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

avyakto ’kṣhara ityuktas tam āhuḥ paramāṁ gatim yaṁ prāpya na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 8, Verse 21
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
What is known as the Unmanifested and the Imperishable, That is said to be the highest goal. Those who reach It do not return (to this Samsara). That is My supreme abode (place or state).

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: this is called the unmanifest, imperishable, said to be the highest goal, attaining which, one does not return, this is Krishna's supreme abode, again naming permanence as the actual defining feature of the highest goal, as opposed to anything cyclical.

In life: chasing goals that inherently require repeating the same cycle indefinitely, the next promotion, the next milestone, the next validation, differs from investing in something that produces a more lasting sense of arrival.

Teaching: sort your current ambitions into cyclical ones that will need repeating indefinitely versus ones that could actually produce lasting resolution, and weight more of your effort toward the latter.

avyaktaḥunmanifest
akṣharaḥimperishable
itithus
uktaḥis said
tamthat
āhuḥis called
paramāmthe supreme
gatimdestination
yamwhich
prāpyahaving reached
nanever
nivartantecome back
tatthat
dhāmaabode
paramamthe supreme
mamamy

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
8.21 अव्यक्तः unmanifested? अक्षरः imperishable? इति thus? उक्तः called? तम् That? आहुः (they) say? परमाम् the highest? गतिम् goal (path)? यम् which? प्राप्य having reached? न not? निवर्तन्ते return? तत् that? धाम abode (place or state)? परमम् highest? मम My.Commentary Para Brahman is called the Unmanifested because It cannot be perceived by the senses. It is called the Imperishable also. It is allpervading? allpermeating and interpenetrating. Para Brahman is the highest Goal. There is nothing higher than It. This is the true nondual state free from all sorts of limiting adjuncts. The attainment of Brahmaloka (the region of the Creator) etc.? is inferior to this. Only by realising the Self is one liberated from Samsara. (Cf.XII.3?XV.6)