Sārathi

Chapter 8 of 18

अक्षरब्रह्मयोग Akshara Brahma Yoga

Path of the Eternal God. 28 verses.

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About this chapter

The eighth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is "Akshara Brahma Yoga". In this chapter, Krishna reveals the importance of the last thought before death. If we can remember Krishna at the time of death, we will certainly attain him. Thus, it is very important to be in constant awareness of the Lord at all times, thinking of Him and chanting His names at all times. By perfectly absorbing their mind in Him through constant devotion, one can go beyond this material existence to Lord's Supreme abode.

  1. 8.1किं तद्ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम।kiṁ tad brahma kim adhyātmaṁ kiṁ karma puruṣhottamaArjuna said, "What is Brahman? What is Adhyatma? What is action, O best among men? What is Adhibhuta declared to be? And, what is Adhidaiva said to be?"
  2. 8.2अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन।adhiyajñaḥ kathaṁ ko ’tra dehe ’smin madhusūdanaWho and how is Adhiyajna here in this body, O destroyer of Madhu? And how, at the time of death, are You to be known by the self-controlled?
  3. 8.3अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते।akṣharaṁ brahma paramaṁ svabhāvo ’dhyātmam uchyateThe Blessed Lord said, "Brahman is the Imperishable, the Supreme; its essential nature is called Self-knowledge; the offering (to the gods) that causes the existence and…
  4. 8.4अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम्।adhibhūtaṁ kṣharo bhāvaḥ puruṣhaśh chādhidaivatamAdhibhuta—knowledge of the elements—pertains to My perishable nature, and the Purusha, or the Soul, is the Adhidaiva; I alone am the Adhiyajna here in this body, O best…
  5. 8.5अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम्।anta-kāle cha mām eva smaran muktvā kalevaramAnd whoever, leaving their body, goes forth remembering Me alone at the time of death, they will attain My Being; there is no doubt about this.
  6. 8.6यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम्।yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajatyante kalevaramWhoever at the end leaves the body, thinking of any being, to that being only does he go, O son of Kunti (Arjuna), due to his constant thought of that being.
  7. 8.7तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च।tasmāt sarveṣhu kāleṣhu mām anusmara yudhya chaTherefore, at all times, remember Me only and fight. With your mind and intellect fixed on Me, you will undoubtedly come to Me alone.
  8. 8.8अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना।abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena chetasā nānya-gāmināWith the mind not moving towards any other thing, made steadfast through the practice of habitual meditation, and constantly meditating, one goes to the Supreme Person…
  9. 8.9कविं पुराणमनुशासितारkaviṁ purāṇam anuśhāsitāramWhosoever 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…
  10. 8.10प्रयाणकाले मनसाऽचलेनprayāṇa-kāle manasāchalenaAt the time of death, with an unwavering mind, endowed with devotion, by the power of Yoga, fixing the whole life-breath in the middle of the two eyebrows, he reaches…
  11. 8.11यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्तिyad akṣharaṁ veda-vido vadantiThat which is declared to be Imperishable by those who know the Vedas, that which the self-controlled (ascetics or Sannyasins) and passion-free enter, that goal…
  12. 8.12सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च।sarva-dvārāṇi sanyamya mano hṛidi nirudhya chaHaving closed all the gates, confined the mind in the heart, and fixed the life-breath in the head, engage in the practice of concentration.
  13. 8.13ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन्।oṁ ityekākṣharaṁ brahma vyāharan mām anusmaranUttering the one-syllabled Om, the Brahman, and remembering Me, he who departs, leaving the body, attains the Supreme Goal.
  14. 8.14अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः।ananya-chetāḥ satataṁ yo māṁ smarati nityaśhaḥI am easily attainable by that ever-steadfast yogi who constantly and daily remembers me for a long time, not thinking of anything else with a single-minded or…
  15. 8.15मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम्।mām upetya punar janma duḥkhālayam aśhāśhvatamHaving attained Me, these great souls do not take birth again here—a place of pain and impermanence—but have reached the highest perfection of liberation.
  16. 8.16आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन।ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino ’rjunaAll 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. 8.17सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद्ब्रह्मणो विदुः।sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥThose who know the day of Brahma, which lasts a thousand Yugas, and the night, which also lasts a thousand Yugas, know day and night.
  18. 8.18अव्यक्ताद्व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे।avyaktād vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ prabhavantyahar-āgameFrom the Unmanifested, all the manifested worlds proceed upon the arrival of the 'day'; upon the arrival of the 'night', they dissolve indeed into that which is known as…
  19. 8.19भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते।bhūta-grāmaḥ sa evāyaṁ bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyateThis same multitude of beings, being born again and again, helplessly dissolves, O Arjuna, into the Unmanifested at the coming of the night and comes forth at the coming…
  20. 8.20परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः।paras tasmāt tu bhāvo ’nyo ’vyakto ’vyaktāt sanātanaḥBut verily, there exists higher than this Unmanifested, another Unmanifested Eternal, which is not destroyed even when all beings are destroyed.
  21. 8.21अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम्।avyakto ’kṣhara ityuktas tam āhuḥ paramāṁ gatimWhat is known as the Unmanifested and the Imperishable, That is said to be the highest goal. Those who reach It do not return (to this Samsara). That is My supreme abode…
  22. 8.22पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया।puruṣhaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyas tvananyayāThat highest Purusha, O Arjuna, is attainable by unswerving devotion to Him alone, within Whom all beings dwell and by Whom all this is pervaded.
  23. 8.23यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः।yatra kāle tvanāvṛittim āvṛittiṁ chaiva yoginaḥNow I will tell you, O chief of the Bharatas, the times of departure at which the Yogis will return or not return.
  24. 8.24अग्निर्ज्योतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम्।agnir jyotir ahaḥ śhuklaḥ ṣhaṇ-māsā uttarāyaṇamFire, light, daytime, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern path of the sun (the northern solstice) departing, then men who know Brahman go to Brahman.
  25. 8.25धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम्।dhūmo rātris tathā kṛiṣhṇaḥ ṣhaṇ-māsā dakṣhiṇāyanamAttaining the lunar light through smoke, night time, the dark fortnight, and the six months of the southern path of the sun (the southern solstice), the yogi returns.
  26. 8.26शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते।śhukla-kṛiṣhṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śhāśhvate mateThe bright and dark paths of the world are thought to be eternal; one leads to no return, and the other leads to return.
  27. 8.27नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन।naite sṛitī pārtha jānan yogī muhyati kaśhchanaKnowing these paths, O Arjuna, no yogi is deluded; therefore, at all times, be steadfast in yoga.
  28. 8.28वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैवvedeṣhu yajñeṣhu tapaḥsu chaivaWhatever fruit of merit is declared (in the scriptures) to accrue from (the study of) the Vedas, (the performance of) sacrifices, (the practice of) austerities, and…