Astavakra Samhita
This book, along with my copy of the Bhagavad Gita, is one from which I read every day. The author, Swami Nityaswarupananda, provides valuable insight for nearly every verse, making the concepts more understandable and accessible to a Western reader. If you purchase this book, I highly recommend reading it in conjunction with watching Swami Sarvapriyananda's talks about the Astavakra Samhita on YouTube. I believe he uses the same translation.
It's so good to be able to easily replace our copies of this wonderful text. Ours were brought back from India by my husband in the 1980s, and lost when our house burned down. How lovely to not have to go back to India to find this book, which has become a core part of our spiritual path! Thanks to Vedanta Press for making it available in the US. Blessings to you all!
The Astavakra Sahmita is a subtle text, and it's important to use a translation made by someone who has a deep understanding of what's being said. Swami Nityaswarupananda's text seems much better in that respect than another translation I've read.
I'm not qualified to explain this book to anyone else, and no one should take my comments too seriously. But in the text Astavakra and Janaka are having a conversation, in which Janaka appears to be saying the right things, while Astavakra makes subtle and precise corrections to help center Janaka in the truth. I think it's easy to lose some of this nuance with a lesser translation, but the meaning seems to be here in Swami Nityaswarupananda's text.
Vedanta.com is a great site for those of us who speak English and live in America, because they make the best translations of the most important books available to us. And when Swami Sarvapriyananda holds up a book during a YouTube lecture, and says, this is a good translation to use, it's almost always available for purchase here.
So this is a good translation of a very important book, and a good place to buy books. It's hard to go wrong.
Chapter 18 and especially Chapter 15 contain explicit, easily understandable summaries of Advaita Vedanta.
Swami Sarvapriyananda of the New York Vedanta Society has highly recommended this book. He says reading it is like meditation. I have found it very beneficial. Each verse is written in Sanskrit, then a word-by-word translation into English, then a complete English translation, then commentary or explanation. Upon reading this volume the student is cautioned not to abandon her or his spiritual practices.
This is my second purchase. Had gifted the earlier one and then felt I missed reading it. The simple way to project the vast energy is highly commendable.
Reading the Astavakra Samhita table of contents alone, shows the value, uniqueness, and completeness of THIS .. perhaps the MOST DIRECT and simple summary of spirituality, oneness and liberation!! EASILY, this treatise becomes a favorite .. for self and as gifts to others!
Perfect companions are Avaduta Gita -- the holy book of the Sadhu (monk) People; and the Katha Upanisad for its own playful all encompassing views.
Excellent books. Bought two. HIGHLY recommend for devotees.
Nice place to do business with. I'll be back.
LOVE Swami Prabhavananda and Swami Satyamayananda
Watch, Listen and Be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbH1chO7D-g
