Chapter 8. "Akshara-Brahma-Yoga, or The Path of the Imperishable Brahman".
Arjuna said:
1. O Best of Beings (Krishna), what is Brahman, what is Adhyatma (embodied soul), and what is Karma? What is the physical realm (Adhibhuta), and what is called the Divine realm (Adhidaiva)?
2. O Destroyer of Madhu, how and who dwells in this body as Adhiyahna (deity of sacrifice); and how art Thou known at the time of death by the self-subjugated ones?
The Blessed Lord said:
3. The Imperishable Supreme Being is Brahman, its manifestation as the embodied soul is called Adhyatman. The prescribed sacrifice, which causes the creation and support of beings, is called Karma.
4. O best of the embodied (Arjuna), perishable existence is called Adhibhuta (the physical); the Supreme Self is the Adhidaivata (Universal Spirit). I am the Adhiyajna (the presiding deity of sacrifice) in the body.
5. He who, at the time of death, thinking of Me alone, goes forth, leaving the body, he attains unto my Being. There is no doubt in this.
6. O son of Kunti, whatever state (or being) one dwells upon in the end, at the time of leaving the body, that alone he attains, because of his constant thought of that state or being.
7. Therefore, at all times, think of Me and fight (perform actions). Having offered thy mind and intellect to Me, thou shalt without doubt come unto Me.
8. O son of Pritha, by the steadfast practice of meditation with unwavering mind (not moving elsewhere) and constant thought of the Supreme Divine Being, one goes to Him.
9. He who thinks upon the Omniscient, the Ancient, the Ruler, the minutest of the minute, the Sustainer of all, whose form is inconceivable, Self-effulgent like the sun, and beyond the darkness (of ignorance);
10. (Hewho thus meditates on Him) at the time of death, with unflinching mind, possessed with devotion, fully fixing the Prana (life-breath) between the eyebrows by the pwoer of Yoga, he attains to the Supreme Divine Being.
11. That which the knowers of Veda (Truth, Wisdom) speak of as imperishable, that which the unattached Sannyasins enter into, by desiring which they practise Brahmacharya, that state I shall declare unto thee in brief.
12. Closing all the gates of the senses, confining the mind in the heart, and fixing the Prana in the head (between the eyebrows), thus engaged in the practice of concentration (Yoga);
13. Uttering the monosyllable "Om," (the sound) Brahman, and meditating on Me, he who departs, leaving his body, he attains the supreme god.
14. He who is without any other thought (but Me), who remembers Me daily and constantly, O Partha, I am easily attained by that ever-devoted Yogi.
15. The great-souled ones, having reached me, do not come to re-birth, the ever-changing abode of misery, for they have attained the highest perfection.
16. O Arjuna, all worlds, from the abode of Brahma to this world, are subject to return; but, O son of Kunti, after having attained Me, there is no re-birth.
17. There who know that Brahma's day ends in a thousand Yugas (ages) and his night in a thousand Yugas, they are the true knowers of the night and day.
18. At the approach of (Brahma's) day, all manifestations proceed from the Unmanifested, and at the approach of the night, they merge into that whichis called the Unmanifested.
19. O Partha, the multitude of beings, coming into brith again and again, helplessly merge into (the Unmanifested) at the approach of night and again remanifest at the approach of day.
20. But beyond this Unmanifested, there is another Unmanifested, which is eternally existent and is not destroyed even when all beings are destroyed.
21. That which has been described as Unmanifested and Imperishable is called the Highest Goal, having attained which there is no return (rebirths). That is my Supreme Abode.
22. O son of Pritha, that Supreme Self, in whom all beings abide and by whom all this is pervaded, can be attained by whole-hearted and exclusive devotion to Him.
23. O Prince of the Bharata race, now I shall declare to thee at that time, at which in departing (leaving the body) the Yogis return (to re-birth), and also that time at which in departing they do not return.
24. Fire, light, day-time, the bright fortnight (ascending moon), the six months of the sun's northern course, departing at such time, the knowers of Brahman go to Brahman.
25. Smoke, night-time, the dark fortnight (waning moon), the six months of the sun's southern curse, the Yogi departing at such time and receiving the lunar light, returns.
26. These two are considered as eternal paths of the world, the bright and the dark (path of wisdom and path of ignorance). By one, (man) attains to non-return (freedom); by the other, he returns again.
27. O son of Pritha, by knowing these (two) paths, the Yogis are never deluded. Therefore, O Arjuna, in all times be thou steadfastly engaged in Yoga.
28. Whatever fruits of good deeds are promised in the study of the Vedas, in sacrifices, in the practice of austerities, in charitable gifts, the Yogi, having known these and rising above all, attains to the primeval Supreme Abode.
Here ends the Eighth Chapter called "Akshara-Brahma-Yoga, or The Path of the Imperishable Brahman"
Arjuna said:
1. O Best of Beings (Krishna), what is Brahman, what is Adhyatma (embodied soul), and what is Karma? What is the physical realm (Adhibhuta), and what is called the Divine realm (Adhidaiva)?
2. O Destroyer of Madhu, how and who dwells in this body as Adhiyahna (deity of sacrifice); and how art Thou known at the time of death by the self-subjugated ones?
The Blessed Lord said:
3. The Imperishable Supreme Being is Brahman, its manifestation as the embodied soul is called Adhyatman. The prescribed sacrifice, which causes the creation and support of beings, is called Karma.
4. O best of the embodied (Arjuna), perishable existence is called Adhibhuta (the physical); the Supreme Self is the Adhidaivata (Universal Spirit). I am the Adhiyajna (the presiding deity of sacrifice) in the body.
5. He who, at the time of death, thinking of Me alone, goes forth, leaving the body, he attains unto my Being. There is no doubt in this.
6. O son of Kunti, whatever state (or being) one dwells upon in the end, at the time of leaving the body, that alone he attains, because of his constant thought of that state or being.
7. Therefore, at all times, think of Me and fight (perform actions). Having offered thy mind and intellect to Me, thou shalt without doubt come unto Me.
8. O son of Pritha, by the steadfast practice of meditation with unwavering mind (not moving elsewhere) and constant thought of the Supreme Divine Being, one goes to Him.
9. He who thinks upon the Omniscient, the Ancient, the Ruler, the minutest of the minute, the Sustainer of all, whose form is inconceivable, Self-effulgent like the sun, and beyond the darkness (of ignorance);
10. (Hewho thus meditates on Him) at the time of death, with unflinching mind, possessed with devotion, fully fixing the Prana (life-breath) between the eyebrows by the pwoer of Yoga, he attains to the Supreme Divine Being.
11. That which the knowers of Veda (Truth, Wisdom) speak of as imperishable, that which the unattached Sannyasins enter into, by desiring which they practise Brahmacharya, that state I shall declare unto thee in brief.
12. Closing all the gates of the senses, confining the mind in the heart, and fixing the Prana in the head (between the eyebrows), thus engaged in the practice of concentration (Yoga);
13. Uttering the monosyllable "Om," (the sound) Brahman, and meditating on Me, he who departs, leaving his body, he attains the supreme god.
14. He who is without any other thought (but Me), who remembers Me daily and constantly, O Partha, I am easily attained by that ever-devoted Yogi.
15. The great-souled ones, having reached me, do not come to re-birth, the ever-changing abode of misery, for they have attained the highest perfection.
16. O Arjuna, all worlds, from the abode of Brahma to this world, are subject to return; but, O son of Kunti, after having attained Me, there is no re-birth.
17. There who know that Brahma's day ends in a thousand Yugas (ages) and his night in a thousand Yugas, they are the true knowers of the night and day.
18. At the approach of (Brahma's) day, all manifestations proceed from the Unmanifested, and at the approach of the night, they merge into that whichis called the Unmanifested.
19. O Partha, the multitude of beings, coming into brith again and again, helplessly merge into (the Unmanifested) at the approach of night and again remanifest at the approach of day.
20. But beyond this Unmanifested, there is another Unmanifested, which is eternally existent and is not destroyed even when all beings are destroyed.
21. That which has been described as Unmanifested and Imperishable is called the Highest Goal, having attained which there is no return (rebirths). That is my Supreme Abode.
22. O son of Pritha, that Supreme Self, in whom all beings abide and by whom all this is pervaded, can be attained by whole-hearted and exclusive devotion to Him.
23. O Prince of the Bharata race, now I shall declare to thee at that time, at which in departing (leaving the body) the Yogis return (to re-birth), and also that time at which in departing they do not return.
24. Fire, light, day-time, the bright fortnight (ascending moon), the six months of the sun's northern course, departing at such time, the knowers of Brahman go to Brahman.
25. Smoke, night-time, the dark fortnight (waning moon), the six months of the sun's southern curse, the Yogi departing at such time and receiving the lunar light, returns.
26. These two are considered as eternal paths of the world, the bright and the dark (path of wisdom and path of ignorance). By one, (man) attains to non-return (freedom); by the other, he returns again.
27. O son of Pritha, by knowing these (two) paths, the Yogis are never deluded. Therefore, O Arjuna, in all times be thou steadfastly engaged in Yoga.
28. Whatever fruits of good deeds are promised in the study of the Vedas, in sacrifices, in the practice of austerities, in charitable gifts, the Yogi, having known these and rising above all, attains to the primeval Supreme Abode.
Here ends the Eighth Chapter called "Akshara-Brahma-Yoga, or The Path of the Imperishable Brahman"
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Text source: Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita. Translated by Swami Paramananda.
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