CHAPTER EIGHT
Attaining the Supreme
TEXT 1
अर्जुन उवाच
क िं तद् ब्रह्म क मध्यात्मिं क िं मु पजरुषोत्तम ।
अकिभूतिं च क िं प्रोक्तमकिदै विं क मजच्यते ॥ १ ॥
arjuna uvāca
kiṁ tad brahma kim adhyātmaṁ
kiṁ karma puruṣottama
adhibhūtaṁ ca kiṁ proktam
adhidaivaṁ kim ucyate
Translation
Arjuna inquired: O my Lord, O Supreme Person, what is Brahman?
What is the self? What are fruitive activities? What is this material
manifestation? And what are the demigods? Please explain this to me.
TEXT 2
अकियज्ञ: थिं ोऽत्र दे हेऽस्मिन्मिज सूदन ।
प्रयाण ाले च थिं ज्ञेयोऽकस कनयतात्मकभ: ॥ २ ॥
adhiyajñaḥ kathaṁ ko ’tra
dehe ’smin madhusūdana
prayāṇa-kāle ca kathaṁ
jñeyo ’si niyatātmabhiḥ
Translation
Who is the Lord of sacrifice, and how does He live in the body, O
Madhusūdana? And how can those engaged in devotional service know
You at the time of death?
TEXT 3
श्रीभगवानजवाच
अक्षरिं ब्रह्म परमिं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममजच्यते ।
भूतभावोद्भव रो कवसगु: मुसिंकज्ञत: ॥ ३ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
akṣaraṁ brahma paramaṁ
svabhāvo ’dhyātmam ucyate
bhūta-bhāvodbhava-karo
visargaḥ karma-saṁjñitaḥ
Translation
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The indestructible,
transcendental living entity is called Brahman, and his eternal nature is
called adhyātma, the self. Action pertaining to the development of the
material bodies of the living entities is called karma, or fruitive activities.
TEXT 4
अकिभूतिं क्षरो भाव: पजरुषश्चाकिदै वतम् ।
अकियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र दे हे दे हभृतािं वर ॥ ४ ॥
adhibhūtaṁ kṣaro bhāvaḥ
puruṣaś cādhidaivatam
adhiyajño ’ham evātra
dehe deha-bhṛtāṁ vara
Translation
O best of the embodied beings, the physical nature, which is constantly
changing, is called adhibhūta [the material manifestation]. The universal
form of the Lord, which includes all the demigods, like those of the sun
and moon, is called adhidaiva. And I, the Supreme Lord, represented as
the Supersoul in the heart of every embodied being, am called adhiyajña
[the Lord of sacrifice].
TEXT 5
अन्त ाले च मामेव िरन्मजक्त्वा लेवरम् ।
य: प्रयाकत स मद्भााविं याकत नास्त्यत्र सिंशय: ॥ ५ ॥
anta-kāle ca mām eva
smaran muktvā kalevaram
yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ
yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ
Translation
And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body remembering Me alone
at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.
TEXT 6
यिं यिं वाकप िरन्भाविं त्यर्त्यन्ते लेवरम् ।
तिं तमेवैकत ौन्तेय सदा तद्भाावभाकवत: ॥ ६ ॥
yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ
tyajaty ante kalevaram
taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya
sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ
Translation
Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of
Kuntī, that state he will attain without fail.
TEXT 7
तिात्सवेषज ालेषज मामनजिर यजध्य च ।
मय्यकपुतमनोबजस्मिमाु मेवैष्यस्यसिंशय: ॥ ७ ॥
tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu
mām anusmara yudhya ca
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
mām evaiṣyasy asaṁśayaḥ
Translation
Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Kṛṣṇa
and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your
activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you
will attain Me without doubt.
TEXT 8
अभ्यासयोगयजक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगाकमना ।
परमिं पजरुषिं कदव्यिं याकत पाथाु नजकचन्तयन् ॥ ८ ॥
abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena
cetasā nānya-gāminā
paramaṁ puruṣaṁ divyaṁ
yāti pārthānucintayan
Translation
He who meditates on Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind
constantly engaged in remembering Me, undeviated from the path, he, O
Pārtha, is sure to reach Me.
TEXT 9
कविं पजराणमनजशाकसतार-
मणोरणीयािं समनजिरे द्य: ।
सवुस्य िातारमकचन्त्यरूप-
माकदत्यवणं तमस: परस्तात् ॥ ९ ॥
kaviṁ purāṇam anuśāsitāram
aṇor aṇīyāṁsam anusmared yaḥ
sarvasya dhātāram acintya-rūpam
āditya-varṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt
Translation
One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows
everything, as He who is the oldest, who is the controller, who is smaller
than the smallest, who is the maintainer of everything, who is beyond all
material conception, who is inconceivable, and who is always a person. He
is luminous like the sun, and He is transcendental, beyond this material
nature.
