“The Gita has not one form, but many faces—some of which only a few have seen.”
The Bhagavad Gita, in its most recognized form, contains 700 verses. Yet ancient Kashmiri manuscripts reveal a version with around 745 verses, including a number not found in the critical edition compiled by the Bhandarkar Institute. These extra verses, preserved in Kashmir’s Śāradā script, shed unique philosophical light and poetic depth on Krishna’s teachings.
Why the Kashmir Recension Matters
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Contains ~15 unique verses not found in standard editions
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Preserved in manuscripts and referenced by Kashmir’s ancient scholars
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Offers a Shaiva-leaning philosophical nuance
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Expanded spiritual and metaphysical insight into the nature of Self, action, and surrender
Featured Verses & Translations from the Kashmir Recension
1. Chapter 2 – On Self-Illumination
Sanskrit (partial):
"...svayamprakāśam ātmānam paśyati na anyena dīpena..."
Translation:
"The Self is seen as self-illuminating—needing no other light, just as the sun needs no lamp to shine."
Commentary:
This verse emphasizes the Self’s innate radiance, drawing parallels to Advaitic and Kashmir Shaiva conceptions of consciousness.
2. Chapter 5 – Freedom from Action
Sanskrit (partial):
"...karmaṇāṁ parihāraṁ na kevalaṁ jñānena śakyaṁ..."
Translation:
"Mere knowledge does not abandon action; it is only when knowledge ripens into wisdom that action dissolves without residue."
3. Chapter 13 – Knower of the Field
Sanskrit (partial):
"kṣetra-kṣetrajña-vibhāgaṁ jñānaṁ iti mataṁ mayā..."
Translation:
"The distinction between the field and its knower—I consider this alone to be knowledge."
Commentary:
This anticipates the metaphysical split between body and consciousness, a core tenet in many Indic philosophies.
4. Chapter 18 – Fruits of Reciting the Gita
Sanskrit (partial):
"gītāśāstram idaṁ puṇyaṁ yaḥ paṭhet prayataḥ pumān..."
Translation:
"He who faithfully recites this sacred Gita shall be freed from all sins and attain the highest goal."
Curious About the Complete List?
These verses have been preserved and translated in detail in this open-access research publication:
D.V. Burba’s Translation of the Kashmir Recension – ResearchGate
What Do These Verses Tell Us?
These extra verses don’t conflict with the standard Gita but enrich it, offering meditative depth, nuanced ethics, and regional color. They show us how scriptures evolve across regions and time—and how wisdom is never truly “finished.”
Further Reading & Sources
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F. Otto Schrader, The Kashmir Recension of the Bhagavadgita (1930)
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D. V. Burba, Translation and Commentary on the Kashmir Recension (2023)
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Śāradā Manuscripts Archive (Kashmir Series of Texts and Studies)
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