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

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

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 8, Verse 11
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
That which is declared to be Imperishable by those who know the Vedas, that which the self-controlled (ascetics or Sannyasins) and passion-free enter, that goal, desiring which celibacy is practised, I will declare to thee in brief.

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: what the knowers of the Vedas call the imperishable, which ascetics free from passion enter, and which seekers of liberation strive for, Krishna will briefly describe, promising a distillation of a vast body of tradition into something manageable.

In life: sometimes the most useful thing someone can do for you is distill an overwhelming amount of accumulated knowledge into something you can actually act on directly.

Teaching: when you're overwhelmed by too much information on a topic, look for someone credible who can distill it down, the way Krishna offers to do here, rather than trying to absorb everything at once yourself.

yatwhich
akṣharamImperishable
veda-vidaḥscholars of the Vedas
vadantidescribe
viśhantienter
yatwhich
yatayaḥgreat ascetics
vīta-rāgāḥfree from attachment
yatwhich
ichchhantaḥdesiring
brahmacharyamcelibacy
charantipractice
tatthat
teto you
padamgoal
saṅgraheṇabriefly
pravakṣhyeI shall explain

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
8.11 यत् which? अक्षरम् imperishable? वेदविदः knowers of the Vedas? वदन्ति declare? विशन्ति enter? यत् which? यतयः the selfcontrolled (ascetics or Sannyasins)? वीतरागाः freed from attachment? यत् which? इच्छन्तः desiring? ब्रह्मचर्यम् celibacy? चरन्ति practise? तत् that? ते to thee? पदम् goal? संग्रहेण in brief? प्रवक्ष्ये (I) will declare.Commentary The Supreme Being which is symbolised by the sacred monosyllable Om or the Pranava is the highest step or the supreme goal of man.The same ideas are expressed in the Kathopanishad. Yama (the God of Death) said to Nachiketas? The goal which all the Vedas speak of? which all penances proclaim and wishing for which they lead the life of celibacy? that goal (world) I will briefly tell thee. It is Om. Satyakama the son of Sibi estioned Pippalada? O Bhagavan? if some one among men meditates here until death on the syllable Om? what world does he obtain by that Pippalada replied? O Satyakama? the syllable Om is indeed the higher and the lower Brahman. He who meditates on the higher Purusha with this syllable Om of three Matras (units) is led up by the Samaverses to the Brahmaloka or the world of Brahma. (Prasnopanishad)Pranava or Om is considered either as an expression of the Supreme Self or Its symbol like anidol (Pratika). It serves persons of dull and middling intellects as a means for realising the Supreme Self.Chant Om three times at the commencement of your meditation you will find concentration of mind easier.