Sloka 1
अर्जुन उवाच |
किं तद् ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम |
अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते ||८-१||
Transliteration
arjuna uvāca .
kiṃ tad brahma kimadhyātmaṃ kiṃ karma puruṣottama .
adhibhūtaṃ ca kiṃ proktamadhidaivaṃ kimucyate ||8-1||
Meaning
Shri Purohit Swami did not comment on this sloka
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 2
अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन |
प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः ||८-२||
Transliteration
adhiyajñaḥ kathaṃ ko.atra dehe.asminmadhusūdana .
prayāṇakāle ca kathaṃ jñeyo.asi niyatātmabhiḥ ||8-2||
Meaning
8.2 Who is it who rules the spirit sacrifice in many; and at the time of death how may those who have learned self-control come to the knowledge of Thee?
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 3
श्रीभगवानुवाच |
अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते |
भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः ||८-३||
Transliteration
śrībhagavānuvāca .
akṣaraṃ brahma paramaṃ svabhāvo.adhyātmamucyate .
bhūtabhāvodbhavakaro visargaḥ karmasaṃjñitaḥ ||8-3||
Meaning
8.3 The Lord Shri Krishna replied: The Supreme Spirit is the Highest Imperishable Self, and Its Nature is spiritual consciousness. The worlds have been created and are supported by an emanation from the Spirit which is called the Law.
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 4
अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम् |
अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर ||८-४||
Transliteration
adhibhūtaṃ kṣaro bhāvaḥ puruṣaścādhidaivatam .
adhiyajño.ahamevātra dehe dehabhṛtāṃ vara ||8-4||
Meaning
8.4 Matter consists of the forms that perish; Divinity is the Supreme Self; and He who inspires the spirit of sacrifice in man, O noblest of thy race, is I Myself, Who now stand in human form before thee.
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 5
अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् |
यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः ||८-५||
Transliteration
antakāle ca māmeva smaranmuktvā kalevaram .
yaḥ prayāti sa madbhāvaṃ yāti nāstyatra saṃśayaḥ ||8-5||
Meaning
8.5 Whosoever at the time of death thinks only of Me, and thinking thus leaves the body and goes forth, assuredly he will know Me.
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 6
यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् |
तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः ||८-६||
Transliteration
yaṃ yaṃ vāpi smaranbhāvaṃ tyajatyante kalevaram .
taṃ tamevaiti kaunteya sadā tadbhāvabhāvitaḥ ||8-6||
Meaning
8.6 On whatever sphere of being the mind of a man may be intent at the time of death, thither he will go.
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 7
तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च |
मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयः (orसंशयम्) ||८-७||
Transliteration
tasmātsarveṣu kāleṣu māmanusmara yudhya ca .
mayyarpitamanobuddhirmāmevaiṣyasyasaṃśayaḥ ||8-7||
Meaning
8.7 Therefore meditate always on Me, and fight; if thy mind and thy reason be fixed on Me, to Me shalt thou surely come.
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 8
अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना |
परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन् ||८-८||
Transliteration
orsaṃśayama abhyāsayogayuktena cetasā nānyagāminā .
paramaṃ puruṣaṃ divyaṃ yāti pārthānucintayan ||8-8||
Meaning
8.8 He whose mind does not wander, and who is engaged in constant meditation, attains the Supreme Spirit.
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 9
कविं पुराणमनुशासितार-
मणोरणीयंसमनुस्मरेद्यः |
सर्वस्य धातारमचिन्त्यरूप-
मादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् ||८-९||
Transliteration
kaviṃ purāṇamanuśāsitāraṃ aṇoraṇīyaṃsamanusmaredyaḥ .
sarvasya dhātāramacintyarūpaṃ ādityavarṇaṃ tamasaḥ parastāt ||8-9||
Meaning
8.9 Whoso meditates on the Omniscient, the Ancient, more minute than the atom, yet the Ruler and Upholder of all, Unimaginable, Brilliant like the Sun, Beyond the reach of darkness;
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 10
प्रयाणकाले मनसाऽचलेन
भक्त्या युक्तो योगबलेन चैव |
भ्रुवोर्मध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्यक्
स तं परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् ||८-१०||
Transliteration
prayāṇakāle manasā.acalena bhaktyā yukto yogabalena caiva .
bhruvormadhye prāṇamāveśya samyak sa taṃ paraṃ puruṣamupaiti divyam ||8-10||
Meaning
8.10 He who leaves the body with mind unmoved and filled with devotion, by the power of his meditation gathering between his eyebrows his whole vital energy, attains the Supreme.
