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

śhukla-kṛiṣhṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śhāśhvate mate ekayā yātyanāvṛittim anyayāvartate punaḥ

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 8, Verse 26
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
The bright and dark paths of the world are thought to be eternal; one leads to no return, and the other leads to return.

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: these two paths, bright and dark, are considered eternal in this world, by one, a person goes to non-return, by the other, they return again, summarizing the two paths named across the previous two verses as a permanent, recurring feature of existence.

In life: the choice between clarity-oriented and confusion-oriented paths isn't something you resolve once and never face again, it's a recurring choice point throughout a life.

Teaching: expect to face this same basic choice, toward clarity or toward confusion, repeatedly throughout your life, not as a single decision made once and settled forever.

śhuklabright
kṛiṣhṇedark
gatīpaths
hicertainly
etethese
jagataḥof the material world
śhāśhvateeternal
mateopinion
ekayāby one
yātigoes
anāvṛittimto non return
anyayāby the other
āvartatecomes back
punaḥagain

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
8.26 शुक्लकृष्णे bright and dark? गती (two) paths? हि verily? एते these? जगतः of the world? शाश्वते eternal? मते are thought? एकया by one? याति (he) goes? अनावृत्तिम् to nonreturn? अन्यया by another? आवर्तते (he) returns? पुनः again.Commentary The bright path is the path to the gods taken by the devotees. The dark path is of the manes taken by those who perform sacrifices or charitable acts with the expectation of rewards. These two paths are not open to the whole world. The bright path is open to the devotees and the dark one to those who are devoted to the rituals. These paths are as eternal as the Samsara.World here means devotees or people devoted to ritual.Pitriloka or Chandraloka is Svarga or heaven.