Chapter 8: Aksara Brahma Yoga

Sanskrit Transliteration:

arjuna uvācha kiṁ tad brahma kim adhyātmaṁ kiṁ karma puruṣhottama adhibhūtaṁ cha kiṁ proktam adhidaivaṁ kim uchyate

Translation:

Arjuna said: O Supreme Person, what is Brahman? What is the Self? What is action? What is said to be the material world? And what is called the divine realm?

Commentary:

Arjuna asks fundamental questions left from the previous chapter's closing. He wants definitions of key terms: Brahman (ultimate reality), adhyatma (the Self), karma (action), adhibhuta (material realm), and adhidaiva (divine realm). These questions seek clarity on the essential categories of existence.

Learning:

Don't hesitate to ask for clarity on fundamental terms. Understanding the basic categories of spiritual knowledge creates the foundation for deeper comprehension. Good questions lead to good answers.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

adhiyajñaḥ kathaṁ ko 'tra dehe 'smin madhusūdana prayāṇa-kāle cha kathaṁ jñeyo 'si niyatātmabhiḥ

Translation:

What is sacrifice, and how does it dwell in this body, O Madhusudana? And how can You be known at the time of death by those who are self-controlled?

Commentary:

Arjuna continues his questions: what is adhiyajna (the principle of sacrifice) and how is it present in the body? Most importantly, how can the self-controlled know Krishna at the moment of death? This last question addresses the crucial transition out of life.

Learning:

The moment of death is a critical juncture. How to maintain spiritual awareness during that transition is a vital question. Preparing for death is not morbid—it's wisdom. What will your consciousness hold at that moment?

Sanskrit Transliteration:

śhrī bhagavān uvācha akṣharaṁ brahma paramaṁ svabhāvo 'dhyātmam uchyate bhūta-bhāvodbhava-karo visargaḥ karma-saṁjñitaḥ

Translation:

The Supreme Lord said: Brahman is the imperishable, supreme reality. One's own nature is called the Self. The creative force that brings beings into existence is called karma.

Commentary:

Krishna defines the terms: Brahman is the imperishable absolute. Adhyatma refers to one's essential nature (svabhava)—the soul's inherent identity. Karma here means the creative impulse that causes beings to come into existence—the force of manifestation.

Learning:

The ultimate reality is imperishable. Your true self is your essential nature, not your acquired personality. Karma is not just action-and-reaction but the creative force that brings things into being. Understand these distinctions.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

adhibhūtaṁ kṣharo bhāvaḥ puruṣhaśh chādhidaivatam adhiyajño 'ham evātra dehe deha-bhṛitāṁ vara

Translation:

The material world is the perishable existence. The cosmic person is the divine realm. I am the sacrifice, present here in this body, O best of embodied beings.

Commentary:

Adhibhuta is the perishable material nature. Adhidaiva is the cosmic purusha—the divine being underlying the universe. Adhiyajna (sacrifice) is Krishna himself, dwelling within the body. He is the recipient of all offerings, present in every being.

Learning:

Krishna is present within you as the principle of sacrifice. Every offering, every selfless act, goes to him who dwells in your heart. The divine is not distant but intimately present in your very body.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

anta-kāle cha mām eva smaran muktvā kalevaram yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ yāti nāsty atra saṁśhayaḥ

Translation:

And whoever, at the time of death, departs leaving the body while remembering Me alone, attains My being. There is no doubt about this.

Commentary:

This crucial verse states the law of death: whatever you remember at death determines your destination. One who remembers Krishna alone at the final moment attains Krishna's nature. This is stated with absolute certainty—no doubt is possible.

Learning:

Your last thought shapes your afterlife. This makes what you habitually think about critically important—death-thoughts arise from life-habits. Cultivate divine remembrance now so it will be natural at the end.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ

Translation:

Whatever state of being one remembers when leaving the body at death, O son of Kunti, that state one attains, having been constantly absorbed in it.

Commentary:

The principle is general: whatever you think of at death, you become. This is because death-thoughts reflect life-absorption. What you constantly dwell on shapes your consciousness and determines where it goes when freed from the body.

Learning:

You become what you think about. This is true in life and especially true at death. Your habitual thoughts create grooves in consciousness that determine the direction of your being. Choose your mental content wisely.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

tasmāt sarveṣhu kāleṣhu mām anusmara yudhya cha mayy arpita-mano-buddhir mām evaiṣhyasy asaṁśhayam

Translation:

Therefore, at all times remember Me and fight. With mind and intellect fixed on Me, you will surely come to Me alone; there is no doubt.