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 11
यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति
विशन्ति यद्यतयो वीतरागाः |
यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति
तत्ते पदं संग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये ||८-११||
Transliteration
yadakṣaraṃ vedavido vadanti viśanti yadyatayo vītarāgāḥ .
yadicchanto brahmacaryaṃ caranti tatte padaṃ saṃgraheṇa pravakṣye ||8-11||
Meaning
8.11 Now I will speak briefly of the imperishable goal, proclaimed by those versed in the scriptures, which the mystic attains when free from passion, and for which he is content to undergo the vow of continence.
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 12
सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च |
मूध्न्यार्धायात्मनः प्राणमास्थितो योगधारणाम् ||८-१२||
Transliteration
sarvadvārāṇi saṃyamya mano hṛdi nirudhya ca .
mūdhnyā^^rdhāyātmanaḥ prāṇamāsthito yogadhāraṇām ||8-12||
Meaning
8.12 Closing the gates of the body, drawing the forces of his mind into the heart and by the power of meditation concentrating his vital energy in the brain;
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 13
ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन् |
यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम् ||८-१३||
Transliteration
omityekākṣaraṃ brahma vyāharanmāmanusmaran .
yaḥ prayāti tyajandehaṃ sa yāti paramāṃ gatim ||8-13||
Meaning
8.13 Repeating Om, the Symbol of Eternity, holding Me always in remembrance, he who thus leaves his body and goes forth reaches the Spirit Supreme.
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 14
अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः |
तस्याहं सुलभः पार्थ नित्ययुक्तस्य योगिनः ||८-१४||
Transliteration
ananyacetāḥ satataṃ yo māṃ smarati nityaśaḥ .
tasyāhaṃ sulabhaḥ pārtha nityayuktasya yoginaḥ ||8-14||
Meaning
8.14 To him who thinks constantly of Me, and of nothing else, to such an ever-faithful devotee, O Arjuna, am I ever accessible.
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 15
मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम् |
नाप्नुवन्ति महात्मानः संसिद्धिं परमां गताः ||८-१५||
Transliteration
māmupetya punarjanma duḥkhālayamaśāśvatam .
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṃsiddhiṃ paramāṃ gatāḥ ||8-15||
Meaning
8.15 Coming thus unto Me, these great souls go no more to the misery and death of earthly life, for they have gained perfection.
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 16
आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन |
मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ||८-१६||
Transliteration
ābrahmabhuvanāllokāḥ punarāvartino.arjuna .
māmupetya tu kaunteya punarjanma na vidyate ||8-16||
Meaning
8.16 The worlds, with the whole realm of creation, come and go; but, O Arjuna, whoso comes to Me, for him there is nor rebirth.
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 17
सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद् ब्रह्मणो विदुः |
रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः ||८-१७||
Transliteration
sahasrayugaparyantamaharyad brahmaṇo viduḥ .
rātriṃ yugasahasrāntāṃ te.ahorātravido janāḥ ||8-17||
Meaning
8.17 Those who understand the cosmic day and cosmic night know that one day of creation is a thousand cycles, and that the night is of equal length.
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 18
अव्यक्ताद् व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे |
रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके ||८-१८||
Transliteration
avyaktād vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ prabhavantyaharāgame .
rātryāgame pralīyante tatraivāvyaktasaṃjñake ||8-18||
Meaning
8.18 At the dawning of that day all objects in manifestation stream forth from the Unmanifest, and when evening falls they are dissolved into It again.
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 19
भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते |
रात्र्यागमेऽवशः पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे ||८-१९||
Transliteration
bhūtagrāmaḥ sa evāyaṃ bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate .
rātryāgame.avaśaḥ pārtha prabhavatyaharāgame ||8-19||
Meaning
8.19 The same multitude of beings, which have lived on earth so often, all are dissolved as the night of the universe approaches, to issue forth anew when morning breaks. Thus is it ordained.
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 20
परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः |
यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति ||८-२०||
Transliteration
parastasmāttu bhāvo.anyo.avyakto.avyaktātsanātanaḥ .
yaḥ sa sarveṣu bhūteṣu naśyatsu na vinaśyati ||8-20||
Meaning
8.20 In truth, therefore, there is the Eternal Unmanifest, which is beyond and above the Unmanifest Spirit of Creation, which is never destroyed when all these being perish.
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 21
अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम् |
यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ||८-२१||
Transliteration
avyakto.akṣara ityuktastamāhuḥ paramāṃ gatim .
yaṃ prāpya na nivartante taddhāma paramaṃ mama ||8-21||
Meaning
8.21 The wise say that the Unmanifest and Indestructible is the highest goal of all; when once That is reached, there is no return. That is My Blessed Home.
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 22
पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया |
यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् ||८-२२||
Transliteration
puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyastvananyayā .
yasyāntaḥsthāni bhūtāni yena sarvamidaṃ tatam ||8-22||
Meaning
8.22 O Arjuna! That Highest God, in Whom all beings abide, and Who pervades the entire universe, is reached only by wholehearted devotion. [The following material (between the asterisks) is an example of what may be a "doctored' inclusion. It does not jibe with the rest of the material because it is not presented as metaphor and clearly implies that worldly phenomena are spiritually determining. Maybe it was added by an individual or individuals who were less cognizant than the originating author. Or maybe was 'craftily' inserted to function as a sort of litmus test - those who get"taken in' by it may be recognized as not having "spiritual discernment'.]
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 23
यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः |
प्रयाता यान्ति तं कालं वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ ||८-२३||
Transliteration
yatra kāle tvanāvṛttimāvṛttiṃ caiva yoginaḥ .
prayātā yānti taṃ kālaṃ vakṣyāmi bharatarṣabha ||8-23||
Meaning
8.23 *Now I will tell thee, O Arjuna, of the times at which, if the mystics go forth, they do not return, and at which they go forth only to return.
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 24
अग्निर्जोतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम् |
तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः ||८-२४||
Transliteration
agnirjotirahaḥ śuklaḥ ṣaṇmāsā uttarāyaṇam .
tatra prayātā gacchanti brahma brahmavido janāḥ ||8-24||
Meaning
8.24 If knowing the Supreme Spirit the sage goes forth with fire and light, in the daytime, in the fortnight of the waxing moon and in the six months before the Northern summer solstice, he will attain the Supreme.
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 25
धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम् |
तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते ||८-२५||
Transliteration
dhūmo rātristathā kṛṣṇaḥ ṣaṇmāsā dakṣiṇāyanam .
tatra cāndramasaṃ jyotiryogī prāpya nivartate ||8-25||
Meaning
8.25 But if he departs in gloom, at night, during the fortnight of the waning moon and in the six months before the Southern solstice, then he reaches but lunar light and he will be born again.
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 26
शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते |
एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययावर्तते पुनः ||८-२६||
Transliteration
śuklakṛṣṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śāśvate mate .
ekayā yātyanāvṛttimanyayāvartate punaḥ ||8-26||
Meaning
8.26 These bright and dark paths out of the world have always existed. Whoso takes the former, returns not; he who chooses the latter, returns.*
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 27
नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन |
तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन ||८-२७||
Transliteration
naite sṛtī pārtha jānanyogī muhyati kaścana .
tasmātsarveṣu kāleṣu yogayukto bhavārjuna ||8-27||
Meaning
8.27 O Arjuna! The saint knowing these paths is not confused. Therefore meditate perpetually.
Read Full Sloka
Sloka 28
वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैव
दानेषु यत्पुण्यफलं प्रदिष्टम् |
अत्येति तत्सर्वमिदं विदित्वा
योगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाद्यम् ||८-२८||
Transliteration
vedeṣu yajñeṣu tapaḥsu caiva dāneṣu yatpuṇyaphalaṃ pradiṣṭam .
atyeti tatsarvamidaṃ viditvā yogī paraṃ sthānamupaiti cādyam ||8-28||
Meaning
8.28 The sage who knows this passes beyond all merit that comes from the study of the scriptures, from sacrifice, from austerities and charity, and reaches the Supreme Primeval Abode."
Read Full Sloka