Shrimad Bhagavad Gita
Chapter 8 - The Yoga Of the Imperishable Brahman
1. Arjuna Uvaacha:
Kim tadbrahma kim adhyaatmam kim karma purushottama;
Adhibhootam cha kim proktam adhidaivam kimuchyate.
Arjuna said:
What is that Brahman? What is Adhyatma? What is action, O best among men? What isdeclared to be Adhibhuta? And what is Adhidaiva said to be?
2. Adhiyajnah katham ko’tra dehe’smin madhusoodana;
Prayaanakaale cha katham jneyo’si niyataatmabhih.
Who and how is Adhiyajna here in this body, O destroyer of Madhu (Krishna)? And how,at the time of death, art Thou to be known by the self-controlled one?COMMENTARY: In the last two verses of the seventh discourse, Lord Krishna usescertain philosophical terms. Arjuna does not understand their meaning. So he proceeds to questionthe Lord.
3. Sri Bhagavaan Uvaacha:
Aksharam brahma paramam swabhaavo’dhyaatmamuchyate;
Bhootabhaavodbhavakaro visargah karmasamjnitah.
The Blessed Lord said:
Brahman is the Imperishable, the Supreme;
His essential nature is called Self-knowledge;
the offering (to the gods) which causes existence and manifestation of beings and which alsosustains them is called action.
4. Adhibhootam ksharo bhaavah purushashchaadhidaivatam;
Adhiyajno’hamevaatra dehe dehabhritaam vara.
Adhibhuta (knowledge of the elements) pertains to My perishable Nature, and thePurusha or soul is the Adhidaiva;
I alone am the Adhiyajna here in this body, O best among theembodied (men)!
5. Antakaale cha maameva smaran muktwaa kalevaram;
Yah prayaati sa madbhaavam yaati naastyatra samshayah.
And whosoever, leaving the body, goes forth remembering Me alone at the time of death,he attains My Being; there is no doubt about this.
6. Yam yam vaapi smaran bhaavam tyajatyante kalevaram;
Tam tamevaiti kaunteya sadaa tadbhaavabhaavitah.
Whosoever at the end leaves the body, thinking of any being, to that being only does hego, O son of Kunti (Arjuna), because of his constant thought of that being!COMMENTARY: The most prominent thought of one’s life occupies the mind at the timeof death. It determines the nature of the body to be attained in the next birth.
7. Tasmaat sarveshu kaaleshu maamanusmara yudhya cha;
Mayyarpitamanobuddhir maamevaishyasyasamshayam.
Therefore, at all times remember Me only and fight. With mind and intellect fixed (orabsorbed) in Me, thou shalt doubtless come to Me alone.
8. Abhyaasayogayuktena chetasaa naanyagaaminaa;
Paramam purusham divyam yaati paarthaanuchintayan.
With the mind not moving towards any other thing, made steadfast by the method ofhabitual meditation, and constantly meditating, one goes to the Supreme Person, the Resplendent,O Arjuna!
9. Kavim puraanamanushaasitaaramAnoraneeyaamsam anusmaredyah;
Sarvasya dhaataaram achintyaroopamAadityavarnam tamasah parastaat.
Whosoever meditates on the Omniscient, the Ancient, the ruler (of the whole world),minuter than an atom, the supporter of all, of inconceivable form, effulgent like the sun and beyondthe darkness of ignorance,
10. Prayaanakaale manasaachalenaBhaktyaa yukto yogabalena chaiva;
Bhruvormadhye praanamaaveshya samyakSa tam param purusham upaiti divyam.
At the time of death, with unshaken mind, endowed with devotion and by the power ofYoga, fixing the whole life-breath in the middle of the two eyebrows, he reaches that resplendentSupreme Person.
11. Yadaksharam vedavido vadantiVishanti yadyatayo veetaraagaah;
Yadicchanto brahmacharyam charantiTatte padam samgrahena pravakshye.
That which is declared imperishable by those who know the Vedas, that which theself-controlled (ascetics) and passion-free enter, that desiring which celibacy is practised—thatgoal I will declare to thee in brief.
12. Sarvadwaaraani samyamya mano hridi nirudhya cha;
Moordhnyaadhaayaatmanah praanamaasthito yogadhaaranaam.
Having closed all the gates, confined the mind in the heart and fixed the life-breath in thehead, engaged in the practice of concentration,
13. Omityekaaksharam brahma vyaaharan maamanusmaran;
Yah prayaati tyajan deham sa yaati paramaam gatim.
Uttering the monosyllable Om—the Brahman—remembering Me always, he whodeparts thus, leaving the body, attains to the supreme goal.
14. Ananyachetaah satatam yo maam smarati nityashah;
Tasyaaham sulabhah paartha nityayuktasya yoginah.
I am easily attainable by that ever-steadfast Yogi who constantly and daily remembersMe (for a long time), not thinking of anything else (with a single or one-pointed mind), O Partha(Arjuna)!COMMENTARY: Constantly remembering the Lord throughout one’s life is the easiestway of attaining Him.
15. Maamupetya punarjanma duhkhaalayamashaashwatam;
Naapnuvanti mahaatmaanah samsiddhim paramaam gataah.