Commentary:

The practical instruction follows: remember Krishna at all times while continuing to act (fight). With mind and intellect surrendered to Krishna, you will attain him—this is certain. Constant remembrance is the practice that prepares you for the final moment.

Learning:

Integrate spiritual remembrance with daily action. You don't have to choose between worldly duty and divine connection—do both simultaneously. Keep God in mind while performing your work. This dual practice ensures the right consciousness at death.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena chetasā nānya-gāminā paramaṁ puruṣhaṁ divyaṁ yāti pārthānuchintayan

Translation:

With the mind engaged in the yoga of constant practice, not straying to anything else, one who meditates on the Supreme Divine Person attains Him, O Partha.

Commentary:

The method is clear: practice yoga consistently, keep the mind from wandering, and meditate on the Supreme Person. Such focused, regular practice leads to attainment of the divine. The mind must be trained to stay on target through repeated practice.

Learning:

Consistent practice without mental wandering is the method. The mind naturally strays; bring it back. Regular practice, focused attention, and meditation on the highest—this combination leads to the goal. There are no shortcuts.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

kaviṁ purāṇam anuśhāsitāram aṇor aṇīyāṁsam anusmared yaḥ sarvasya dhātāram achintya-rūpam āditya-varṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt prayāṇa-kāle manasāchalena bhaktyā yukto yoga-balena chaiva bhruvor madhye prāṇam āveśhya samyak sa taṁ paraṁ puruṣham upaiti divyam

Translation:

One who meditates on the ancient seer, the ruler, subtler than the subtlest, the sustainer of all, of inconceivable form, effulgent like the sun beyond darkness—at the time of death, with unmoving mind, endowed with devotion and yoga power, fixing the life force properly between the eyebrows—such a one attains the Supreme Divine Person.

Commentary:

These verses describe the meditation and technique for conscious dying. Meditate on the Supreme as the ancient seer, subtler than atoms, supporter of all, inconceivably formed, sun-bright and beyond darkness. At death, with focused mind, devotion, yoga power, and prana fixed at the eyebrow center, one attains the Supreme.

Learning:

Have a clear image of what you're meditating on: the ancient, omnipresent, subtle, radiant divine. At the critical moment of death, devotion, practice, and technique come together. Prepare now for what you want to accomplish then.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

yad akṣharaṁ veda-vido vadanti viśhanti yad yatayo vīta-rāgāḥ yad ichchhanto brahmacharyaṁ charanti tat te padaṁ saṅgraheṇa pravakṣhye

Translation:

I shall briefly tell you of that state which the knowers of the Vedas call the Imperishable, which the self-controlled and desire-free enter, and desiring which seekers practice celibacy.

Commentary:

Krishna promises to explain the imperishable state described by Vedic scholars, attained by self-controlled renunciants, and sought by those practicing brahmacharya (spiritual discipline). This is the ultimate destination of the spiritual path.

Learning:

The imperishable state is universally recognized as the goal by all genuine spiritual traditions. Whether through Vedic study, ascetic discipline, or celibate practice, seekers aim for the same destination. Different paths lead to the same peak.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

sarva-dvārāṇi saṁyamya mano hṛidi nirudhya cha mūrdhny ādhāyātmanaḥ prāṇam āsthito yoga-dhāraṇām om ity ekākṣharaṁ brahma vyāharan mām anusmaran yaḥ prayāti tyajan dehaṁ sa yāti paramāṁ gatim

Translation:

Closing all the gates of the body, confining the mind in the heart, fixing the life force at the crown of the head, established in yogic concentration, uttering the single syllable Om—Brahman—while remembering Me, one who departs leaving the body attains the supreme goal.

Commentary:

The technique for conscious departure is detailed: close the senses (body's gates), focus the mind in the heart, raise the prana to the crown, hold yogic concentration, chant Om, and remember Krishna. Leaving the body in this state guarantees the highest destination.

Learning:

There is a science to leaving the body consciously. The senses are withdrawn, the mind focused, the life force directed upward, sacred sound is invoked, and divine remembrance is maintained. This is the art of dying well—worth learning.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

ananya-chetāḥ satataṁ yo māṁ smarati nityaśhaḥ tasyāhaṁ sulabhaḥ pārtha nitya-yuktasya yoginaḥ

Translation:

For one who thinks of no one else, constantly remembering Me always, I am easy to attain, O Partha, for the ever-engaged yogi.

Commentary:

For the devoted yogi who thinks exclusively of Krishna, constantly and always, Krishna becomes easy to attain. This is a remarkable promise: single-minded devotion makes the infinite accessible. The "difficulty" of attaining God dissolves for the truly devoted.

