![]() I am therefore attempting to share a translation to the best of my ability with you (using my trusty Sanskrit-English dictionary as an aid of course!). I have not been able to find a decent translation of the Ashtakshara mahatmyam anywhere online to share with you. Nonetheless, I now feel I am able to enjoy reading some of our scriptures in the original and also begin to grasp the meaning better. I have been studying Sanskrit for about a year and a half and have a decent basic grasp of the language (though there is still plenty to learn and therefore I am still very much continuing my studies). This mantra, he says, grants the four great goals of life, namely- dharma (goodness the basis of the other three goals), artha (material wealth), kama (pleasures/enjoyment in life) and the greatest goal of all, moksha (liberation from all suffering realisation of one's true immortal nature). He tells Shuka that one who recites this mantra gets everything there is to get- both material and spiritual. ![]() ![]() Vyasa responds by telling him about the Ashtakshara mantra. The Mahatmyam begins with Shuka asking his father, Vyasa, to tell him about a mantra that will relieve people of all suffering and grant them the highest bliss. These syllables are discussed below as part of the the translation of the Mahatmyam.) So ashta+akshara= ashtakshara means 'eight syllables' i.e. Actually 'akshara' literally means 'imperishable' or 'undecaying' or 'eternal'. (Note: For those unfamiliar with Sanskrit, 'ashta' means eight, and 'akshara' means syllable. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |