Ashtavakra Gita – With Word-by-Word Meaning
The Ashtavakra Gita is an ancient Sanskrit scripture that presents a powerful conversation between the sage Ashtavakra and King Janaka on the nature of the Self, liberation, and ultimate truth. Unlike many other spiritual texts, it is remarkable for its stark simplicity, directness, and emphasis on self-realization through wisdom rather than ritual or action. The dialogue is rooted in the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta, which teaches the oneness of existence and the non-duality of the individual soul (Atman) and the ultimate reality (Brahman).
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Chapter 1
जनक उवाच ॥
कथं ज्ञानमवाप्नोति कथं मुक्तिर्भविष्यति ।
वैराग्यं च कथं प्राप्तमेतद् ब्रूहि मम प्रभो ॥ १-१॥
janaka uvāca ..
kathaṃ jñānamavāpnoti kathaṃ muktirbhaviṣyati .
vairāgyaṃ ca kathaṃ prāptametad brūhi mama prabho .. 1-1..
jñānam: knowledge
avāpnoti: is attained
kathaṃ: how
muktiḥ: liberation
bhaviṣyati: will happen
vairāgyam: dispassion
ca: and
kathaṃ: how
prāptam: is attained
etat: this
brūhi: tell
mama: me
prabho: O Lord
All Verses on a page – With Audio
Ashtavakra Gita – All verses with Audio
Verse by Verse – With Word Meaning
Chapter 1
AG-1-1-atha
AG-1-2-aṣṭāvakra uvāca
AG-1-3-na pṛthvī
AG-1-4-yadi dehaṃ
AG-1-5-na tvaṃ
AG-1-6-dharmādharmau
AG-1-7-eko draṣṭāsi
AG-1-8-ahaṃ
AG-1-9-eko
AG-1-10-yatra viśvamidaṃ
AG-1-11-muktābhimānī mukto
AG-1-12-ātmā sākṣī
AG-1-13-kūṭasthaṃ
AG-1-14-dehābhimānapāśe
AG-1-15-niḥsaṅgo
AG-1-16-tvayā vyāptamidaṃ
AG-1-17-nirapekṣo nirvikāro
AG-1-18-sākāramanṛtaṃ
AG-1-19-yathaivādarśama
AG-1-20-ekaṃ sarvagataṃ
Chapter 2
AG-2-1-janaka uvāca
AG-2-2-yathā
AG-2-3-sa śarīramaho
AG-2-4-yathā na
AG-2-5-tantumātro bhaved
AG-2-6-yathaivekṣurase
AG-2-7-ātmājñānājjagad
AG-2-8-prakāśo me
AG-2-9-aho vikalpitaṃ
AG-2-10-matto vinirgataṃ
AG-2-11-aho ahaṃ
AG-2-12-aho ahaṃ
AG-2-13-aho ahaṃ
AG-2-14-aho ahaṃ
AG-2-15-jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ
AG-2-16-dvaitamūlamaho
AG-2-17-bodhamātro’hama
AG-2-18-na me
AG-2-19-saśarīramidaṃ
AG-2-20-śarīraṃ
AG-2-21-aho janasamūhe’pi
AG-2-22-nāhaṃ deho
AG-2-23-aho
AG-2-24-mayyanantamahām
AG-2-25-mayyanantamahām
Chapter 3
AG-3-1-aṣṭāvakra uvāca
AG-3-2-ātmājñānādaho
AG-3-3-viśvaṃ sphurati
AG-3-4-śrutvāpi
AG-3-5-sarvabhūteṣu
AG-3-6-āsthitaḥ
AG-3-7-udbhūtaṃ
AG-3-8-ihāmutra viraktasya
AG-3-9-dhīrastu
AG-3-10-ceṣṭamānaṃ śarīraṃ
AG-3-11-māyāmātramidaṃ
AG-3-12-niḥspṛhaṃ mānasaṃ
AG-3-13-svabhāvād eva
AG-3-14-antastyaktakaṣā
Chapter 4
AG-4-1-janaka uvāca
AG-4-2-yat padaṃ
AG-4-3-tajjñasya
AG-4-4-ātmaivedaṃ
AG-4-5-ābrahmastambapa
AG-4-6-ātmānamadvayaṃ
Chapter 5
AG-5-1-aṣṭāvakra uvāca
AG-5-2-udeti bhavato
