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The Ashtavakra Gita (Sanskrit: अष्टावक्रगीता; IAST: aṣṭāvakragītā)[1] or Song of Ashtavakra is a classical Hindu text in the form of a dialogue between the sage Ashtavakra and Janaka, king of Mithila.[2]
Datingedit
Radhakamal Mukerjee, an Indian social scientist, dated the book to the period immediately after the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita (600 BCE according to Mukerjee; commonly dated to ca. 2nd century BCE), at c. 500–400 BCE.[3] J. L. Brockington, emeritus professor of Sanskrit at the University of Edinburgh, places the Ashtavakra Gita much later, supposing it to have been written either in the eighth century CE by a follower of Adi Shankara, or in the fourteenth century during a resurgence of Shankara's teaching.[4][5] Sri Swami Shantananda Puri suggests that since the book contains the seed of the theory of non-creation Ajata Vada developed later by Gaudapada in Mandookya Karika, this book comes from a period prior to that of Gaudapada (6th century CE) and hence prior to Shankara.[6]
Identification of Ashtavakraedit
Ashtavakra is probably identical to the holy sage with the same name who appears in Mahabharata, though the connection is not clearly stated in any of the texts.[7] Mukherjee identifies Janaka as the father of Sita and disciple of the sage Yajnavalkya in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.[7][note 1] Janaka is also depicted as a king who has attained perfection in vedas.
Contentsedit
Overviewedit
Ashtavakra Gita is a dialogue between Ashtavakra and Janaka on the nature of Self/Atman, reality and bondage.[9] It offers a radical version of non-dualist philosophy. The Gita insists on the complete unreality of the external world and absolute oneness of existence. It does not mention any morality or duties, and therefore is seen by commentators as 'godless'. It also dismisses names and forms as unreal and a sign of ignorance.[10]
In a conversation between Janaka and Ashtavakra, pertaining to the deformity of his crooked body, Ashtavakra explains that the size of a temple is not affected by how it is shaped, and the shape of his own body does not affect himself (or Atman). The ignorant man's vision is shrouded by names and forms, but a wise man sees only the Self:[11][12]
You are really unbound and action-less, self-illuminating and spotless already. The cause of your bondage is that you are still resorting to stilling the mind. (I.15)
You are unconditioned and changeless, formless and immovable, unfathomable awareness, imperturbable- such consciousness is un-clinging. (I.17)
You are not bound by anything. What does a pure person like you need to renounce? Putting the complex organism to rest, you can go to your rest. (V.1) [13]
Ashtavakra Gita continues to inspire people. The first musical form of Ashtavakra Gita Saksi I (Chapter 1) was set in the raga Svadhya by Composer Rajan.[16]
Translations and commentariesedit
Lala Baij Nath(1907) opened the discourse of this Gita into the English language.[17]
^Byrom, Thomas (1990). The Heart of Awareness: A Translation of the Ashtavakra Gita. Shambhala Publications. Page xxiii.
^Brockington, J. L. (1990). Foreword to The Heart of Awareness: A Translation of the Ashtavakra Gita, trans. Thomas Byrom. Shambhala Publications. Page xi.
^Puri, Sri Swami Shantananda (2001). The Quantum Leap into the Absolute (Essence of ASHTAVAKRA GITA)(PDF). Bangalore: Parvathamma C.P. Subbaraju Setty Charitable Trust.
^Manuel Schoch (1 July 2007). Bitten by the Black Snake: The Ancient Wisdom of Ashtavakra. Sentient Publications. ISBN 978-1-59181-060-5. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
^Ruth Vanita (2005). Gandhi's Tiger and Sita's Smile: Essays on Gender, Sexuality, and Culture. Yoda Press. pp. 239–. ISBN 978-81-902272-5-4. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
^Vanita, Ruth (12 September 2010). "Full of God: Ashtavakra and Ideas of Justice in Hindu Texts". Religions of South Asia. 3 (2): 167–181. doi:10.1558/rosa.v3i2.167.
^Astavakra Gita Archived 2006-06-12 at the Wayback Machine, translation by John Richards. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
^"திருவாரூர் இளைஞரின் சர்வதேச சாதனை: புகழ்பெற்ற சங்கத் தமிழ்ப் பாடல்களுக்கு சிம்பொனி இசை!". 4 February 2020.
^Baij Nath (Lala.) (1907). The Ashtavakra Gita: being a dialogue between King Janaka and Rishi Ashtavakra on Vedanta. Office of the Vaishya Hitkari.
^Aṣṭāvakra saṁhitā : text with word-for-word translation, English rendering, comments and index. Swami Nityaswarupananda. Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama. 1996. ISBN 81-85301-13-1. OCLC 43272368.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link).
^Radhakamal Mukerjee (1971). The song of the self supreme (Aṣṭāvakragītā): the classical text of Ātmādvaita by Aṣṭāvakra. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. ISBN 978-81-208-1367-0. Source: [1] (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, ISSN 0031-8213, pp. 42-71.
Mukerjee, Radhakaml (1971), Aṣṭāvakragītā (the Song of the Self Supreme): The Classical Text of Ātmādvaita by Aṣṭāvakra, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-1367-0
External linksedit
Original textedit
Sanskrit Wikisource has original text related to this article: अष्टावक्रगीता
In original Sanskrit as PDF
In original Sanskrit
In Devanagari
In Romanized Sanskrit
Ashtavakra Gita in Devanagari with English translation side by side
Translationsedit
Works related to Ashtavakra Gita at Wikisource
Quotations related to Ashtavakra Gita at Wikiquote
Poetic translation of Ashtavakra Gita in Hindi by Dr Mridul Kirti
The Heart of Awareness, poetic translation by Thomas Byrom, pdf
s:Ashtavakra Gita Translation at Wikisource by John Richards
Ashtavakra Gita, translation by John Richards
John Richards translation
First in a series of 41 Discourses on Ashtavakra Gita, available for free downloading
Astavakra Samhita, translation by Swami Nityaswarupananda
Swami Nityaswarupananda (1940): AshTavakra Geeta, Sanskrit text with word-for-word translation, English rendering and comments Archived 2013-10-11 at the Wayback Machine
Asthavakra Gita - Awareness is Everything. Translation and commentary by Mansoor (2010). ISBN 978-1-4467-1442-3