BHAGAVAD-GITA 8:10

[Guest guest]

BHAGAVAD-GITA 8:10

 

prayana-kale manasacalena

bhaktya yuktoyoga-balena caiva

bhruvor madhye pranam avesya samyak

sa tam param purusam upaiti divyam

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

prayana-kale--at the time of death; manasa--by the mind;

acalena--without its being deviated; bhaktya--in full devotion;

yuktah--engaged; yoga-balena--by the power of mystic yoga; ca--also;

eva--certainly; bhruvoh--the two eyebrows; madhye--between;

pranam--the life air; avesya--establishing; samyak--completely;

sah--he; tam--that; param--transcendental; purusam--Personality of

Godhead; upaiti--achieves; divyam--in the spiritual kingdom.

 

TRANSLATION

 

One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between the eyebrows

and, by the strength of yoga, with an undeviating mind, engages

himself in remembering the Supreme Lord in full devotion, will

certainly attain to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

PURPORT

 

In this verse it is clearly stated that at the time of death the mind

must be fixed in devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For

those practiced in yoga, it is recommended that they raise the life

force between the eyebrows (to the ajna-cakra). The practice of

sat-cakra-yoga, involving meditation on the six cakras, is suggested

here. A pure devotee does not practice such yoga, but because he is

always engaged in Krsna consciousness, at death he can remember the

Supreme Personality of Godhead by His grace. This is explained in

verse fourteen.

 

The particular use of the word yoga-balena is significant in this

verse because without practice of yoga--whether sat-cakra-yoga or

bhakti-yoga--one cannot come to this transcendental state of being at

the time of death. One cannot suddenly remember the Supreme Lord at

death; one must have practiced some yoga system, especially the system

of bhakti-yoga. Since one's mind at death is very disturbed, one

should practice transcendence through yoga during one's life.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.