'GITA' Summary, Chapter - 8 of 18

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Hare Krishna. Pranam to all Vaishnavas,

I surrender unto the lotus feet of Bhagavan Sri Krishna, begging for His merciful blessings to, advise Gita-rahasya to His Bhaktas of this group.

GITA Summary of Chapter – 8 (Akshara-brahma Yoga)

(Yoga for Attaining the Supreme)

Preface

In this chapter Bhagavan Krishna answers different questions from Arjuna, beginning with "What is Brahman?". Krishna explains various principles to practice ‘yoga’ (union with God) in its pure form.

Impersonalist commentators often misinterpret ‘GITA’ Chapter Fifteen, verse 7, to claim “Brahman takes the form of ‘jiva’ (individual soul) in the material world “. But , in this chapter, Krishna describes the living entity " an eternal fragment of Myself." The living entity, may fall down into the material world, but the Supreme God

(Krishna) never falls down. In Vedic literature, ‘Brahman’ (the living entity) is distinguished from Parabrahman (the Supreme God) .

Material bodies generally pass through six stages ; they are born, they grow, theyremain for some duration, they produce some by-products, they become small , and then they vanish. This physical nature is called ‘Adhibhuta’ .

The universal form of the Supreme God that includes all ‘ Devatas’ and their different planets (which are created at a certain point and will be annihilated at a certain point), is called ‘Adhidaivata’ .

The Supersoul, a plenary representation of Bhagavan Krishna , is called the ‘Adhiyajna’ and is situated in the heart of ‘jiva’ giving him opportunities to act freely, and He witnesses his activities. The ‘jiva’ (individual soul ) accompanies the body.

The functions of all these different manifestations of Krishna are automatically revealed, to those firmly situated in ‘Bhakti-yoga’ .

Arjuna addresses Krishna here as ‘Purushottama’, (Supreme Person), knowing Him to be the supreme authority able to give definite answers.

Bhagavan Krishna says in this chapter :

 

 

You should always remember Me, and at the same time perform your prescribed duty of fighting. With your mind and intellect devoted to Me, you will attain Me without doubt.

For the one who continuously remembers Me with an undistracted mind, I am easily attainable.

Whoever, at the time of death, leaves his body while remembering Me alone surely attains My nature ; there is no doubt about it .

All planets in this universe up to ‘Brahma-loka’ are places where repeated birth and death take place. But one who reaches My abode, never takes birth again.

My ‘Abode’ remains, even when all the manifested and unmanifested matter are annihilated‘ .

The Yogi who understands the knowledge which I have spoken here, surpasses all the pious results derived from studying the Vedas, performing yagnas, giving charity or pursuing philosophical and fruitive activities. Simply by following My advice, he attains all these, and finally reaches ‘My Abode’.

Summary

Sloka 1arjuna uvaca :

kim tad brahma kim adhyatmam / kim karma purusottamaadhibhutanca kim proktam / adhidaivam kim ucyate(Arjuna inquired: O Purushottama, what is ‘Brahman’ (Absolute Reality)? What is ’Adhyatma’ (the pure self)? What is ‘Karma’ ? What is ‘Adhibhuta’ (the basis of this material manifestation), and what is ‘Adhidaiva’ (the principle underlying the ‘Devatas’)?Sloka 2adhiyajnah katham ko 'tra / dehe 'smin madhusudanaprayana-kale ca katham / jneyo 'si niyatatmabhih(Who is ‘Adhiyajna’, (the presiding deity of yajna) , and how is He dwelling in this body? And how are You to be realized at the time of death by a self-controlled person?, O Madhusudana)Sloka 3sri-bhagavan uvaca :

aksaram paramam brahma / svabhavo 'dhyatmamucyatebhuta-bhavodbhava-karo / visargah karma-samjnitah(Sri Bhagavan said: the eternal, imperishable living entity is called ‘Brahman’, and his existence in living entities is called ‘Adhyatma’ , the self. Action pertaining to the development of the material bodies of the living entities is called Karma ( work having result .)Sloka 4adhibhutam ksaro bhavah / purusa cadhidaivatamadhiyajno 'ham evatra / dehe deha-bhrtam vara

