Chapter 8 - Akṣhar Brahma Yog

Shloka अर्जुन उवाच | किं तद् ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम | अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते ||८-१|| Transliteration arjuna uvāca . kiṃ tad brahma kimadhyātmaṃ kiṃ karma puruṣottama . adhibhūtaṃ ca kiṃ proktamadhidaivaṃ kimucyate ||8-1|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan Dr.S.Sankaranarayan did not comment on this sloka Shri Purohit Swami Shri Purohit Swami did not comment on this sloka Sri Abhinav Gupta Sri Abhinavgupta did not comment on this sloka Sri Ramanuja Sri Ramanuja did not comment on this sloka...

Shloka अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन | प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः ||८-२|| Transliteration adhiyajñaḥ kathaṃ ko.atra dehe.asminmadhusūdana . prayāṇakāle ca kathaṃ jñeyo.asi niyatātmabhiḥ ||8-2|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.2. Who is Lord-of-sacrifices (adhiyajna) [and] how ? Who in this body ? O slayer of Madhu ! How are You to be realised by the self-controlled ones at the time of their journey (i.e., death) also ? Shri Purohit Swami 8.2 Who is it who rules the spirit sacrifice in many; and at the time of death how may those who have learned self-control come to the knowledge of Thee?...

Shloka श्रीभगवानुवाच | अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते | भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः ||८-३|| Transliteration śrībhagavānuvāca . akṣaraṃ brahma paramaṃ svabhāvo.adhyātmamucyate . bhūtabhāvodbhavakaro visargaḥ karmasaṃjñitaḥ ||8-3|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.3. The Bhagavat said The immutable Absolute is the Brahman. Its intrinsic nature is called the Lord of the self. The emitting activity that causes the birth of both the animate and the inanimate is named ‘action ‘. Shri Purohit Swami 8.3 The Lord Shri Krishna replied: The Supreme Spirit is the Highest Imperishable Self, and Its Nature is spiritual consciousness....

Shloka अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम् | अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर ||८-४|| Transliteration adhibhūtaṃ kṣaro bhāvaḥ puruṣaścādhidaivatam . adhiyajño.ahamevātra dehe dehabhṛtāṃ vara ||8-4|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.4. The changing nature is the lord of the material beings; the Person alone is the lord of the divinites; I am alone the Lord of sacrifices and I, the best of the embodied (Souls), dwell in this body. Shri Purohit Swami 8.4 Matter consists of the forms that perish; Divinity is the Supreme Self; and He who inspires the spirit of sacrifice in man, O noblest of thy race, is I Myself, Who now stand in human form before thee....

Shloka अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् | यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः ||८-५|| Transliteration antakāle ca māmeva smaranmuktvā kalevaram . yaḥ prayāti sa madbhāvaṃ yāti nāstyatra saṃśayaḥ ||8-5|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.5. Whosoever, at the time of death also remembering Me alone, sets forth by abandoning his body [behind], he attains My being. There is no doubt about it. Shri Purohit Swami 8.5 Whosoever at the time of death thinks only of Me, and thinking thus leaves the body and goes forth, assuredly he will know Me....

Shloka यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् | तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः ||८-६|| Transliteration yaṃ yaṃ vāpi smaranbhāvaṃ tyajatyante kalevaram . taṃ tamevaiti kaunteya sadā tadbhāvabhāvitaḥ ||8-6|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.6. And also remembering whatever being, a person leaves his body at the end [of his life], that being alone he attains, O son of Kunti ! [Because] he has been constantly thinking about that being. Shri Purohit Swami 8.6 On whatever sphere of being the mind of a man may be intent at the time of death, thither he will go....

Shloka तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च | मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयः (orसंशयम्) ||८-७|| Transliteration tasmātsarveṣu kāleṣu māmanusmara yudhya ca . mayyarpitamanobuddhirmāmevaiṣyasyasaṃśayaḥ ||8-7|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.7. Therefore at all times keep Me in the mind and also fight; then, having your mind and intellect dedicated to Me, you will doubtlessly attain Me alone. Shri Purohit Swami 8.7 Therefore meditate always on Me, and fight; if thy mind and thy reason be fixed on Me, to Me shalt thou surely come....

Shloka अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना | परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन् ||८-८|| Transliteration orsaṃśayama abhyāsayogayuktena cetasā nānyagāminā . paramaṃ puruṣaṃ divyaṃ yāti pārthānucintayan ||8-8|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.8. He, who is engaged in the after-reflection (who meditates) on the Supreme Divine Soul with his mind, remaining fixed in the practice-Yoga and [hence] passing over no other object - that person attains [that Supreme], O son of Prtha ! Shri Purohit Swami 8.8 He whose mind does not wander, and who is engaged in constant meditation, attains the Supreme Spirit....