TEXT 10
प्रयाण ाले मनसाचलेन
भक्त्याा यजक्तो योगबलेन चैव ।
भ्रजवोमुध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्य-
क्स तिं परिं पजरुषमजपैकत कदव्यम् ॥ १० ॥
prayāṇa-kāle manasācalena
bhaktyā yukto yoga-balena caiva
bhruvor madhye prāṇam āveśya samyak
sa taṁ paraṁ puruṣam upaiti divyam
Translation
One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between the eyebrows and,
by the strength of yoga, with an undeviating mind, engages himself in
remembering the Supreme Lord in full devotion, will certainly attain to
the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TEXT 11
यदक्षरिं वेदकवदो वदस्मन्त
कवशस्मन्त यद्यतयो वीतरागा: ।
यकदच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचयं चरस्मन्त
तत्ते पदिं सङ्ग्रहे ण प्रवक्ष्ये ॥ ११ ॥
yad akṣaraṁ veda-vido vadanti
viśanti yad yatayo vīta-rāgāḥ
yad icchanto brahma-caryaṁ caranti
tat te padaṁ saṅgraheṇa pravakṣye
Translation
Persons who are learned in the Vedas, who utter oṁ-kāra, and who are
great sages in the renounced order enter into Brahman. Desiring such
perfection, one practices celibacy. I shall now briefly explain to you this
process by which one may attain salvation.
TEXT 12
सवुद्वाराकण सिंयम्य मनो हृकद कनरुध्य च ।
मूि्न्याु िायात्मन: प्राणमास्मथथतो योगिारणाम् ॥ १२ ॥
sarva-dvārāṇi saṁyamya
mano hṛdi nirudhya ca
mūrdhny ādhāyātmanaḥ prāṇam
āsthito yoga-dhāraṇām
Translation
The yogic situation is that of detachment from all sensual engagements.
Closing all the doors of the senses and fixing the mind on the heart and
the life air at the top of the head, one establishes himself in yoga.
TEXT 13
ॐ इत्ये ाक्षरिं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनजिरन् ।
य: प्रयाकत त्यर्न्दे हिं स याकत परमािं गकतम् ॥ १३ ॥
oṁ ity ekākṣaraṁ brahma
vyāharan mām anusmaran
yaḥ prayāti tyajan dehaṁ
sa yāti paramāṁ gatim
Translation
After being situated in this yoga practice and vibrating the sacred syllable
oṁ, the supreme combination of letters, if one thinks of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead and quits his body, he will certainly reach the
spiritual planets.
TEXT 14
अनन्यचेता: सततिं यो मािं िरकत कनत्यश: ।
तस्याहिं सजलभ: पाथु कनत्ययजक्तस्य योकगन: ॥ १४ ॥
ananya-cetāḥ satataṁ
yo māṁ smarati nityaśaḥ
tasyāhaṁ su-labhaḥ pārtha
nitya-yuktasya yoginaḥ
Translation
For one who always remembers Me without deviation, I am easy to obtain,
O son of Pṛthā, because of his constant engagement in devotional service.
TEXT 15
मामजपेत्य पजनर्ुन्म दज :खालयमशाश्वतम् ।
नाप्नजवस्मन्त महात्मान: सिंकसस्मििं परमािं गता: ॥ १५ ॥
mām upetya punar janma
duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ
Translation
After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never
return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they
have attained the highest perfection.
TEXT 16
आब्रह्मभजवनाल्लाो ा: पजनरावकतुनोऽर्जुन ।
मामजपेत्य तज ौन्तेय पजनर्ुन्म न कवद्यते ॥ १६ ॥
ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ
punar āvartino ’rjuna
mām upetya tu kaunteya
punar janma na vidyate
Translation
From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are
places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who
attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again.
TEXT 17
सहस्रयजगपयुन्तमहयुद्ब्रह्मणो कवदज : ।
राकत्रिं यजगसहस्रान्तािं तेऽहोरात्रकवदो र्ना: ॥ १७ ॥
sahasra-yuga-paryantam
ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ
rātriṁ yuga-sahasrāntāṁ
te ’ho-rātra-vido janāḥ
Translation
By human calculation, a thousand ages taken together form the duration
of Brahmā’s one day. And such also is the duration of his night.
TEXT 18
अव्यक्ताद् व्यक्तय: सवाु : प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे ।
रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसिंज्ञ े ॥ १८ ॥
avyaktād vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ
prabhavanty ahar-āgame
rātry-āgame pralīyante
tatraivāvyakta-saṁjñake
Translation
At the beginning of Brahmā’s day, all living entities become manifest from
the unmanifest state, and thereafter, when the night falls, they are merged
into the unmanifest again.
TEXT 19
भूतराम: स एवायिं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते ।
रात्र्यागमेऽवश: पाथु प्रभवत्यहरागमे ॥ १९ ॥
bhūta-grāmaḥ sa evāyaṁ
bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate
rātry-āgame ’vaśaḥ pārtha
prabhavaty ahar-āgame
Translation
Again and again, when Brahmā’s day arrives, all living entities come into
being, and with the arrival of Brahmā’s night they are helplessly
annihilated.