AG-5-3-pratyakṣamapyav
AG-5-4-samaduḥkhasukha
Chapter 6
AG-6-1-janaka uvāca
AG-6-2-mahodadhirivāha
AG-6-3-ahaṃ sa
AG-6-4-ahaṃ vā
Chapter 7
AG-7-1-janaka uvāca
AG-7-2-mayyanantamahām
AG-7-3-mayyanantamahām
AG-7-4-nātmā bhāveṣu
AG-7-5-aho
Chapter 8
AG-8-1-aṣṭāvakra uvāca
AG-8-2-tadā muktiryadā
AG-8-3-tadā bandho
AG-8-4-yadā nāhaṃ
Chapter 9
AG-9-1-aṣṭāvakra uvāca
AG-9-2-kasyāpi tāta
AG-9-3-anityaṃ
AG-9-4-ko’sau kālo
AG-9-5-nānā mataṃ
AG-9-6-kṛtvā
AG-9-7-paśya
AG-9-8-vāsanā eva
Chapter 10
AG-10-1-aṣṭāvakra uvāca
AG-10-2-svapnendrajālav
AG-10-3-yatra yatra
AG-10-4-tṛṣṇāmātrātmako
AG-10-5-tvamekaścetanaḥ
AG-10-6-rājyaṃ sutāḥ
AG-10-7-alamarthena kāmena
AG-10-8-kṛtaṃ na
Chapter 11
AG-11-1-aṣṭāvakra uvāca
AG-11-2-īśvaraḥ
AG-11-3-āpadaḥ sampadaḥ
AG-11-4-sukhaduḥkhe
AG-11-5-cintayā jāyate
AG-11-6-nāhaṃ deho
AG-11-7-ābrahmastambapa
AG-11-8-nānāścaryamidaṃ
Chapter 12
AG-12-1-janaka uvāca
AG-12-2-prītyabhāvena
AG-12-3-samādhyāsādivik
AG-12-4-heyopādeyavirah
AG-12-5-āśramānāśramaṃ
AG-12-6-karmānuṣṭhānama
AG-12-7-acintyaṃ
AG-12-8-evameva kṛtaṃ
Chapter 13
AG-13-1-janaka uvāca
AG-13-2-kutrāpi khedaḥ
AG-13-3-kṛtaṃ kimapi
AG-13-4-karmanaiṣkarmya
AG-13-5-arthānarthau na
AG-13-6-svapato nāsti
AG-13-7-sukhādirūpā niyamaṃ
Chapter 14
AG-14-1-janaka uvāca
AG-14-2-kva dhanāni
AG-14-3-vijñāte sākṣipuruṣe
AG-14-4-antarvikalpaśūn
Chapter 15
AG-15-1-aṣṭāvakra uvāca
AG-15-2-mokṣo
AG-15-3-vāgmiprājñāmaho
AG-15-4-na tvaṃ
AG-15-5-rāgadveṣau
AG-15-6-sarvabhūteṣu
AG-15-7-viśvaṃ sphurati
AG-15-8-śraddhasva tāta
AG-15-9-guṇaiḥ saṃveṣṭito
AG-15-10-dehastiṣṭhatu
AG-15-11-tvayyanantamahā
AG-15-12-tāta
AG-15-13-ekasminnavyaye
AG-15-14-yattvaṃ paśyasi
AG-15-15-ayaṃ so’hamayaṃ
AG-15-16-tavaivājñānato
AG-15-17-bhrāntimātramid
AG-15-18-eka eva
AG-15-19-mā
AG-15-20-tyajaiva dhyānaṃ
Chapter 16
AG-16-1-aṣṭāvakra uvāca
AG-16-2-bhogaṃ karma
AG-16-3-āyāsātsakalo duḥkhī
AG-16-4-vyāpāre khidyate
AG-16-5-idaṃ kṛtamidaṃ
AG-16-6-virakto
AG-16-7-heyopādeyatā
AG-16-8-pravṛttau jāyate
AG-16-9-hātumicchati
AG-16-10-yasyābhimāno
AG-16-11-haro yadyupadeṣṭā
Chapter 17
AG-17-1-aṣṭāvakra uvāca
AG-17-2-na
AG-17-3-na jātu
AG-17-4-yastu bhogeṣu
AG-17-5-bubhukṣuriha
AG-17-6-dharmārthakāmam
AG-17-7-vāñchā na
AG-17-8-kṛtārtho’nena
AG-17-9-śūnyā dṛṣṭirvṛthā
AG-17-10-na jāgarti
AG-17-11-sarvatra dṛśyate
AG-17-12-paśyan śṛṇvan
AG-17-13-na nindati
AG-17-14-sānurāgāṃ striyaṃ
AG-17-15-sukhe duḥkhe
AG-17-16-na hiṃsā
AG-17-17-na mukto
AG-17-18-samādhānāsamādh
AG-17-19-nirmamo nirahaṅkāro
AG-17-20-manaḥprakāśasaṃ
Chapter 18
AG-18-1-aṣṭāvakra uvāca
AG-18-2-arjayitvākhilān
AG-18-3-kartavyaduḥkham
AG-18-4-bhavo’yaṃ
AG-18-5-na dūraṃ
AG-18-6-vyāmohamātravir
AG-18-7-samastaṃ
AG-18-8-ātmā brahmeti
AG-18-9-ayaṃ so’hamayaṃ