Shloka कविं पुराणमनुशासितार- मणोरणीयंसमनुस्मरेद्यः | सर्वस्य धातारमचिन्त्यरूप- मादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् ||८-९|| Transliteration kaviṃ purāṇamanuśāsitāraṃ aṇoraṇīyaṃsamanusmaredyaḥ . sarvasya dhātāramacintyarūpaṃ ādityavarṇaṃ tamasaḥ parastāt ||8-9|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.9. He, who meditates continuously on the Ancient Seer, the Ruler, the Subtler than the subtle, the Supporter of all, the Unimaginable-formed, the Sun-coloured, and That which is beyond the darkness; Shri Purohit Swami 8.9 Whoso meditates on the Omniscient, the Ancient, more minute than the atom, yet the Ruler and Upholder of all, Unimaginable, Brilliant like the Sun, Beyond the reach of darkness;...

Shloka प्रयाणकाले मनसाऽचलेन भक्त्या युक्तो योगबलेन चैव | भ्रुवोर्मध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्यक् स तं परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् ||८-१०|| Transliteration prayāṇakāle manasā.acalena bhaktyā yukto yogabalena caiva . bhruvormadhye prāṇamāveśya samyak sa taṃ paraṃ puruṣamupaiti divyam ||8-10|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.10. That person endowed with a steady mind, with devotion and also with the Yoga-power, reaches at the time of journey that Supreme Divine Soul, by fixing properly the life-breath in between his eye brows....

Shloka यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति विशन्ति यद्यतयो वीतरागाः | यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति तत्ते पदं संग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये ||८-११|| Transliteration yadakṣaraṃ vedavido vadanti viśanti yadyatayo vītarāgāḥ . yadicchanto brahmacaryaṃ caranti tatte padaṃ saṃgraheṇa pravakṣye ||8-11|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.11. That Unchanging One which the Veda-knowers speak of; Which the passion-free ascetics enter into; seeking Which they practise celibacy (or spiritual life); that Goal together with means [to reach It] I shall tell you. Shri Purohit Swami 8....

Shloka सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च | मूध्न्यार्धायात्मनः प्राणमास्थितो योगधारणाम् ||८-१२|| Transliteration sarvadvārāṇi saṃyamya mano hṛdi nirudhya ca . mūdhnyā^^rdhāyātmanaḥ prāṇamāsthito yogadhāraṇām ||8-12|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.12. Properly controlling all the gates [in the body]; well restraining the mind in the heat; fixing one’s own prana in the head; taking resort to the firmness of the Yoga; Shri Purohit Swami 8.12 Closing the gates of the body, drawing the forces of his mind into the heart and by the power of meditation concentrating his vital energy in the brain;...

Shloka ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन् | यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम् ||८-१३|| Transliteration omityekākṣaraṃ brahma vyāharanmāmanusmaran . yaḥ prayāti tyajandehaṃ sa yāti paramāṃ gatim ||8-13|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.13. Reciting the single-syllabled Om, the very Brahman; meditating on Me; whosoever travels well, casting away [his] body-surely he attains My State. Shri Purohit Swami 8.13 Repeating Om, the Symbol of Eternity, holding Me always in remembrance, he who thus leaves his body and goes forth reaches the Spirit Supreme....

Shloka अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः | तस्याहं सुलभः पार्थ नित्ययुक्तस्य योगिनः ||८-१४|| Transliteration ananyacetāḥ satataṃ yo māṃ smarati nityaśaḥ . tasyāhaṃ sulabhaḥ pārtha nityayuktasya yoginaḥ ||8-14|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.14. And whosoever constantly bears Me in mind never attached to any other object-for this Yogin, ever devout, I am easy to attain, O son of Prtha ! Shri Purohit Swami 8.14 To him who thinks constantly of Me, and of nothing else, to such an ever-faithful devotee, O Arjuna, am I ever accessible....

Shloka मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम् | नाप्नुवन्ति महात्मानः संसिद्धिं परमां गताः ||८-१५|| Transliteration māmupetya punarjanma duḥkhālayamaśāśvatam . nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṃsiddhiṃ paramāṃ gatāḥ ||8-15|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.15. Having attained Me, the men of great soul who have achieved the supreme perfection, do not get the transient rirth, a store-house of all troubles. Shri Purohit Swami 8.15 Coming thus unto Me, these great souls go no more to the misery and death of earthly life, for they have gained perfection....