Chapter 8 - Akṣhar Brahma Yog

Shloka आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन | मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ||८-१६|| Transliteration ābrahmabhuvanāllokāḥ punarāvartino.arjuna . māmupetya tu kaunteya punarjanma na vidyate ||8-16|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.16. Till the Brahman [is attained], people do return from [each and every] world, O Arjuna ! But there is no rirth for one who has attained Me, O son of Kunti ! Shri Purohit Swami 8.16 The worlds, with the whole realm of creation, come and go; but, O Arjuna, whoso comes to Me, for him there is nor rebirth....

Shloka सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद् ब्रह्मणो विदुः | रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः ||८-१७|| Transliteration sahasrayugaparyantamaharyad brahmaṇo viduḥ . rātriṃ yugasahasrāntāṃ te.ahorātravido janāḥ ||8-17|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.17. Those who know the day of Brahma as compassing one thousand yugas (world-ages), and night [also] as compassing one thousand yugas-those men know the day and night of Brahma. Shri Purohit Swami 8.17 Those who understand the cosmic day and cosmic night know that one day of creation is a thousand cycles, and that the night is of equal length....

Shloka अव्यक्ताद् व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे | रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके ||८-१८|| Transliteration avyaktād vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ prabhavantyaharāgame . rātryāgame pralīyante tatraivāvyaktasaṃjñake ||8-18|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.18. While the day approaches, all manifestations issue forth from the unmanifest and while the night approaches they dissolve into the same that bears the name ’the unmanifest.' Shri Purohit Swami 8.18 At the dawning of that day all objects in manifestation stream forth from the Unmanifest, and when evening falls they are dissolved into It again....

Shloka भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते | रात्र्यागमेऽवशः पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे ||८-१९|| Transliteration bhūtagrāmaḥ sa evāyaṃ bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate . rātryāgame.avaśaḥ pārtha prabhavatyaharāgame ||8-19|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.19. Being born and born again, the self same multitude of beings gets dissolved while the night approaches, and issues forth willy-nilly while the day approaches, O son of Prtha ! Shri Purohit Swami 8.19 The same multitude of beings, which have lived on earth so often, all are dissolved as the night of the universe approaches, to issue forth anew when morning breaks....

Shloka परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः | यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति ||८-२०|| Transliteration parastasmāttu bhāvo.anyo.avyakto.avyaktātsanātanaḥ . yaḥ sa sarveṣu bhūteṣu naśyatsu na vinaśyati ||8-20|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.20. But there exists another Being which is beyond this, and It is both manifest and unmanifest and is etnernal. It is this Being that does not perish while all [the other] beings perish. Shri Purohit Swami 8.20 In truth, therefore, there is the Eternal Unmanifest, which is beyond and above the Unmanifest Spirit of Creation, which is never destroyed when all these being perish....

Shloka अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम् | यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ||८-२१|| Transliteration avyakto.akṣara ityuktastamāhuḥ paramāṃ gatim . yaṃ prāpya na nivartante taddhāma paramaṃ mama ||8-21|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.21. [The scriptures] speak of This as Unmanifest and Changeless and declare This is to be the highest Goal. Having attained which people do not return, this is My highest abode. Shri Purohit Swami 8.21 The wise say that the Unmanifest and Indestructible is the highest goal of all; when once That is reached, there is no return....

Shloka पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया | यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् ||८-२२|| Transliteration puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyastvananyayā . yasyāntaḥsthāni bhūtāni yena sarvamidaṃ tatam ||8-22|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.22. The Supreme Soul. O son of Prtha, is attainable through devotion that admits no other things; having attained Which Soul, the men of Yoga do not get birth again; within Which exist the beings; and in Which everything is well established, O Arjuna !...

Shloka यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः | प्रयाता यान्ति तं कालं वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ ||८-२३|| Transliteration yatra kāle tvanāvṛttimāvṛttiṃ caiva yoginaḥ . prayātā yānti taṃ kālaṃ vakṣyāmi bharatarṣabha ||8-23|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.23. Departing at what times the Yogins attain the non-return or the return only-those times I shall declare to you, O chief of the Bharatas ! Shri Purohit Swami 8.23 *Now I will tell thee, O Arjuna, of the times at which, if the mystics go forth, they do not return, and at which they go forth only to return....

Shloka अग्निर्जोतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम् | तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः ||८-२४|| Transliteration agnirjotirahaḥ śuklaḥ ṣaṇmāsā uttarāyaṇam . tatra prayātā gacchanti brahma brahmavido janāḥ ||8-24|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.24. The northern course [of the sun] consisting of six months, is fire, light, day and bright one. Departing in it, the Brahman-knowing men attain the Brahman . Shri Purohit Swami 8.24 If knowing the Supreme Spirit the sage goes forth with fire and light, in the daytime, in the fortnight of the waxing moon and in the six months before the Northern summer solstice, he will attain the Supreme....

Shloka धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम् | तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते ||८-२५|| Transliteration dhūmo rātristathā kṛṣṇaḥ ṣaṇmāsā dakṣiṇāyanam . tatra cāndramasaṃ jyotiryogī prāpya nivartate ||8-25|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.25. The southern course [of the sun], consisting of six months, is smoke, night, and also dark. [Departing] in it, the Yogin attains the moon’s light and he returns. Shri Purohit Swami 8.25 But if he departs in gloom, at night, during the fortnight of the waning moon and in the six months before the Southern solstice, then he reaches but lunar light and he will be born again....

Shloka शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते | एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययावर्तते पुनः ||८-२६|| Transliteration śuklakṛṣṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śāśvate mate . ekayā yātyanāvṛttimanyayāvartate punaḥ ||8-26|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.26. For, these two bright and dark courses are considered to be perpetual for the world. One attains the non-return by the first of these, and one returns back by the other one. Shri Purohit Swami 8.26 These bright and dark paths out of the world have always existed....

Shloka नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन | तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन ||८-२७|| Transliteration naite sṛtī pārtha jānanyogī muhyati kaścana . tasmātsarveṣu kāleṣu yogayukto bhavārjuna ||8-27|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.27. O son of Prtha, not a single Yogin, knowing these two courses, gets deluded. Therefore, O Arjuna, be practising Yoga connected with all times. Shri Purohit Swami 8.27 O Arjuna! The saint knowing these paths is not confused. Therefore meditate perpetually....

Shloka वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैव दानेषु यत्पुण्यफलं प्रदिष्टम् | अत्येति तत्सर्वमिदं विदित्वा योगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाद्यम् ||८-२८|| Transliteration vedeṣu yajñeṣu tapaḥsu caiva dāneṣu yatpuṇyaphalaṃ pradiṣṭam . atyeti tatsarvamidaṃ viditvā yogī paraṃ sthānamupaiti cādyam ||8-28|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 8.28. Having understood all this, the Yogin goes beyond whatever fruit of merit is ordained [in the scriptures] in case the Vedas [are recited], the sacrifices [performed], the austerities [observed], and also gifts [donated]; and he goes to the Supreme Primeval Abode....