Having attained Me these great souls do not again take birth (here), which is the place ofpain and is non-eternal;
they have reached the highest perfection (liberation).
16. Aabrahmabhuvanaallokaah punaraavartino’rjuna;
Maamupetya tu kaunteya punarjanma na vidyate.
(All) the worlds, including the world of Brahma, are subject to return again, O Arjuna!But he who reaches Me, O son of Kunti, has no rebirth!
17. Sahasrayugaparyantam aharyad brahmano viduh;
Raatrim yugasahasraantaam te’horaatravido janaah.
Those who know the day of Brahma, which is of a duration of a thousand Yugas (ages),and the night, which is also of a thousand Yugas’ duration, they know day and night.
18. Avyaktaadvyaktayah sarvaah prabhavantyaharaagame;
Raatryaagame praleeyante tatraivaavyaktasamjnake.
From the unmanifested all the manifested (worlds) proceed at the coming of the “day”;
at the coming of the “night” they dissolve verily into that alone which is called the unmanifested.COMMENTARY: Coming of the “day’ is the commencement of creation. Coming of the“night” is the commencement of dissolution.
19. Bhootagraamah sa evaayam bhootwaa bhootwaa praleeyate;
Raatryaagame’vashah paartha prabhavatyaharaagame.
This same multitude of beings, born again and again, is dissolved, helplessly, O Arjuna,(into the unmanifested) at the coming of the night, and comes forth at the coming of the day!
20. Parastasmaat tu bhaavo’nyo’vyakto’vyaktaatsanaatanah;
Yah sa sarveshu bhooteshu nashyatsu na vinashyati.
But verily there exists, higher than the unmanifested, another unmanifested Eternal whois not destroyed when all beings are destroyed.COMMENTARY: Another unmanifested Eternal refers to Para Brahman, which isdistinct from the unmanifested (primordial Nature), and which is of quite a different nature. It issuperior to Hiranyagarbha (the creative Intelligence) and the unmanifested Nature because It istheir cause. It is not destroyed when all beings from Brahma down to a blade of grass are destroyed.
21. Avyakto’kshara ityuktastamaahuh paramaam gatim;
Yam praapya na nivartante taddhaama paramam mama.
What is called the Unmanifested and the Imperishable, That they say is the highest goal(path). They who reach It do not return (to this cycle of births and deaths). That is My highest abode(place or state).
22. Purushah sa parah paartha bhaktyaa labhyastwananyayaa;
Yasyaantahsthaani bhootaani yena sarvamidam tatam.
That highest Purusha, O Arjuna, is attainable by unswerving devotion to Him alonewithin whom all beings dwell and by whom all this is pervaded.
23. Yatra kaale twanaavrittim aavrittim chaiva yoginah;
Prayaataa yaanti tam kaalam vakshyaami bharatarshabha.
Now I will tell thee, O chief of the Bharatas, the times departing at which the Yogis willreturn or not return!
24. Agnijyotirahah shuklah shanmaasaa uttaraayanam;
Tatra prayaataa gacchanti brahma brahmavido janaah.
Fire, light, daytime, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern path of the sun(northern solstice)—departing then (by these), men who know Brahman go to Brahman.
25. Dhoomo raatristathaa krishnah shanmaasaa dakshinaayanam;
Tatra chaandramasam jyotir yogee praapya nivartate.
Attaining to the lunar light by smoke, night-time, the dark fortnight or the six months ofthe southern path of the sun (the southern solstice), the Yogi returns.
26. Shuklakrishne gatee hyete jagatah shaashwate mate;
Ekayaa yaatyanaavrittim anyayaa’vartate punah.
The bright and the dark paths of the world are verily thought to be eternal;
by the one(the bright path) a person goes not to return again, and by the other (the dark path) he returns.COMMENTARY: The bright path is the path to the gods taken by devotees. The dark pathis of the manes taken by those who perform sacrifices or charitable acts with the expectation ofrewards.
27. Naite sritee paartha jaanan yogee muhyati kashchana;
Tasmaat sarveshu kaaleshu yogayukto bhavaarjuna.
Knowing these paths, O Arjuna, no Yogi is deluded! Therefore, at all times be steadfastin Yoga.
28. Vedeshu yajneshu tapahsu chaivaDaaneshu yat punyaphalam pradishtam:Atyeti tatsarvam idam viditwaaYogee param sthaanamupaiti chaadyam.
Whatever fruits or merits is declared (in the scriptures) to accrue from (the study of) theVedas, (the performance of) sacrifices, (the practice of) austerities, and (the offering of)gifts—beyond all these goes the Yogi, having known this;
and he attains to the supreme primeval(first or ancient) Abode.
Hari Om Tat SatIti Srimad Bhagavadgeetaasoopanishatsu BrahmavidyaayaamYogashaastre Sri KrishnaarjunasamvaadeAksharabrahmayogo Naama Ashtamo’dhyaayah
Thus in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, the science of the Eternal, thescripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the eighth discourse entitled:“The Yoga Of the Imperishable Brahman”
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