Chapter 8 · Path of the Eternal God

8.1

अर्जुन उवाच | किं तद् ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम | अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते ||८-१||

arjuna uvāca . kiṃ tad brahma kimadhyātmaṃ kiṃ karma puruṣottama . adhibhūtaṃ ca kiṃ proktamadhidaivaṃ kimucyate ||8-1||

Arjuna asks: What is Brahman, what is the self, and what is the nature of work, supreme being? He also inquires about the material universe and the divine, seeking to understand their true meaning.

8.2

अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन | प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः ||८-२||

adhiyajñaḥ kathaṃ ko.atra dehe.asminmadhusūdana . prayāṇakāle ca kathaṃ jñeyo.asi niyatātmabhiḥ ||8-2||

Who is the supreme controller within this body, O Madhusudana, and how can those who have mastered self‑discipline recognize You at the moment of death?

8.3

श्रीभगवानुवाच | अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते | भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः ||८-३||

śrībhagavānuvāca . akṣaraṃ brahma paramaṃ svabhāvo.adhyātmamucyate . bhūtabhāvodbhavakaro visargaḥ karmasaṃjñitaḥ ||8-3||

Krishna explains that the ultimate reality, Brahman, is eternal and supreme, and its essence is the inner self that we can come to know. The creative power that brings beings into existence and sustains them is what we call action or karma. This power is what drives the cycle of life and is an expression of the divine.

8.4

अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम् | अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर ||८-४||

adhibhūtaṃ kṣaro bhāvaḥ puruṣaścādhidaivatam . adhiyajño.ahamevātra dehe dehabhṛtāṃ vara ||8-4||

The physical world is made up of fleeting things, while the soul is the divine presence within. In this body, I, Krishna, am the one who embodies the spirit of sacrifice and devotion, guiding those who seek to know me, O Partha. I am the essence of sacrifice, present in every human being.

8.5

अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् | यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः ||८-५||

antakāle ca māmeva smaranmuktvā kalevaram . yaḥ prayāti sa madbhāvaṃ yāti nāstyatra saṃśayaḥ ||8-5||

When someone dies, if they're focused on me alone, they'll attain my state of being - this is absolutely certain. Whoever leaves their body while remembering me will undoubtedly reach my level of consciousness. At the moment of death, remembering me is the key to merging with my essence.

8.6

यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् | तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः ||८-६||

yaṃ yaṃ vāpi smaranbhāvaṃ tyajatyante kalevaram . taṃ tamevaiti kaunteya sadā tadbhāvabhāvitaḥ ||8-6||

Whatever you're focused on when you leave your body is what you'll become one with, Arjuna, because your thoughts and feelings have been centered on it. The being or state you've been immersed in is what you'll experience next, as a result of your deep connection to it.

8.7

तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च | मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयः (orसंशयम्) ||८-७||

tasmātsarveṣu kāleṣu māmanusmara yudhya ca . mayyarpitamanobuddhirmāmevaiṣyasyasaṃśayaḥ ||8-7||

Remember me at all times and fight with courage, focusing your mind and intellect on me, and you will undoubtedly come to me, free from doubt.

8.8

अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना | परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन् ||८-८||

orsaṃśayama abhyāsayogayuktena cetasā nānyagāminā . paramaṃ puruṣaṃ divyaṃ yāti pārthānucintayan ||8-8||

With a mind that's focused and stable through regular meditation, and doesn't wander to other things, one reaches the supreme divine being, Arjuna, by constantly reflecting on it.

8.9

कविं पुराणमनुशासितार- मणोरणीयंसमनुस्मरेद्यः | सर्वस्य धातारमचिन्त्यरूप- मादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् ||८-९||

kaviṃ purāṇamanuśāsitāraṃ aṇoraṇīyaṃsamanusmaredyaḥ . sarvasya dhātāramacintyarūpaṃ ādityavarṇaṃ tamasaḥ parastāt ||8-9||

Whoever remembers the all-knowing, ancient one, who is smaller than an atom yet governs everything, has a form beyond human understanding, shines like the sun, and exists beyond the darkness of ignorance. This being is the source of all and the sustainer of everything.

