Ashtavakra Gita 2.7Chapter 2, Verse 7
Ashtavakra Gita 2.7 is a verse from chapter 2 (Janaka's wonder). King Janaka speaks it to his teacher, the sage Ashtavakra. In plain English it says: "When the Self is not known, the world appears. When the Self is known, it does not. When the rope is not known, a snake appears. When it is known, the snake is gone."
आत्मज्ञानाज्जगद् भाति आत्मज्ञानान्न भासते ।रज्ज्वज्ञानादहिर्भाति तज्ज्ञानाद् भासते न हि ॥
ātmajñānājjagad bhāti ātmajñānānna bhāsate |rajjvajñānādahirbhāti tajjñānād bhāsate na hi ||
When the Self is not known, the world appears. When the Self is known, it does not. When the rope is not known, a snake appears. When it is known, the snake is gone.
King Janaka, to Ashtavakra
Word meanings and a note for this verse are still being written. Read it in context on the chapter 2 page, or start with the verses in where to begin.
Chapter 2, Janaka's wonder: Janaka finds himself as awareness and bows to it in astonishment, testing the new view against the world, the body and the crowd.
Read all 25 verses in this chapter →Seven mornings of short readings from the Bhagavad Gita, chosen for what you're going through, by email.
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