08
अक्षरब्रह्मयोग
Akshara Brahma Yoga
Arjuna asks about Brahman, the self, action, and remembrance at death. Krishna answers by connecting one’s final attention with the habits of awareness cultivated throughout life.
Chapter 8 · Akshara Brahma Yoga
28 verses
1
BG 8.1
अर्जुन उवाच | किं तद् ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम | अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते ||८-१||
Arjuna asked: Supreme person, what is Brahman? What is the domain of the self? What is action? What is called the domain of beings, and what is called the domain of divinity?
2
BG 8.2
अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन | प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः ||८-२||
Madhusudana, who is the lord of sacrifice here, and how is he present in this body? How are you known at death by those who have governed themselves?
3
BG 8.3
श्रीभगवानुवाच | अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते | भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः ||८-३||
The Lord said: Brahman is the supreme imperishable. One's own essential nature is called the domain of the self. The creative sending forth that brings beings into existence is called action.
4
BG 8.4
अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम् | अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर ||८-४||
The domain of beings is perishable existence; the cosmic person is the domain of divinity. I myself am the lord of sacrifice here in the body, best of embodied beings.
5
BG 8.5
अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् | यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः ||८-५||
Whoever leaves the body at life's end remembering me alone reaches my state of being. There is no doubt about this.
6
BG 8.6
यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् | तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः ||८-६||
Whatever state a person remembers when leaving the body at the end, Kunti's son, that very state the person reaches, having always been shaped by it.
7
BG 8.7
तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च | मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयः ||८-७||
Therefore remember me at all times and fight. With mind and understanding offered to me, you will certainly come to me alone.
8
BG 8.8
अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना | परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन् ||८-८||
With a mind trained through repeated practice and not wandering elsewhere, one reaches the supreme divine person by contemplating him, Partha.
9
BG 8.9
कविं पुराणमनुशासितार- मणोरणीयंसमनुस्मरेद्यः | सर्वस्य धातारमचिन्त्यरूप- मादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् ||८-९||
Whoever remembers the ancient seer, the ruler, smaller than the smallest, the sustainer of everything, whose form is beyond thought, radiant like the sun and beyond darkness—
10
BG 8.10
प्रयाणकाले मनसाऽचलेन भक्त्या युक्तो योगबलेन चैव | भ्रुवोर्मध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्यक् स तं परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् ||८-१०||
That person, at departure, with an unmoving mind, endowed with devotion and with the strength of yoga, properly placing the life-breath between the eyebrows, reaches that supreme divine person.
11
BG 8.11
यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति विशन्ति यद्यतयो वीतरागाः | यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति तत्ते पदं संग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये ||८-११||
I will briefly explain that goal which knowers of the Veda call imperishable, which disciplined seekers free of attachment enter, and desiring which people practice celibate discipline.
12
BG 8.12
सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च | मूर्ध्न्याधायात्मनः प्राणमास्थितो योगधारणाम् ||८-१२||
Restraining all the body's gates, holding the mind in the heart, placing one's life-breath in the head, and established in yogic concentration—
13
BG 8.13
ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन् | यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम् ||८-१३||
Uttering Om, the single syllable that is Brahman, and remembering me, whoever departs while leaving the body reaches the highest destination.
14
BG 8.14
अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः | तस्याहं सुलभः पार्थ नित्ययुक्तस्य योगिनः ||८-१४||
Partha, I am easily reached by the ever-disciplined yogi who continually remembers me with an undivided mind.
15
BG 8.15
मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम् | नाप्नुवन्ति महात्मानः संसिद्धिं परमां गताः ||८-१५||
Having reached me, great souls who have attained supreme perfection do not undergo rebirth, that impermanent dwelling of suffering.
16
BG 8.16
आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन | मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ||८-१६||
All worlds, up to Brahma's world, involve return, Arjuna. But after reaching me, Kunti's son, there is no further birth.
17
BG 8.17
सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद् ब्रह्मणो विदुः | रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः ||८-१७||
Those who know that Brahma's day lasts a thousand ages and his night also lasts a thousand ages understand cosmic day and night.
18
BG 8.18
अव्यक्ताद् व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे | रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके ||८-१८||
At the coming of day, all manifest things arise from the unmanifest. At the coming of night, they dissolve into that same unmanifest.
19
BG 8.19
भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते | रात्र्यागमेऽवशः पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे ||८-१९||
This same multitude of beings arises again and again and helplessly dissolves when night comes, Partha; when day comes, it arises again.
20
BG 8.20
परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः | यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति ||८-२०||
But beyond that unmanifest is another, eternal unmanifest reality. It does not perish when all beings perish.
21
BG 8.21
अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम् | यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ||८-२१||
That is called the unmanifest and imperishable; it is described as the highest destination. Having reached it, people do not return. That is my supreme abode.
22
BG 8.22
पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया | यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् ||८-२२||
That supreme person, within whom all beings dwell and by whom everything is pervaded, is reached through undivided devotion, Partha.
23
BG 8.23
यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः | प्रयाता यान्ति तं कालं वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ ||८-२३||
Best of the Bharatas, I will explain the times at which departing yogis go either to nonreturn or to return.
24
BG 8.24
अग्निर्जोतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम् | तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः ||८-२४||
Fire, light, daytime, the bright lunar fortnight, and the six months of the sun's northward course: departing by these, knowers of Brahman reach Brahman.
25
BG 8.25
धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम् | तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते ||८-२५||
Smoke, night, the dark lunar fortnight, and the six months of the sun's southward course: departing by these, a yogi reaches the moon's light and returns.
26
BG 8.26
शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते | एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययावर्तते पुनः ||८-२६||
These bright and dark paths are regarded as the world's enduring courses. By one, a person does not return; by the other, a person returns again.
27
BG 8.27
नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन | तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन ||८-२७||
Knowing these two paths, Partha, no yogi is bewildered. Therefore remain joined to yoga at all times, Arjuna.
28
BG 8.28
वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैव दानेषु यत्पुण्यफलं प्रदिष्टम् | अत्येति तत्सर्वमिदं विदित्वा योगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाद्यम् ||८-२८||
Knowing this, the yogi passes beyond all the merit promised for Vedic study, sacrifices, austerities, and gifts, and reaches the supreme, original dwelling.