8.10

प्रयाणकाले मनसाऽचलेन भक्त्या युक्तो योगबलेन चैव | भ्रुवोर्मध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्यक् स तं परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् ||८-१०||

prayāṇakāle manasā.acalena bhaktyā yukto yogabalena caiva . bhruvormadhye prāṇamāveśya samyak sa taṃ paraṃ puruṣamupaiti divyam ||8-10||

At the moment of death, with a steady mind and a heart full of devotion, using the power of yoga to focus his life force between his eyebrows, he merges with the divine Supreme Person.

8.11

यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति विशन्ति यद्यतयो वीतरागाः | यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति तत्ते पदं संग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये ||८-११||

yadakṣaraṃ vedavido vadanti viśanti yadyatayo vītarāgāḥ . yadicchanto brahmacaryaṃ caranti tatte padaṃ saṃgraheṇa pravakṣye ||8-11||

The state that Vedic scholars call imperishable, the one that self-controlled and desire-free individuals attain, and the goal that motivates some to practice celibacy - I will summarize this for you, Arjuna. This is the ultimate state that those who know the Vedas strive for, and I will describe it to you briefly.

8.12

सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च | मूध्न्यार्धायात्मनः प्राणमास्थितो योगधारणाम् ||८-१२||

sarvadvārāṇi saṃyamya mano hṛdi nirudhya ca . mūdhnyā^^rdhāyātmanaḥ prāṇamāsthito yogadhāraṇām ||8-12||

With all senses under control, the mind focused in the heart, and the life force concentrated at the top of the head, one engages in the profound practice of meditation, uniting the self.

8.13

ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन् | यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम् ||८-१३||

omityekākṣaraṃ brahma vyāharanmāmanusmaran . yaḥ prayāti tyajandehaṃ sa yāti paramāṃ gatim ||8-13||

As they leave their body, those who depart while meditating on me and uttering the sacred sound Om, the essence of the ultimate reality, attain the highest state of being.

8.14

अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः | तस्याहं सुलभः पार्थ नित्ययुक्तस्य योगिनः ||८-१४||

ananyacetāḥ satataṃ yo māṃ smarati nityaśaḥ . tasyāhaṃ sulabhaḥ pārtha nityayuktasya yoginaḥ ||8-14||

I'm always within reach of the devoted yogi who stays focused on me, remembering me constantly, every day, with an unwavering mind, Arjuna. This steady, one-minded dedication makes me easily accessible to them.

8.15

मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम् | नाप्नुवन्ति महात्मानः संसिद्धिं परमां गताः ||८-१५||

māmupetya punarjanma duḥkhālayamaśāśvatam . nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṃsiddhiṃ paramāṃ gatāḥ ||8-15||

When great souls attain union with me, they're free from the cycle of rebirth, which brings only suffering and is fleeting. They've reached the ultimate state of liberation, beyond the limitations of this earthly existence.

8.16

आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन | मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ||८-१६||

ābrahmabhuvanāllokāḥ punarāvartino.arjuna . māmupetya tu kaunteya punarjanma na vidyate ||8-16||

All the worlds, from the lowest to the realm of Brahma, are caught in a cycle of birth and death, Arjuna. But when you come to me, Kaunteya, you break free from this cycle and are no longer reborn. I offer a liberation that transcends the endless wheel of birth and death.

8.17

सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद् ब्रह्मणो विदुः | रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः ||८-१७||

sahasrayugaparyantamaharyad brahmaṇo viduḥ . rātriṃ yugasahasrāntāṃ te.ahorātravido janāḥ ||8-17||

People who understand the vast time cycles of the universe know that a single day for Brahma lasts for a thousand ages, and the subsequent night is just as long, giving them a profound grasp of time itself.

8.18

अव्यक्ताद् व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे | रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके ||८-१८||

avyaktād vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ prabhavantyaharāgame . rātryāgame pralīyante tatraivāvyaktasaṃjñake ||8-18||

When day breaks, all things emerge from the unseen, and as night falls, they merge back into it, returning to their unmanifest source. This cycle repeats, with the universe unfolding from and refolding into the unmanifest every day. All creation originates from and dissolves into this same unmanifest reality.

