Chapter 8

Akshara Brahma Yoga

अक्षरब्रह्मयोग

Akṣhar Brahma Yog•“Path of the Eternal God”•28 Verses

A Reading - Rantideb

Chapter 7 closed on the idea of understanding held steady even at the moment of death. Chapter 8 opens with Arjuna asking directly what actually happens at that moment, what is this Brahman, this Self, this action, and what determines where a person goes after they die. Why this matters: it takes a question most people avoid thinking about directly and treats it as practical, not morbid, since Krishna's answer is that whatever you're dwelling on at the moment of death shapes what comes next, which means the real work happens long before that moment, in what you practice thinking about now. In life, this is the chapter for anyone who has noticed that their mind defaults to certain thoughts under pressure, the patterns you've built over years show up exactly when you have the least conscious control left to redirect them. The teaching is to build the habit of remembrance and steady focus now, in ordinary moments, precisely because you won't have the luxury of starting that practice later, when it matters most.

Chapter Summary

The eighth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is "Akshara Brahma Yoga". In this chapter, Krishna reveals the importance of the last thought before death. If we can remember Krishna at the time of death, we will certainly attain him. Thus, it is very important to be in constant awareness of the Lord at all times, thinking of Him and chanting His names at all times. By perfectly absorbing their mind in Him through constant devotion, one can go beyond this material existence to Lord's Supreme abode.

Verses in this Chapter (28)

Verse 1

अर्जुन उवाच किं तद्ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम। अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते।।8.1।।

Arjuna said, O Supreme Person, what is Brahman? What exists in the individual plane? What is action? What is said to exist in the physical plane? And what is said to exist in the divine plane?

Verse 2

अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन। प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः।।8.2।।

O Madhusudana, how is the entity existing in the sacrifice here in this body, and who is it? And how are You to be known by people of concentrated minds at the time of death?

Verse 3

श्री भगवानुवाच अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते। भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः।।8.3।।

The Blessed Lord said, "The Immutable is the supreme Brahman; selfhood is said to be the entity present in the individual plane. By action is meant the offerings that bring about the origin of existence of things."

Verse 4

अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम्। अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर।।8.4।।

That which exists in the physical plane is the mutable entity, and what exists in the divine plane is the Person. O best among the embodied beings, I Myself am the entity that exists in the sacrifice within this body.

Verse 5

अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम्। यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः।।8.5।।

And at the time of death, anyone who departs, giving up the body while thinking of Me alone, attains My state; there is no doubt about this.

Verse 6

यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम्। तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः।।8.6।।

O son of Kunti, thinking of any entity, whichever it may be, one gives up the body at the end; he attains that very one, having been always engrossed in its thought.

Verse 7

तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च। मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयम्।।8.7।।

Therefore, think of Me at all times and fight; there is no doubt that by dedicating your mind and intellect to Me, you will attain only Me.

Verse 8

अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना। परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन्।।8.8।।

O son of Prtha, by meditating with a mind engaged in the yoga of practice and not straying away to anything else, one reaches the supreme Person existing in the effulgent region.

Verse 9

कविं पुराणमनुशासितार मणोरणीयांसमनुस्मरेद्यः। सर्वस्य धातारमचिन्त्यरूप मादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात्।।8.9।।

He who meditates on the Omniscient, the Ancient, the Ruler, subtler than the subtle, the Ordainer of everything, of inconceivable form, effulgent like the sun, and beyond darkness - he attains the Supreme Person.

Verse 10

प्रयाणकाले मनसाऽचलेन भक्त्या युक्तो योगबलेन चैव। भ्रुवोर्मध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्यक् स तं परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम्।।8.10।।

At the time of death, having fully fixed the Prana (vital force) between the eyebrows with an unwavering mind, and being imbued with devotion as well as the strength of concentration, he reaches that resplendent Supreme Person.

Verse 11

यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति विशन्ति यद्यतयो वीतरागाः। यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति तत्ते पदं संग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये।।8.11।।

I will briefly speak to you of that immutable Goal, which the knowers of the Vedas declare; into which diligent ones, free from attachment, enter, and for which people practice celibacy, aspiring.