AG-18-10-na vikṣepo
AG-18-11-svārājye
AG-18-12-kva dharmaḥ
AG-18-13-kṛtyaṃ kimapi
AG-18-14-kva mohaḥ
AG-18-15-yena viśvamidaṃ
AG-18-16-yena dṛṣṭaṃ
AG-18-17-dṛṣṭo
AG-18-18-dhīro
AG-18-19-bhāvābhāvavihīn
AG-18-20-pravṛttau vā
AG-18-21-nirvāsano
AG-18-22-asaṃsārasya tu
AG-18-23-kutrāpi na
AG-18-24-prakṛtyā
AG-18-25-kṛtaṃ dehena
AG-18-26-atadvādīva kurute
AG-18-27-nānāvicārasuśrā
AG-18-28-asamādheravikṣe
AG-18-29-yasyāntaḥ
AG-18-30-nodvignaṃ na
AG-18-31-nirdhyātuṃ ceṣṭituṃ
AG-18-32-tattvaṃ
AG-18-33-ekāgratā nirodho
AG-18-34-aprayatnāt
AG-18-35-śuddhaṃ buddhaṃ
AG-18-36-nāpnoti karmaṇā
AG-18-37-mūḍho nāpnoti
AG-18-38-nirādhārā
AG-18-39-na śāntiṃ
AG-18-40-kvātmano darśanaṃ
AG-18-41-kva nirodho
AG-18-42-bhāvasya bhāvakaḥ
AG-18-43-śuddhamadvayamā
AG-18-44-mumukṣorbuddhir
AG-18-45-viṣayadvīpino
AG-18-46-nirvāsanaṃ hariṃ
AG-18-47-na muktikārikāṃ
AG-18-48-vastuśravaṇamāt
AG-18-49-yadā yatkartumāyāti
AG-18-50-svātantryātsukh
AG-18-51-akartṛtvamabhok
AG-18-52-ucchṛṅkhalāpyak
AG-18-53-vilasanti
AG-18-54-śrotriyaṃ devatāṃ
AG-18-55-bhṛtyaiḥ putraiḥ
AG-18-56-santuṣṭo’pi na
AG-18-57-kartavyataiva
AG-18-58-akurvannapi
AG-18-59-sukhamāste sukhaṃ
AG-18-60-svabhāvādyasya
AG-18-61-nivṛttirapi
AG-18-62-parigraheṣu
AG-18-63-bhāvanābhāvanās
AG-18-64-sarvārambheṣu
AG-18-65-sa eva
AG-18-66-kva saṃsāraḥ
AG-18-67-sa
AG-18-68-bahunātra kimuktena
AG-18-69-mahadādi
AG-18-70-bhramabhūtamida
AG-18-71-śuddhasphuraṇar
AG-18-72-sphurato’nantar
AG-18-73-buddhiparyantas
AG-18-74-akṣayaṃ
AG-18-75-nirodhādīni karmāṇi
AG-18-76-mandaḥ śrutvāpi
AG-18-77-jñānād galitakarmā
AG-18-78-kva tamaḥ
AG-18-79-kva dhairyaṃ
AG-18-80-na svargo
AG-18-81-naiva prārthayate
AG-18-82-na śāntaṃ
AG-18-83-dhīro na
AG-18-84-niḥsnehaḥ
AG-18-85-tuṣṭiḥ sarvatra
AG-18-86-patatūdetu vā
AG-18-87-akiñcanaḥ kāmacāro
AG-18-88-nirmamaḥ śobhate
AG-18-89-sarvatrānavadhā
AG-18-90-jānannapi na
AG-18-91-bhikṣurvā
AG-18-92-kva svācchandyaṃ
AG-18-93-ātmaviśrāntitṛp
AG-18-94-supto’pi na
AG-18-95-jñaḥ sacinto’pi
AG-18-96-na sukhī
AG-18-97-vikṣepe’pi na
AG-18-98-mukto
AG-18-99-na prīyate
AG-18-100-na dhāvati
Chapter 19
AG-19-1-janaka uvāca
AG-19-2-kva dharmaḥ
AG-19-3-kva bhūtaṃ
AG-19-4-kva cātmā
AG-19-5-kva svapnaḥ
AG-19-6-kva dūraṃ
AG-19-7-kva mṛtyurjīvitaṃ
AG-19-8-alaṃ
Chapter 20
AG-20-1-janaka uvāca
AG-20-2-kva śāstraṃ
AG-20-3-kva vidyā
AG-20-4-kva prārabdhāni
AG-20-5-kva kartā
AG-20-6-kva lokaṃ
AG-20-7-kva sṛṣṭiḥ
AG-20-8-kva pramātā
AG-20-9-kva vikṣepaḥ
AG-20-10-kva caiṣa
AG-20-11-kva māyā
AG-20-12-kva
AG-20-13-kvopadeśaḥ kva
AG-20-14-kva cāsti
AG-20-15-iti aṣṭāvakragītā
Ashtavakra Gita with Meaning – 1-1 – AG-1-1-atha – In Sanskrit with English Transliteration, Translation and word by word Meaning – AG-1-1