Synopsis
God further elaborated in this chapter, that the Soul in beings was the God himself. Desireless Actions were equal to God supported life. There are two elements – perishable and imperishable. The perishable ones keep changing forms but the imperishable one remains constant and forever. The body and senses are perishable and the Soul is imperishable God.
The God told Arjun that those who constantly remember God reach the God. Therefore Arjun must take action (fight) and keep remembering the God.
Those who leave the body in the illuminated part of the day (meaning dying in the light of knowledge and devotion) reach the God. Those who depart in the dark period of the day (meaning dying in darkness of ignorance and desires) they continue the cycle of Birth and Death.
Arjun was advised to take disciplined action while remembering the God to reach the Supreme Destination.
Chapter 8.1
अर्जुन उवाच
किं तद्ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम।
अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते।।8.1।।
ARJUN SAID,
O’ Best amongst the men,
What is Brahm?
What are Adhibhoot, Adhidaiv, Karm,
And also what is Adhyatm?
Chapter 8.2
अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन।
प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः।।8.2।।
Also O’ Madhusudan, what is Adhiyadna?
And how does that reside in body?
How those consistent in devotion,
Know you while leaving body?
Chapter 8.3
श्री भगवानुवाच
अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते।
भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः।।8.3।।
The supreme indestructible soul is Brahm,
The behavior of soul is Adhyatm.
Creation and sustenance of life is Karm.
Chapter 8.4
अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम्।
अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर।।8.4।।
Chapter 8.5
अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम्।
यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः।।8.5।।
He who departs from the body, thinking of me even in dying state,
There is no doubt, that he attains my state.
Chapter 8.6
यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम्।
तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः।।8.6।।
O’ Son of Kuntee,
Thinking of whatever entity,
While dying, one leaves the body,
That entity he attains certainly.
Chapter 8.7
तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च।
मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयम्।।8.7।।
Therefore think all the time about me,
Fight with mind and reason fixed on me,
And this way no doubt,
You will certainly come to me.
Chapter 8.8
अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना।
परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन्।।8.8।।
Parth, anyone who,
Constantly fixes his mind,
And thinks of me all the time,
He is sure to meet me in due time.
Chapter 8.9
कविं पुराणमनुशासितार
मणोरणीयांसमनुस्मरेद्यः।
सर्वस्य धातारमचिन्त्यरूप
मादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात्।।8.9।।
The one, who remembers,
That all knowing ageless being,
And caretaker of all beings,
Possessing the form beyond human imagination,
Who is away from darkness of ignorance and radiant like Sun.
प्रयाणकाले मनसाऽचलेन
भक्त्या युक्तो योगबलेन चैव।
भ्रुवोर्मध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्यक्
स तं परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम्।।8.10।।
That one, while dying, controls his breathing by yogic powers,
Fixing his gaze at the center of eyebrows,
Devotedly with mind steadfast, thinks of God,
Certainly he reaches the divine Lord.
Chapter 8.11
यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति
विशन्ति यद्यतयो वीतरागाः।
यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति
तत्ते पदं संग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये।।8.11।।
Those learned ones, who know about Ved,
Who control desires and remain celibate,
To enter supreme bliss, renouncing the world, they meditate,
I shall tell you in brief, how they reach that state.
Chapter 8.12
सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च।
मूर्ध्न्याधायात्मनः प्राणमास्थितो योगधारणाम्।।8.12।।
By restraining all senses,
Focusing mind at heart,
Concentrating the breathing in head erect,
The yogee stabilizes himself in yogic state.
ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन्।
यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम्।।8.13।।
Uttering the letter Ohm,
While thinking of me, leaves his body,
He reaches the supreme state certainly.
Chapter 8.14
अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः।
तस्याहं सुलभः पार्थ नित्ययुक्तस्य योगिनः।।8.14।।
Parth, yogee who thinks of me,
With focused mind constantly,
And remains ever absorbed in me,
To that yogee I am attainable easily.
Chapter 8.15
मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम्।
नाप्नुवन्ति महात्मानः संसिद्धिं परमां गताः।।8.15।।
After attaining me, such great souls forever,
Become free of birth and rebirth,
Return to world of sorrows never,
And remain with me forever.
Chapter 8.16
आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन।
मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते।।8.16।।
Arjun, all worlds,
From world of Brahma to downwards,
Are liable to birth and rebirth anywhere,
After attaining me, there is no birth forever.
Chapter 8.17
सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद्ब्रह्मणो विदुः।
रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः।।8.17।।
People consider that thousand Yugs,
Are equal to one day of Brahma,
And same period is equal,
To one night of Brahma.
Chapter 8.18
अव्यक्ताद्व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे।
रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके।।8.18।।
As the Brahma’s day begins,
Beings emerge, from the state unmanifest,
And at Brahma’s nightfall,
They merge back in same state.
Chapter 8.19
भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते।
रात्र्यागमेऽवशः पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे।।8.19।।
This cycle of emerging, and merging of beings helpless,
Continues at each Day and night of Brahma nevertheless.
Chapter 8.20
परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः।
रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके।।8.20।।
Far beyond this unmanifested existence,
While everything else perishes,
There is another,
Imperishable supreme existence.
Chapter 8.21
अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम्।
यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम।।8.21।।
This one, also known as “Aksher”,
Is imperishable and unmanifested,
It is the supreme destination,
From where no one is ever returned,
And is called my super station.
Chapter 8.22
पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया।
यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम्।।8.22।।
Parth, in whom all the beings reside, the omnipresent God Sublime,
Can only be attained, by devotion supreme.
Chapter 8.23
यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः।
प्रयाता यान्ति तं कालं वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ।।8.23।।
O’ Great Bharat, I shall tell you the right time,
Of departing, when yogees,
Do not return, back to this world,
And also the time when they have to return to this world.
Chapter 8.24
अग्निर्ज्योतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम्।
तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः।।8.24।।
The one who dies, during the broad day light,
In the period of fortnight bright,
In the influence of God of fire,
When Sun is in Northern hemisphere
He reaches supreme State,
Never to come back here.
Chapter 8.25
धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम्।
तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते।।8.25।।
The one who dies in Dark Moon stage,
And at night,
Reaches world of Moon,
But comes back on Earth soon.
Chapter 8.26
शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते।
एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययाऽऽवर्तते पुनः।।8.26।।
These are two paths,
Through which one departs,
One taking the path of light never returns,
And the one taking the path of darkness returns.
Chapter 8.27
नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन।
तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन।।8.27।।
Knowing these two paths, Yogees do not get deluded,
That is why O’ Parth, remain in me always devoted.
Chapter 8.28
वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैव
दानेषु यत्पुण्यफलं प्रदिष्टम्।
अत्येति तत्सर्वमिदं विदित्वा
योगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाद्यम्।।8.28।।
He who knows the truth about
Both paths clearly,
Gets merits more than Sacrifices, Penance, Charity
And study of scriptures certainly.