Verse 12

सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च। मूर्ध्न्याधायात्मनः प्राणमास्थितो योगधारणाम्।।8.12।।

Having controlled all the senses, confined the mind in the heart, and fixed his own vital force in the head, he should remain steadfast in yoga.

Verse 13

ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन्। यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम्।।8.13।।

He who departs, leaving the body while uttering the single syllable, viz. "Om," which is Brahman, and thinking of Me, attains the supreme Goal.

Verse 14

अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः। तस्याहं सुलभः पार्थ नित्ययुक्तस्य योगिनः।।8.14।।

O son of Prtha, to that yogi of constant concentration and single-minded attention, who remembers Me uninterruptedly and for a long time, I am easy to attain.

Verse 15

मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम्। नाप्नुवन्ति महात्मानः संसिद्धिं परमां गताः।।8.15।।

As a result of reaching Me, the exalted ones who have attained the highest perfection do not get birth, which is an abode of sorrows and is impermanent.

Verse 16

आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन। मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते।।8.16।।

O Arjuna, all the worlds together with the world of Brahma are subject to return. But, O son of Kunti, there is no rebirth after reaching Me.

Verse 17

सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद्ब्रह्मणो विदुः। रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः।।8.17।।

Those people who know what day and night are, know the day of Brahma which ends in a thousand yugas [The four yugas (in the human worlds), viz Satya, Treta, Dwapara, and Kali are made up of 4,320,000 years. This period multiplied by a thousand constitutes one day of Brahma. His night also extends over a similar period. See M.S. and V.S.A.], and His night which also ends in a thousand yugas.

Verse 18

अव्यक्ताद्व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे। रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके।।8.18।।

With the coming of day, all manifested things emerge from the Unmanifest, and when night comes, they merge into that which is called the Unmanifested.

Verse 19

भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते। रात्र्यागमेऽवशः पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे।।8.19।।

O son of Prtha, after being born again and again, that very multitude of beings disappears of its own accord at the approach of night. It comes to life again at the approach of day.

Verse 20

परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः। यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति।।8.20।।

But distinct from that Unmanifested is the other eternal, unmanifest Reality, who does not get destroyed when all beings are destroyed.

Verse 21

अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम्। यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम।।8.21।।

They call Him who has been mentioned as the Unmanifested, the Immutable, the supreme Goal. That is the supreme abode of Mine, from which they do not return once they reach it.

Verse 22

पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया। यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम्।।8.22।।

O son of Prtha, that supreme Person - in whom all beings are included and by whom all this is pervaded - is indeed reached through one-pointed devotion.

Verse 23

यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः। प्रयाता यान्ति तं कालं वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ।।8.23।।

O best of the Bharata dynasty, I shall now speak of that time by which the yogis depart and attain the State of Non-return, and also the State of Return.

Verse 24

अग्निर्ज्योतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम्। तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः।।8.24।।

Fire, light, daytime, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern solstice - by following this path, persons who are knowers of Brahman attain Brahman when they die.

Verse 25

धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम्। तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते।।8.25।।

Following this Path, the yogi, having reached the lunar light, returns, smoke, night, as also the dark fortnight and the six months of the Southern solstice.

Verse 26

शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते। एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययाऽऽवर्तते पुनः।।8.26।।

These two paths of the world, which are white and black, are indeed considered eternal. Through one, a person goes to the state of non-return; through the other, they return again.

Verse 27

नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन। तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन।।8.27।।

O son of Prtha, no yogi - one steadfast in meditation - whosoever has known these two courses becomes deluded. Therefore, O Arjuna, be steadfast in yoga at all times.

Verse 28

वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैव दानेषु यत्पुण्यफलं प्रदिष्टम्। अत्येति तत्सर्वमिदं विदित्वा योगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाद्यम्।।8.28।।

Having known this, the yogi transcends all the results of righteous deeds declared in the Vedas, sacrifices, austerities, and charities, and reaches the primordial, supreme state.

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Verses

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