G Betvgn THE AVADHUTA GITA OF DATTATREYA TRANSLATED WITH AN EXHAUSTIVE INTRODUCTION BY . KANNOO MAL, M.A., ~ author of The Seorets of the Upanishads, Lotd Krishna’s Message, The Master Poets of India, Gita-Darshan, etc. FOREWORD BY K. 8. RAMASWAMI SASTRY, B.A., B.L. S. R. MURTHY & CO., TRIPLICANE, MADRAS S. E.DEDICATED IN ALL HUMILITY OF SPIRIT, TO ALL SEEKERS AFTER TRUTH, TO ALL WHO LONG FOR WISDOM DIVINE, TO ALL WHO ASPIRE TO THE ATTAINMENT OF THE FINAL GOAL OF ETERNAL BLISS, T0 ALL WHO WOULD ACHIEVE SPIRITUAL VICTORY AND ESCAPE THE EVER-REVOLVING INEXORABLE WHEEL OF BIRTH AND DEATH, £0 AL WHO WOULD NO LONGER BU: DECEIVED BY THE GLITTERING, UNSUBSTANTIAL AND HQLLOW PLEASURES OF THIS MATERIAL WORLD, AND NEVER REST CON- TENTED TILL THEY HAVE REACHED THE REALM OF PERENNIAL BLISS, ‘EVER-LASTING LIFE AND NEVER-ENDING roRy. Author.CONTENTS Pace FOREWORDS ey wee ix & xv INTRODUCTION ; I. Preliminary :— . we mm (1 ‘The meaning of the Avadhita-Gtté—characteristics of the Avadhita—nature of his utterance—for whom his me8sage is meant—Avadhita.Giti, a rapturous rhap- sody flowing out from the fullness of the ecstasy of the author's heart—its sublimity of thought and excellence of language—its merits‘Asha piece of Sanskrit composi- tion—the number of Chapters and the Slokas contained in the book, IL. General Teaching :— we we OB Preliminary moral discipline as inculcated in elemen- tary Vedantic works—mental and moral preparation as recommended by the author of the Avadhite-Glii—The divine Wisdom sought after the three broad conclusions artived at in the book—First conclusion regarding the world as confirmed by the consensus of the views of all great philosophers, prophets, poets and writers of the world—portions of the Avadhiita-Gita quoted to illus trate this conclusion—Second conclusion regarding the Atm4—unsuitability of English words to translate the word ‘ Atma ’—history of the development of the concep- tion of Atmi—Sikshama Sharir desoribed—description v