Chapter 8: Akshara Brahma Yoga, verse 13
ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन्।
यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम् ॥
Say itoṁ ityekākṣharaṁ brahma vyāharan mām anusmaran
yaḥ prayāti tyajan dehaṁ sa yāti paramāṁ gatim
Translation
Uttering the one-syllabled Om, the Brahman, and remembering Me, he who departs, leaving the body, attains the Supreme Goal.
Swami Sivananda
He who departs, leaving the body while uttering the single syllable, "Om," which is Brahman, and thinking of Me, attains the supreme Goal.
Swami Gambirananda
Follows the commentary of Shankara (Advaita).
He who departs, leaving the body while uttering the single syllable, viz. "Om," which is Brahman, and thinking of Me, attains the supreme Goal.
Swami Adidevananda
Follows the commentary of Ramanuja (Vishishtadvaita).
Reciting the single-syllabled Om, the very Brahman; meditating on Me; whoever travels well, casting away their body—surely they attain My State.
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan
Follows the commentary of Abhinavagupta (Kashmir Shaivism).
Repeating Om, the symbol of eternity, and holding Me always in remembrance, he who thus leaves his body and goes forth reaches the Supreme Spirit.
Shri Purohit Swami
(इन्द्रियोंके) सम्पूर्ण द्वारोंको रोककर मनका हृदयमें निरोध करके और अपने प्राणोंको मस्तकमें स्थापित करके योगधारणामें सम्यक् प्रकारसे स्थित हुआ जो साधक 'ऊँ' इस एक अक्षर ब्रह्मका उच्चारण और मेरा स्मरण करता हुआ शरीरको छोड़कर जाता है, वह परमगतिको प्राप्त होता है।
Swami Ramsukhdas
जो पुरुष ओऽम् इस एक अक्षर ब्रह्म का उच्चारण करता हुआ और मेरा स्मरण करता हुआ शरीर का त्याग करता है, वह परम गति को प्राप्त होता है।
Swami Tejomayananda
Classical commentariesFor deeper study. Most are in the original Sanskrit.
Advaita
Non-dual: the self and the absolute are one.
Vishishtadvaita
Qualified non-dual: souls are real parts of the divine.
Dvaita
Dual: the soul and God are eternally distinct.
Shuddhadvaita
Pure non-dual, centred on grace and devotion.
Kashmir Shaivism
The Gita read through Trika Shaiva philosophy.
Modern teachers
20th-century teachers writing for today's readers.