Learning:

Exclusive, constant devotion makes the seemingly impossible easy. When your mind doesn't scatter in a thousand directions but stays focused on the one source, that source becomes readily available. Simplify your attention; deepen your focus.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

mām upetya punar janma duḥkhālayam aśhāśhvatam nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ

Translation:

Having attained Me, the great souls are not born again in this world, which is temporary and full of suffering. They have reached the highest perfection.

Commentary:

Those who attain Krishna don't return to this world of suffering and impermanence. They have achieved the supreme perfection—liberation from the cycle of rebirth. This is the ultimate success of spiritual life.

Learning:

The goal is to end the cycle of suffering and return. This material world, however beautiful, is temporary and mixed with sorrow. Those who reach the divine are freed from involuntary rebirth. This is the ultimate achievement worth striving for.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna mām upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate

Translation:

From the highest realm of Brahma downward, all worlds are subject to return, O Arjuna. But one who attains Me, O son of Kunti, never takes birth again.

Commentary:

Even the highest heavenly realms, including Brahma's world, involve eventual return to the cycle. Only attainment of Krishna brings permanent liberation. All other achievements, however elevated, are temporary.

Learning:

No worldly or heavenly attainment is permanent. Even the highest celestial realms have an end. Only union with the Supreme is final and complete. Aim for the permanent, not just improved temporary conditions.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ rātriṁ yuga-sahasrāntāṁ te 'ho-rātra-vido janāḥ

Translation:

Those who know Brahma's day, lasting a thousand yugas, and his night, lasting a thousand yugas—they are knowers of day and night.

Commentary:

This verse introduces cosmic time scales. One day of Brahma equals a thousand yugas (cosmic ages), as does one night. Those who understand these vast cycles understand the true nature of time and creation.

Learning:

The universe operates on time scales beyond ordinary comprehension. Our human sense of time is limited. Understanding cosmic cycles puts our brief lives in perspective and reveals the vastness of creation.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

avyaktād vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ prabhavanty ahar-āgame rātry-āgame pralīyante tatraivāvyakta-saṁjñake

Translation:

At the coming of Brahma's day, all manifestations emerge from the unmanifest. At the coming of night, they dissolve into that same unmanifest.

Commentary:

When Brahma's day begins, the entire manifest universe emerges from the unmanifest state. When his night comes, everything dissolves back into that unmanifest. This cycle of universal manifestation and withdrawal continues endlessly.

Learning:

Creation is cyclical. Everything that manifests eventually returns to its unmanifest source. The universe breathes out and breathes in. Understanding this cycle helps release attachment to what must inevitably dissolve.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

bhūta-grāmaḥ sa evāyaṁ bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate rātry-āgame 'vaśhaḥ pārtha prabhavaty ahar-āgame

Translation:

This multitude of beings, again and again coming into existence, dissolves helplessly at the coming of night, O Partha, and emerges again at the coming of day.

Commentary:

The same beings cycle repeatedly through manifestation and dissolution. They have no choice in this process—it happens automatically according to cosmic law. Individual will is powerless against the rhythm of cosmic days and nights.

Learning:

We are part of a larger rhythm beyond our control. The cycle of manifestation and dissolution carries us along unless we transcend it through spiritual attainment. Individual effort is important, but cosmic forces are vast.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ yaḥ sa sarveṣhu bhūteṣhu naśhyatsu na vinaśhyati

Translation:

But beyond this unmanifest, there is another unmanifest, eternal, which does not perish when all beings perish.

Commentary:

Beyond the unmanifest material nature (prakriti) that dissolves in cosmic nights, there is a higher unmanifest—the eternal, spiritual reality that never perishes. When all beings and worlds dissolve, this remains. This is the supreme destination.

Learning:

There is something beyond even the subtle unmanifest nature. This supreme unmanifest is eternal and indestructible. It exists when everything else ceases to exist. This is the ultimate refuge—the one thing that never fails.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

avyakto 'kṣhara ity uktas tam āhuḥ paramāṁ gatim yaṁ prāpya na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama

Translation:

That unmanifest, called the Imperishable, is said to be the supreme destination. Those who reach it do not return. That is My supreme abode.

Commentary:

This eternal unmanifest is called Akshara—the imperishable. It is the ultimate goal, and those who attain it never return to worldly existence. This is Krishna's supreme abode—the final destination of the spiritual journey.

Learning:

The supreme goal is the imperishable reality from which there is no return to suffering. This is not annihilation but eternal existence in the divine abode. Know what you're aiming for—eternal life in the supreme realm.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

puruṣhaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyas tv ananyayā yasyāntaḥ-sthāni bhūtāni yena sarvam idaṁ tatam

Translation:

That Supreme Person, O Partha, in whom all beings exist and by whom all this is pervaded, is attainable through exclusive devotion.

