Adhi Sankara’s Gita Mahathmya

Adhi Sankara’s  Gita Mahathmya

By

Adhi Sankara

Translated by

P.R.Ramachander

(The Gita Mahathmya  which normally one reads   after reading Gita is from Varaha Purana. I also found this prayer in the web. It is not listed  in the  Complete works of Adhi Sankara. You can see another translation of this prayer in

http://www.jagannathavallabha.com/gita/html/gita_mahatmya.html .  The summary meaning of one more version , which gives Mahathmya chapter wise is given in

http://omshivam.wordpress.com/sreemad-bhagvad-gita/gita-mahatmya-the-glories-of-the-bhagavad-gita-from-the-padma-purana/

    )

1.Gita sasthram idham punyam  ,

Ya padeth prayatha  Pumaan,

Vishno  padam avapnothi

Bhaya  Sokadi  Vrajeth

That gentleman who reads with humility ,

The science of Gita which is blessed,

Would reach   the  feet of Lord Vishnu ,

And would be bereft of sorrow   and fear

2.Gita adhyayaa sheelasya,

Pranayama  paraasya cha ,

Naïve santhi   hi paapani ,

Poorva janma  kruthani cha.

He who makes reading of Gita a Habit,

And also   practices the Prnayama(breathing exercise)

Is not affected by sins, even those of previous births.

3.Mala nirmochanam pumsaam  ,

Jala snanan dhine dhine  ,

Sakud Gitam bhasi snanam,

SAmsara  mala nasanam.

People have to take bath,

In the water  day  after to remove dirt,

But by  taking  bath once  in the waters of Gita,

He can get rid   of the dirt accumulated  by the domestic life.

4.Gita, sugita  karthavya  ,

Kim anyai sastra vistaraihi,

Yaa swayam  Padmanabhasya ,

Mukha  padmad vinisrutha.

It is our duty to sing the Gita,

Which originated    from the mouth,

Of  Padmanabha lying on a lotus flower,

And there is no  need for any other Sastra in detail.

5.BHarath Amrutha   Sarvasvam,

Vishnor  vakthraad vinisrutham,

Gita Gangodhakam peethwaa,

Punar janma  na vidhyathe.

Gita which is the entire nectar of Mahabharatha ,

Is the one which  fell out    in the words of Lord Vishnu himself,

And so if yo drink Gita which is like the sacred  waters of Ganga,

You would not have   one more birth.

6.Sarvo upanishadho Gavo,

Dogdha  Gopala Nandana,

Partho  vatsah  Sudhir bhokthax,

Dugdham Gita amrutham mahad.

All the Upanishads are cows ,

The one who is to milk them is the boy Gopala,

Arjuna is the calf   and those who have pure intellects are consumers ,

And the milk  is the great   nectar of Bhagwad Gita.

7.Yekam sastram , Devaki puthra Gitam,

Yeko devaa Devaki puthra yeva,

Yeko mantra  thasya  namani yaani,

Karmapi yekam   thasya  devasya seva.

The only religious book is Gita by  the son of Devaki,

The only one   God is the son  of Devaki herself,

The only chant   is the  name of him , himself,

And the only job  is to service to that  God.