Srimad Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8 अक्षरब्रह्मयोग – Akshara Brahma Yoga – The Yoga of the indestructible Brahman
8:01 अर्जुन उवाच | किं तद् ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम | अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते || ८ १ || Arjuna uvaacha: kim tad brahma kim adhyaatmam kim karma purushottama adhi bhootam cha kim proktam adhi daivam kimuchyate (SBG 8:01)
Arjuna said: What is Brahman? What is Adhyaatma (The Self)? What is Karma, O Krishna? What is declared to be Adhibhuta (Material manifestation) and who is declared to be Adhidaiva (the Divine principle)?
—————————— 8:02 अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन | प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः || ८ २ || adhiyajnaha katham ko’tra dehe’smin madhu soodana prayaana kaale cha katham jneyo’si niyataat mabhihi (SBG 8:02)
Who is Adhiyajna here in this body and how, O Krishna and how, at the time of death, are You to be known by the Self-controlled one?
—————————— 8:03 श्रीभगवानुवाच | अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते | भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः || ८ ३ || Sri Bhagavaan uvaacha: aksharam brahma paramam svabhaavo ’dhyaatma muchyate bhoota bhaavodbha vakaro visargah karma samjnitaha (SBG 8:03)
Bhagavan Krishna said:
Brahman is Akshara the Ultimate Truth, the Imperishable and the Supreme. There is no one above Him. The power of Brahman, which is manifested in everybody as the transmigrating Self or Jiva, is the Adyaatma. Action, which brings all life into existence and also sustains them is called Karma.
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8:04 अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम् | अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर || ८ ४ || adhibhootam ksharo bhaavaha purushash-chaadhi-daivatam adhiyajno ’hamevaatra dehe dehabhrutaam vara (SBG 8:04)
O Arjuna, the constantly changing and perishable nature of the material aspect is Adhibhuta. The Purusha or the cosmic soul, which is the basis of all Divine manifestations, is Adhidaiva. I alone am the Adhiyajna – the One Object of all worship, which people perform with their body and mind.
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8:05 अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् | यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः || ८ ५ || antakaale cha maameva smaran muktvaa kalevaram yah prayaati sa madbhaavam yaati naastyatra samshayaha (SBG 8:05)
And whosoever, at the time of death, leaves the body thinking of Me alone, attains My Being. There is no doubt about this.
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8:06 यं यं वाऽपि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् | तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः || ८ ६ || yam yam vaapi smaran bhaavam tyajatyante kalevaram tam tamevaiti kaunteya sadaa tadbhaava bhaavitaha (SBG 8:06)
At the time of death, while leaving the body, whatever one thinks of is what they will attain by being constantly absorbed in its thought, O Arjuna.
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8:07 तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च | मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयः || ८ ७ || tasmaat sarveshu kaaleshu maamanu-smara yudhya cha mayyarpita-manobuddhir maame-vaishyasya-samshayam (SBG 8:07)
Therefore, think of me at all times and do your duty of fighting the battle. With your mind and intellect offered to Me, you will certainly attain Me.
With the mind not moving towards any other thing, made steadfast by the method of habitual meditation, and constantly meditating, one goes to the Supreme and Resplendent Being, O Arjuna!
He who meditates upon the Omniscient, Most Ancient, the Ruler, who is more minute than an atom, has an inconceivable Divine form, is beyond the brightness of the sun and the darkness of ignorance,
8:10 प्रयाणकाले मनसाऽचलेन भक्त्या युक्तो योगबलेन चैव | भ्रुवोर्मध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्यक् स तं परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् || ८ १० || prayaana kaale manasaa chalena bhaktyaa yukto yogabalena chaiva bhruvor madhye praanamaa veshya samyak sa tam param purusham upaiti divyam (SBG 8:10)
and at the time of death, with full devotion by the power of Yoga, fixes his mind and his life-breath between his eyebrows, attains the Supreme Being.
I will explain to you in brief about that which scholars of the Vedas call Akshara the Imperishable, which only those free of all worldly attachments can enter.
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8:12 सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च | मूर्ध्न्याधायात्मनः प्राणमास्थितो योगधारणाम् || ८ १२ || sarvadvaaraani samyamya mano hridi nirudhya cha moordhnyaa-dhaayaat-manaha praana-maasthito yoga-dhaaranaam (SBG 8:12)
Having closed all the gates of the senses, concentrating on the heart, drawing all vital energies to the head, one should meditate on Me.
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8:13 ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन् | यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम् || ८ १३ || omitye-kaaksharam brahma vyaaharan-maama-nusmaran yah prayaati tyajan deham sa yaati paramaam gatim (SBG 8:13)
Uttering the Supreme monosyllable Aum – one must think of Me always. He who leaves the body in this state, attains the Supreme goal.
