All ChaptersMAHABHARAT

Chapter 8 of 18

अक्षर ब्रह्म योग

The Yoga of the Imperishable Brahman

Krishna explains the nature of Brahman, the cosmic cycle of creation and destruction, and the path of the soul after death — emphasising remembrance of the divine at the moment of death.

28 verses

8.1

अर्जुन उवाच |

Swami Sivananda did not comment on this sloka

8.2

अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन |

Who and how is Adhiyajna here in this body, O destroyer of Madhu (Krishna)?

8.3

श्रीभगवानुवाच |

The Blessed Lord said Brahman is the Imperishable, the Supreme; Its essential nature is c…

8.4

अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम् |

Adhibhuta (knowledge of the elements) pertains to My perishable Nature and the Purusha or …

8.5

अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् |

And whosoever, leaving the body, goes forth remembering Me alone, at the time of death, he…

8.6

यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् |

Whosoever at the end leaves the body, thinking of any being, to that being only does he go…

8.7

तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च |

Therefore at all times remember Me only and fight. With mind and intellect fixed (or absor…

8.8

अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना |

With the mind not moving towards any other thing, made steadfast by the method of habitual…

8.9

कविं पुराणमनुशासितार-

Whosoever meditates on the Omniscient, the Ancient, the Ruler (of the whole world), minute…

8.10

प्रयाणकाले मनसाऽचलेन

At the time of death, with unshaken mind, endowed with devotio, by the power of Yoga, fixi…

8.11

यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति

That which is declared Imperishable by those who know the Vedas, that which the self-contr…

8.12

सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च |

Having closed all the gates, confined the mind in the heart and fixed the life-breath in t…

8.13

ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन् |

Uttering the one-syllabled Om the Brahman and remembering Me, he who departs, leaving th…

8.14

अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः |

I am easily attainable by that ever-steadfast Yogi who constantly and daily remembers Me (…

8.15

मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम् |

Having attained Me these great souls do not again take birth (here) which is the place of …

8.16

आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन |

(All) the worlds including the world of Brahma are subject to return again, O Arjuna; but …

8.17

सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद् ब्रह्मणो विदुः |

Those people who know the day of Brahma which is of a duration of a thousand Yugas (ages) …

8.18

अव्यक्ताद् व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे |

From the Unmanifested all the manifested (worlds) proceed at the coming of the 'day'; at t…

8.19

भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते |

This same multitude of beings, being born again and again, is dissolved, helplessly, O Arj…

8.20

परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः |

But verily there exists, higher than this Unmanifested, another unmanifested Eternal, whic…

8.21

अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम् |

What is called the Unmanifested and the Imperishable, That they say is the highest goal. T…

8.22

पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया |

That highest Purusha, O Arjuna, is attainable by unswerving devotion to Him alone within W…

8.23

यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः |

Now I will tell thee, O chief of Bharatas, the times departing at which the Yogis will ret…

8.24

अग्निर्जोतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम् |

Fire, light daytime, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern path of the sun …

8.25

धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम् |

Attaining to the lunar light by smoke, night time, the dark fortnight also, the six months…

8.26

शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते |

The bright and the dark paths of the world are verily thought to be eternal; by the one (t…

8.27

नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन |

Knowing these paths, O Arjuna, no Yogi is deluded; therefore at all times be steadfast in …

8.28

वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैव

Whatever fruit of merit is declared (in the scriptures) to accrue from (the study of) the …