitaḥ || 12 ||
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aho ahaṃ namo mahyaṃ dakṣo nāstīha matsamaḥ |
asaṃspṛśya śarīreṇa yena viśvaṃ ciraṃ dhṛtam || 13 ||
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aho ahaṃ namo mahyaṃ yasya me nāsti kiñcana |
athavā yasya me sarvaṃ yadvāṅmanasagocaram || 14 ||
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jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ tathā jñātā tritayaṃ nāsti vāstavam |
ajñānādbhāti yatredaṃ so'hamasmi nirañjanaḥ || 15 ||
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dvaitamūlamaho duḥkhaṃ nānyattasyā'sti bheṣajam |
dṛśyametanmṛṣā sarvameko'haṃ cidraso'malaḥ || 16 ||
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bodhamātro'hamajñānādupādhiḥ kalpito mayā |
evaṃ vimṛśato nityaṃ nirvikalpe sthitirmama || 17 ||
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aho mayi sthitaṃ viśvaṃ vastuto na mayi sthitam |
na me bandho'sti mokṣo vā bhrāntiḥ śāntā nirāśrayā || 18 ||
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saśarīramidaṃ viśvaṃ na kiñciditi niścitam |
śuddhacinmātra ātmā ca tatkasminkalpanādhunā || 19 ||
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śarīraṃ svarganarakau bandhamokṣau bhayaṃ tathā |
kalpanāmātramevaitatkiṃ me kāryaṃ cidātmanaḥ || 20 ||
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aho janasamūhe'pi na dvaitaṃ paśyato mama |
araṇyamiva saṃvṛttaṃ kva ratiṃ karavāṇyaham || 21 ||
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nāhaṃ deho na me deho jīvo nāhamahaṃ hi cit |
ayameva hi me bandha āsīdyā jīvite spṛhā || 22 ||
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aho bhuvanakallolairvicitrairdrāksamutthitam |
mayyanantamahāmbhodhau cittavāte samudyate || 23 ||
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mayyanantamahāmbhodhau cittavāte praśāmyati |
abhāgyājjīvavaṇijo jagatpoto vinaśvaraḥ || 24 ||
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mayyanantamahāmbhodhāvāścaryaṃ jīvavīcayaḥ |
udyanti ghnanti khelanti praviśanti svabhāvataḥ || 25 ||
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Other editions:

Also see the following editions of the Sanskrit text or (alternative) English translations of the Ashtavakra Gita Chapter 2

Cover of edition (1994)

Ashtavakra Gita (song of Ashtavakra)
by John Richards (1994)

Or the Song of Ashtavakra, Ashtavakra Samhita

Cover of edition (2016)

Astavakra (Ashtavakra) Gita
by Swami Chinmayananda (2016)

Sanskrit Text, Transliteration, Word-to-Word Meaning, Translation and Detailed Commentary

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Cover of edition (2013)

Ashtavakra Gita
by Kaka Hariom (2013)

Word-to-Word Meaning with Hindi Translation

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