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8:14 अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः | तस्याहं सुलभः पार्थ नित्ययुक्तस्य योगिनः || ८ १४ || ananya-chetaaha satatam yo maam smarati nityashaha tasyaaham sulabhaha paartha nitya yuktasya yoginaha (8:14)
I am easily attainable by that ever-steadfast Yogi who thinks of Me always with exclusive devotion, O Partha.
Having attained Me, these great souls do not take birth again here on earth, which is the place of pain and is non-eternal. They have reached the Ultimate Perfection.
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8:16 आ ब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन | मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते || ८ १६ || aa brahma bhuvanaal-lokaaha punaraa vartino’rjuna maamupetya tu kaunteya punarjanma na vidyate (SBG 8:16)
All the worlds, including the world of Brahma, are subject to return again, O Arjuna. But he who reaches Me, has no rebirth.
By human calculation, one day of Brahma is equal to a thousand cycles (Maha Yuga) of four Yugas each, and the night is also of the same duration. The wise who know this truth know the truth about day and night.
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8:18 अव्यक्ताद् व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे | रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके || ८ १८ || avyaktaad vyaktayah sarvaaha prabha-vantya haraagame raatryaa game praleeyante tatrai-vaavyakta-samjnake (SBG 8:18)
When Brahma’s day begins, all other living entities come into being from the unmanifest state and when Brahma’s night arrives, all merge into the unmanifest state.
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8:19 भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते | रात्र्यागमेऽवशः पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे || ८ १९ || bhoota graamaha sa evaayam bhootvaa bhootvaa praleeyate raatryaa game’vashaha paartha prabhava tyaharaagame (SBG 8:19)
This vast collectivity of beings is born, again and again, O Arjuna. In the night, it is dissolved and at dawn, it comes into being again.
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8:20 परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः | यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति || ८ २० || paras tasmaat tu bhaavo’nyo’- vyakto’vyaktaat sanaatanaha yah sa sarveshu bhooteshu nashyatsu na vinashyati (SBG 8:20)
Yet there exists, higher than the unmanifest, another unmanifest Eternal, who is not destroyed when all beings are destroyed.
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8:21 अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम् | यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम || ८ २१ || avyakto’kshara ityukta- stamaahuh paramaam gatim yam praapya na nivartante taddhaama paramam mama (SBG 8:21)
What is called the Unmanifest and the Imperishable, is said to be the highest goal. Those who reach it do not return to this cycle of births and deaths. That is My highest abode.
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8:22 पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया | यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् || ८ २२ || purushah sa paraha paartha bhaktyaa labhyas tvanan-yayaa yasyaantaha sthaani bhootaani yena sarvamidam tatam (SBG 8:22)
That highest Purusha, O Arjuna, is attainable by unswerving devotion to Him alone within Whom, all beings dwell and by Whom, all this is pervaded.
Now I will tell you, O best of the Bharatas (Arjuna), the times at which the Yogis will return or not return.
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8:24 अग्निर्ज्योतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम् | तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः || ८ २४ || agni-jyotirahah shuklaha , shan-maasaa uttaraayanam tatra prayaataa gacchanti brahma brahmavido janaaha (SBG 8:24)
Fire, light, daytime, the waxing fortnight, the six months of the northern path of the sun are the times when those who know Brahman, attain the highest goal.
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8:25 धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम् | तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते || ८ २५ || dhoomo raatristathaa krishnaha shanmaasaa dakshinaayanam tatra chaandramasam jyotir yogee praapya nivartate (SBG 8:25)
The Yogi who leaves this world by smoke, in the night, during the waning fortnight and in the six months of the southern path of the sun, attains the lunar sphere and returns.
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8:26 शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते | एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययावर्तते पुनः || ८ २६ || shuklakrishne gatee hyete jagataha shaashvate mate ekayaa yaatya-naavrittim anyayaa’vartate punaha (SBG 8:26)
As per the Vedas, these two paths of the world – the bright and the dark are considered to be eternal. Through the path of light, one does not return and when one passes away in darkness, he returns.
The Yogi who knows this transcends all the good results gained through the study of the Vedas, sacrificial ceremonies, ascetic practices and gifts for good deeds, attains the Highest Primordial State.
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ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद् भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे अक्षरब्रह्मयोगो नामाष्टमोऽध्यायः || ८ || Hari Om Tat Sat Iti Srimad Bhagavadgeetaasoopanishatsu Brahmavidyaayaam Yogashaastre Sri Krishnaarjunasamvaade Aksharabrahmayogo Naama Ashtamo’dhyaayaha
Thus ends the eighth part of the Bhagavad Gita “The Yoga of Ultimate Truth” -The Science of the Eternal, the Scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Shri Krishna and Arjuna.