Commentary:

The Supreme Person—in whom all beings dwell and who pervades everything—is reached through ananya bhakti (exclusive devotion). Not partial or mixed devotion, but complete, single-pointed love attains the highest. The method matches the goal.

Learning:

Exclusive devotion is the key to the highest attainment. Not devotion mixed with other aims, but pure, undivided love for the divine alone. The one who contains and pervades all is reached by those whose devotion is complete.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

yatra kāle tv anāvṛittim āvṛittiṁ chaiva yoginaḥ prayātā yānti taṁ kālaṁ vakṣhyāmi bharatarṣhabha

Translation:

I shall now tell you, O best of the Bharatas, the times at which yogis departing return or do not return.

Commentary:

Krishna will explain the auspicious and inauspicious times of death that determine whether a yogi returns to rebirth or attains liberation. Timing, according to cosmic forces, influences the soul's destination.

Learning:

Cosmic timing affects the soul's journey after death. While this may seem strange to modern minds, it reflects the interconnection of individual life with cosmic rhythms. Ancient wisdom recognized factors we may have forgotten.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

agnir jyotir ahaḥ śhuklaḥ ṣhaṇ-māsā uttarāyaṇam tatra prayātā gachchhanti brahma brahma-vido janāḥ

Translation:

Fire, light, daytime, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern course of the sun—departing at such times, the knowers of Brahman go to Brahman.

Commentary:

The auspicious path is described: those who die during periods associated with fire, light, daytime, the bright half of the moon, and the sun's northern course attain Brahman if they have Brahma-jnana. These are the auspicious conditions for final departure.

Learning:

Light, brightness, and the ascending phase favor liberation. The symbolism suggests that those who die in states of clarity, illumination, and upward momentum attain the highest. Inner light matters more than external timing.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

dhūmo rātris tathā kṛiṣhṇaḥ ṣhaṇ-māsā dakṣhiṇāyanam tatra chāndramasaṁ jyotir yogī prāpya nivartate

Translation:

Smoke, night, the dark fortnight, the six months of the southern course of the sun—departing at such times, the yogi attains the lunar light and returns.

Commentary:

The return path is described: those who die during periods associated with smoke, darkness, night, the dark half of the moon, and the sun's southern course attain the lunar realm and eventually return to rebirth.

Learning:

Darkness and descending phases lead to return. The soul achieves some elevation but not final liberation. The symbolism suggests that states of obscurity, unconsciousness, or decline at death result in continued cycling.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

śhukla-kṛiṣhṇe gatī hy ete jagataḥ śhāśhvate mate ekayā yāty anāvṛittim anyayāvartate punaḥ

Translation:

These two paths—the bright and the dark—are considered eternal for the world. By one, one goes to no return; by the other, one returns again.

Commentary:

Two eternal paths exist: the bright path leading to no return, and the dark path leading to return. These cosmic pathways represent fundamental possibilities for the departing soul—liberation or continued cycling.

Learning:

There are two directions: toward freedom or back to bondage. Every choice, every state of being, moves you along one path or the other. Be conscious of which direction your life is taking you.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

naite sṛitī pārtha jānan yogī muhyati kaśhchana tasmāt sarveṣhu kāleṣhu yoga-yukto bhavārjuna

Translation:

Knowing these two paths, O Partha, no yogi is ever deluded. Therefore, at all times be united in yoga, O Arjuna.

Commentary:

Understanding these paths removes delusion. The yogi who knows is not confused about where efforts lead. The practical advice: always maintain yoga—union with the divine. Don't wait for auspicious conditions; be always prepared.

Learning:

Knowledge of destinations removes confusion about practices. Knowing where paths lead, you can choose wisely. But the key instruction is: always stay connected. Constant yoga ensures readiness regardless of when death comes.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

vedeṣhu yajñeṣhu tapaḥsu chaiva dāneṣhu yat puṇya-phalaṁ pradiṣhṭam atyeti tat sarvam idaṁ viditvā yogī paraṁ sthānam upaiti chādyam

Translation:

Knowing all this, the yogi transcends the merit gained from studying the Vedas, performing sacrifices, practicing austerities, and giving charity, and attains the supreme, primeval abode.

Commentary:

The chapter concludes with a grand promise: understanding these truths transcends all other religious merits—Vedic study, sacrifice, austerity, charity. The yogi who knows attains the original, supreme destination that surpasses all lesser attainments.

Learning:

This knowledge surpasses all other spiritual acquisitions. Vedic learning, rituals, disciplines, generosity—all valuable—are transcended by this understanding of the imperishable and how to attain it. This is the pinnacle knowledge that yields the ultimate result.