TEXT 20
परस्तिात्तज भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातन: ।
य: स सवेषज भूतेषज नश्यत्सज न कवनश्यकत ॥ २० ॥
paras tasmāt tu bhāvo ’nyo
’vyakto ’vyaktāt sanātanaḥ
yaḥ sa sarveṣu bhūteṣu
naśyatsu na vinaśyati
Translation
Yet there is another unmanifest nature, which is eternal and is
transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is supreme
and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that part
remains as it is.
TEXT 21
अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्यजक्तस्तमाहु: परमािं गकतम् ।
यिं प्राप्य न कनवतुन्ते तिाम परमिं मम ॥ २१ ॥
avyakto ’kṣara ity uktas
tam āhuḥ paramāṁ gatim
yaṁ prāpya na nivartante
tad dhāma paramaṁ mama
Translation
That which the Vedāntists describe as unmanifest and infallible, that
which is known as the supreme destination, that place from which, having
attained it, one never returns – that is My supreme abode.
TEXT 22
पजरुष: स पर: पाथु भक्त्याा लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया ।
यस्यान्त:थथाकन भूताकन येन सवुकमदिं ततम् ॥ २२ ॥
puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha
bhaktyā labhyas tv ananyayā
yasyāntaḥ-sthāni bhūtāni
yena sarvam idaṁ tatam
Translation
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is greater than all, is attainable
by unalloyed devotion. Although He is present in His abode, He is all-
pervading, and everything is situated within Him.
TEXT 23
यत्र ाले त्वनावृकत्तमावृकत्तिं चैव योकगन: ।
प्रयाता यास्मन्त तिं ालिं वक्ष्याकम भरतषुभ ॥ २३ ॥
yatra kāle tv anāvṛttim
āvṛttiṁ caiva yoginaḥ
prayātā yānti taṁ kālaṁ
vakṣyāmi bharatarṣabha
Translation
O best of the Bhāratas, I shall now explain to you the different times at
which, passing away from this world, the yogī does or does not come back.
TEXT 24
अग्नकार्ज्योकतरह: शजक्ला षण्मासा उत्तरायणम् ।
तत्र प्रयाता गच्छस्मन्त ब्रह्म ब्रह्मकवदो र्ना: ॥ २४ ॥
agnir jyotir ahaḥ śuklaḥ
ṣaṇ-māsā uttarāyaṇam
tatra prayātā gacchanti
brahma brahma-vido janāḥ
Translation
Those who know the Supreme Brahman attain that Supreme by passing
away from the world during the influence of the fiery god, in the light, at
an auspicious moment of the day, during the fortnight of the waxing
moon, or during the six months when the sun travels in the north.
TEXT 25
िू मो राकत्रस्तथा ृ ष्ण: षण्मासा दकक्षणायनम् ।
तत्र चान्द्रमसिं र्ज्योकतयोगी प्राप्य कनवतुते ॥ २५ ॥
dhūmo rātris tathā kṛṣṇaḥ
ṣaṇ-māsā dakṣiṇāyanam
tatra cāndramasaṁ jyotir
yogī prāpya nivartate
Translation
The mystic who passes away from this world during the smoke, the night,
the fortnight of the waning moon, or the six months when the sun passes
to the south reaches the moon planet but again comes back.
TEXT 26
शाज क्ल ृ ष्णे गती ह्येते र्गत: शाश्वते मते ।
ए या यात्यनावृकत्तमन्ययावतुते पजन: ॥ २६ ॥
śukla-kṛṣṇe gatī hy ete
jagataḥ śāśvate mate
ekayā yāty anāvṛttim
anyayāvartate punaḥ
Translation
According to Vedic opinion, there are two ways of passing from this world
– one in light and one in darkness. When one passes in light, he does not
come back; but when one passes in darkness, he returns.
TEXT 27
नैते सृती पाथु र्ानन्योगी मजह्यकत श्चन ।
तिात्सवेषज ालेषज योगयजक्तो भवार्जुन ॥ २७ ॥
naite sṛtī pārtha jānan
yogī muhyati kaścana
tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu
yoga-yukto bhavārjuna
Translation
Although the devotees know these two paths, O Arjuna, they are never
bewildered. Therefore be always fixed in devotion.
TEXT 28
वेदेषज यज्ञेषज तप:सज चैव
दानेषज यत्पजण्यफलिं प्रकदष्टम् ।
अत्येकत तत्सवुकमदिं कवकदत्वा
योगी परिं थथानमजपैकत चाद्यम् ॥ २८ ॥
vedeṣu yajñeṣu tapaḥsu caiva
dāneṣu yat puṇya-phalaṁ pradiṣṭam
atyeti tat sarvam idaṁ viditvā
yogī paraṁ sthānam upaiti cādyam
Translation
A person who accepts the path of devotional service is not bereft of the
results derived from studying the Vedas, performing sacrifices,
undergoing austerities, giving charity or pursuing philosophical and
fruitive activities. Simply by performing devotional service, he attains all
these, and at the end he reaches the supreme eternal abode.