8.19

भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते | रात्र्यागमेऽवशः पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे ||८-१९||

bhūtagrāmaḥ sa evāyaṃ bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate . rātryāgame.avaśaḥ pārtha prabhavatyaharāgame ||8-19||

The same vast array of living beings is repeatedly born and dissolved, Arjuna, as the universe undergoes its cycles of creation and destruction, helplessly pulled into the unknown at the end of each cosmic day and reborn with the dawn of a new one.

8.20

परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः | यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति ||८-२०||

parastasmāttu bhāvo.anyo.avyakto.avyaktātsanātanaḥ . yaḥ sa sarveṣu bhūteṣu naśyatsu na vinaśyati ||8-20||

Beyond this unmanifest reality, there's a higher, eternal, and unseen level that persists even when all living things perish, remaining indestructible and timeless. This eternal essence endures, unaffected by the destruction of all beings. It's the ultimate, unchanging reality that exists beyond the cycle of creation and destruction.

8.21

अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम् | यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ||८-२१||

avyakto.akṣara ityuktastamāhuḥ paramāṃ gatim . yaṃ prāpya na nivartante taddhāma paramaṃ mama ||8-21||

The ultimate destination is what's known as the Unmanifest and the Imperishable, and those who attain it never come back. This is my supreme dwelling, the highest state of being, where once you've arrived, you don't return to the cycle of life and death.

8.22

पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया | यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् ||८-२२||

puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyastvananyayā . yasyāntaḥsthāni bhūtāni yena sarvamidaṃ tatam ||8-22||

The supreme being, Arjuna, can be reached through single-minded devotion, for He is the one within whom all living things reside and who pervades everything in existence.

8.23

यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः | प्रयाता यान्ति तं कालं वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ ||८-२३||

yatra kāle tvanāvṛttimāvṛttiṃ caiva yoginaḥ . prayātā yānti taṃ kālaṃ vakṣyāmi bharatarṣabha ||8-23||

Now, Krishna will explain to Arjuna the specific times of departure that determine whether yogis will return to the world of birth and death or achieve liberation.

8.24

अग्निर्जोतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम् | तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः ||८-२४||

agnirjotirahaḥ śuklaḥ ṣaṇmāsā uttarāyaṇam . tatra prayātā gacchanti brahma brahmavido janāḥ ||8-24||

Those who truly understand Brahman, when they pass away, attain Brahman by following the path illuminated by fire, light, and the warmth of day, during the bright lunar phase, and the six-month period when the sun is in its northern cycle.

8.25

धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम् | तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते ||८-२५||

dhūmo rātristathā kṛṣṇaḥ ṣaṇmāsā dakṣiṇāyanam . tatra cāndramasaṃ jyotiryogī prāpya nivartate ||8-25||

If one leaves their body in a time of darkness, at night, during the waning moon phase, or in the six months leading up to the southern solstice, they will attain a subtle, lunar light, but this will not bring complete liberation, and they will be reborn, their journey as a yogi incomplete.

8.26

शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते | एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययावर्तते पुनः ||८-२६||

śuklakṛṣṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śāśvate mate . ekayā yātyanāvṛttimanyayāvartate punaḥ ||8-26||

The world has two eternal paths, often referred to as the bright and the dark. Those who follow the bright path achieve liberation and do not return, while those who follow the dark path will be reborn again. Krishna is explaining to Arjuna that these two paths have always existed.

8.27

नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन | तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन ||८-२७||

naite sṛtī pārtha jānanyogī muhyati kaścana . tasmātsarveṣu kāleṣu yogayukto bhavārjuna ||8-27||

Arjuna, when you understand these paths, you'll find that even the most discerning yogi remains steady and unruffled, so strive to stay connected with yoga at all times.

8.28

वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैव दानेषु यत्पुण्यफलं प्रदिष्टम् | अत्येति तत्सर्वमिदं विदित्वा योगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाद्यम् ||८-२८||

vedeṣu yajñeṣu tapaḥsu caiva dāneṣu yatpuṇyaphalaṃ pradiṣṭam . atyeti tatsarvamidaṃ viditvā yogī paraṃ sthānamupaiti cādyam ||8-28||

By understanding the true nature of things, a yogi transcends the benefits that come from studying the Vedas, performing sacrifices, practicing self-discipline, and giving to others, and attains the ultimate state of being, the supreme and eternal abode.