AVADHUTA GITA

The Avadhuta gita is one of the 36 minor philosophical poems composed in imitation of the well-known Bhagavad gita. It is an independent treatise Advaita Vedanta and preaches an uncompromising non-dualism. Its authorship is attributed to Avadhuta Dattatreya. Hence it is also called Datta gita or Datta-gita-yogasastra. It is also titled, though rarely, Vedantasara.

This small treatise of 271 verses is divided into 28 chapters. The first chapter deals with the nature of the atman, which is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent; which has no birth, no death, no bondage and no liberation either. The second deals with the proofs for the same. Duality is born out of ignorance of the real nature of the one Divine. Incidentally, even the great Avadhuta has hinted at the need for a spiritual guide (2.23) in realizing the atman. The next two chapters deal with the inner nature of the atman in highly poetical tones. The fifth chapter advises a man to avoid all lamentations, as the atman is the same in all conditions. The sixth chapter negates all kinds of distinctions whether of caste or family, of senses or their objects, of the mind or the intellect or their activities because none of these exists when looked at from the standpoint of the atman. The seventh describes the state of the avadhuta. The eighth gives a definition of the word 'avadhuta' by interpreting each of the four syllables (a, va, dhu, ta) of that word.

FAQs

Q1. How many chapters are there in Avadhuta Gita?

The Avadhuta Gita is organized into eight chapters containing 289 Shlokas or verses in total. Some of the verses of the Avadhuta Gita are found in the Bhagavata Purana (Srimad Bhagavatam) wherein Dattatreya, the pastime incarnation or the Lila Avatar of Supreme Lord Krishna, describes the journey of self-realization or the science of the soul. It also talks about the nature of a self-realized or spiritually advanced person and how a person can achieve the highest perfection of life.

Q2. Who wrote Avadhuta Gita?

The Avadhuta Gita is believed to be written by the pastime incarnation of Supreme Lord Krishna who appeared as the sage named Dattatreya. It is also known as Dattatreya Gita, Avadhuta Granth, and Datta Gita Yoga Shastra. It deals with the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta. There are 289 Slokas or verses in this book that are structured in eight chapters that talk about the teachings of the sage Dattatreya on the science of self-realization.

Q3. What is the meaning of Avadhuta?

The Sanskrit word Avadhuta means a liberated or self-realized person or soul. A self-realized person knows the Absolute Truth, the three modes of material nature (Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas), how these three modes influence the conditioned soul, what the real identity of a person is, and what his real purpose is. He is also often known as a “Paramahamsa”, one who is free from the clutches of Maya. The Avadhuta Gita (the song of the liberated soul) illuminates the knowledge of the soul and how it can achieve liberation.