Chapter 8 · 28 verses

The Yoga of the Imperishable Absolute अक्षरब्रह्मयोग

The meaning of Brahman, the Self, action and related terms, and remembrance at the hour of death. Whoever remembers the Lord at the end reaches him, so one should remember him at all times while doing one's duty.

This English meaning is newly written by Bhajan Dhun and is still being reviewed by scholars.

1. 8.1

   अर्जुन उवाच

   किं तद्ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम ।
   अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते ॥८.१॥

   Arjuna said: O Supreme Person, what is Brahman? What is the inner Self? What is action? What is called the material plane, and what is called the divine plane?

2. 8.2

   अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन ।
   प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः ॥८.२॥

   O Madhusudana, who is the Lord of sacrifice here in this body, and how? And how are you to be known at the time of death by those who are self-controlled?

3. 8.3

   श्री भगवानुवाच

   अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते ।
   भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः ॥८.३॥

   The Lord said: The imperishable is the supreme Brahman; one's own essential nature is called the inner Self; and the creative offering that brings beings into existence is called action.

4. 8.4

   अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम् ।
   अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर ॥८.४॥

   O best of the embodied, the perishable is the material plane, the cosmic Person is the divine plane, and I myself, here in the body, am the Lord of sacrifice.

5. 8.5

   अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् ।
   यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः ॥८.५॥

   Whoever leaves the body at the end, remembering me alone, attains my being; of this there is no doubt.

6. 8.6

   यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् ।
   तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः ॥८.६॥

   O son of Kunti, whatever state one remembers while leaving the body at the end, that very state one attains, having always been absorbed in it.

7. 8.7

   तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च ।
   मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयम् ॥८.७॥

   Therefore remember me at all times, and fight. With your mind and intellect offered to me, you will surely come to me.

8. 8.8

   अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना ।
   परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन् ॥८.८॥

   O Partha, meditating with a mind disciplined by practice and not straying elsewhere, one reaches the supreme divine Person.

9. 8.9

   कविं पुराणमनुशासितार मणोरणीयांसमनुस्मरेद्यः ।
   सर्वस्य धातारमचिन्त्यरूप मादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् ॥८.९॥

   One who remembers the all-knowing, the ancient, the ruler of all, subtler than the subtlest, the sustainer of all, of unthinkable form, radiant as the sun and beyond darkness —

10. 8.10

    प्रयाणकाले मनसाऽचलेन भक्त्या युक्तो योगबलेन चैव ।
    भ्रुवोर्मध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्यक् स तं परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् ॥८.१०॥

    at the time of death, with an unwavering mind, filled with devotion and by the power of yoga, fixing the life-breath firmly between the eyebrows, reaches that supreme divine Person.

11. 8.11

    यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति विशन्ति यद्यतयो वीतरागाः ।
    यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति तत्ते पदं संग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये ॥८.११॥

    I will briefly describe to you that state which knowers of the Veda call imperishable, which ascetics free from passion enter, and for which people practise celibacy.

12. 8.12

    सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च ।
    मूर्ध्न्याधायात्मनः प्राणमास्थितो योगधारणाम् ॥८.१२॥

    Closing all the gates of the senses, confining the mind in the heart, drawing the life-breath into the head, established in yogic concentration,

13. 8.13

    ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन् ।
    यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम् ॥८.१३॥

    uttering the one syllable Om, which is Brahman, and remembering me, whoever departs leaving the body reaches the supreme goal.

14. 8.14

    अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः ।
    तस्याहं सुलभः पार्थ नित्ययुक्तस्य योगिनः ॥८.१४॥

    O Partha, I am easily reached by the ever-steadfast yogi who constantly remembers me with an undivided mind.

15. 8.15

    मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम् ।
    नाप्नुवन्ति महात्मानः संसिद्धिं परमां गताः ॥८.१५॥

    Having come to me, the great souls who have reached the highest perfection do not take rebirth, which is the home of sorrow and impermanent.

16. 8.16

    आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन ।
    मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ॥८.१६॥

    O Arjuna, all worlds up to the realm of Brahma are subject to return; but, O son of Kunti, on reaching me there is no rebirth.

17. 8.17

    सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद्ब्रह्मणो विदुः ।
    रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः ॥८.१७॥

    Those who know that a day of Brahma lasts a thousand ages and his night another thousand ages truly understand day and night.

18. 8.18

    अव्यक्ताद्व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे ।
    रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके ॥८.१८॥

    At the coming of Brahma's day, all manifest things emerge from the unmanifest; at the coming of his night, they dissolve into that same unmanifest.

19. 8.19

    भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते ।
    रात्र्यागमेऽवशः पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे ॥८.१९॥

    O Partha, this same multitude of beings, coming into being again and again, dissolves helplessly at nightfall and emerges again at daybreak.

20. 8.20

    परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः ।
    यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति ॥८.२०॥

    But beyond this unmanifest there is another, eternal unmanifest reality, which does not perish when all beings perish.

21. 8.21

    अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम् ।
    यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ॥८.२१॥

    That unmanifest is called the imperishable, and it is said to be the supreme goal. Those who reach it do not return — that is my supreme abode.

22. 8.22

    पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया ।
    यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् ॥८.२२॥

    O Partha, that supreme Person, in whom all beings dwell and by whom all this is pervaded, is reached only through undivided devotion.

23. 8.23

    यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः ।
    प्रयाता यान्ति तं कालं वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ ॥८.२३॥

    O best of the Bharatas, I will now tell you of the paths by which departing yogis either do not return or do return.

24. 8.24

    अग्निर्ज्योतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम् ।
    तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः ॥८.२४॥

    Fire, light, day, the bright fortnight and the six months of the sun's northern course — departing by this path, the knowers of Brahman reach Brahman.

25. 8.25

    धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम् ।
    तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते ॥८.२५॥

    Smoke, night, the dark fortnight and the six months of the sun's southern course — by this path the yogi reaches the lunar light and returns.

26. 8.26

    शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते ।
    एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययाऽऽवर्तते पुनः ॥८.२६॥

    These two paths of the world, the bright and the dark, are considered eternal. By one, a person does not return; by the other, one returns again.

27. 8.27

    नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन ।
    तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन ॥८.२७॥

    O Partha, no yogi who knows these two paths is ever deluded. Therefore, Arjuna, be steadfast in yoga at all times.

28. 8.28

    वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैव दानेषु यत्पुण्यफलं प्रदिष्टम् ।
    अत्येति तत्सर्वमिदं विदित्वा योगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाद्यम् ॥८.२८॥

    Whatever merit is declared for study of the Vedas, sacrifices, austerities and charity, the yogi who knows this goes beyond it all and reaches the supreme, primal abode.