(O Arjuna ! All perishable objects are called ‘Adhibhuta’ ; My universal form that presides the ‘Devatas’ is ‘Adhidaiva’ ; and in a person’s body I Myself, dwelling as the inner witness known as ‘Adhiyajna’ inspires him to perform activities like ‘yajnas’ (sacred sacrifices.)Sloka 5anta-kale ca mam eva / smaran muktva kalevaramyah prayati sa mad-bhavam / yati nasty atra samsayah(Whoever, at the time of death, leaves his body while remembering Me alone surely attains My nature ; there is no doubt about it .)Sloka 6yam yam vapi smaran bhavam / tyajaty ante kalevaramtam tam evaiti kaunteya / sada tad-bhava-bhavitah(Whatever one remembers at the time of death, he is sure to attainthat same state, due to being always absorbed in it’s thoughts , O Kaunteya.)Sloka 7tasmat sarvesu kalesu / mam anusmara yudhya camayy arpita-mano-buddhir / mam evaisyasy asamsayah(Therefore you should always remember Me, and at the same time perform your prescribed duty of fighting. With your mind and intellect devoted to Me, you will attain Me without doubt.)

Sloka 8abhyasa-yoga-yuktena / cetasa nanya-gaminaparamam purusam divyam / yati parthanucintayan(O Partha, one who is engaged in constant yoga practice with undeviated attention, and who continuously thinks of the ‘parama-purusa’ (the Supreme Person),will surely attain Me.)Sloka 9kavim puranam anusasitaram anor aniyamsam anusmared yahsarvasya dhataram acintya-rupam aditya-varnam tamasah parastat

(One should meditate on the Supreme Person who knows everything as He is the oldest, the controller of all, smaller than the smallest , the maintainer of everything, possessing a form beyond human conception, luminous like the sun and far beyond this material nature).

Sloka 10

prayana-kale manasa' calena bhaktya yukto yoga-balena caivabhruvor madhye pranam avesya samyak sa tam param purusam upaiti divyam(One who, at the time of death, fully fixes his life air between the eyebrows by the strength of yoga, and concentrates the Supreme God in full attention and full devotion, certainly attains Him.)Sloka 11yad aksaram veda-vido vadanti visanti yad yatayo vita-ragahyad icchanto brahmacaryam caranti tad te padam sangrahena pravaksye(I will now tell you in brief about that ultimate goal, which the Vedic scholars describe as ‘Aksharam’ (imperishable). Ascetics who are free from all desires enter there, as well as those who observe the principle of ‘Brahmacharya’ (celibacy) to attain that

goal.)Slokas 12-13sarva-dvarani samyamya / mano hrdi nirudhya camurdhny adhayatmanah pranam / asthito yoga-dharanamom ity ekaksaram brahma vyaharan mam anusmaranyah prayati tyajan deham sa yati paramam gatim

(The yogi attains the supreme destination by controlling all the senses, confining the mind within the heart, fixing the life-breath between the eyebrows, being deeply absorbed in ‘samadhi’ (trance) by the practice of yoga, repeating the sacred syllable ‘om’ and giving up his body while meditating on Me.)

Sloka 14ananya-cetah satatam / yo mam smarati nityasahtasyaham sulabhah partha / nitya-yuktasya yoginah(O Partha, for the one who continuously remembers Me with an undistracted mind, I am easily attainable.)Sloka 15mam upetya punar janma / duhkhalayam asasvatamnapnuvanti mahatmanah / samsiddhim paramam gatah(After attaining Me, the great souls never return to this temporary world which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.)Sloka 16a-brahma-bhuvanal lokah / punar avarttino 'rjunamam upetya tu kaunteya / punar janma na vidyate(O Arjuna, all planets in this universe up to Brahma-loka are places where repeated birth and death take place. But one who reaches My

abode, never takes birth again.)Sloka 17sahasra-yuga-paryantam / ahar yad brahmano viduhratrim yuga-sahasrantam / te 'ho-ratra-vido janah(Those who know the truth understand that Brahma's day lasts for one thousand cycles of the four yugas , and that his night is also of the same duration.)Sloka 18avyaktad vyaktayah sarva / prabhavanty ahar-agameratry-agame praliyante / tatraivavyakta-samjnake(At the beginning of Brahma's day, this multitude of living beings comes in to existence from the unmanifest cause and upon the arrival of his night they are annihilated to the same unmanifest cause.)Sloka

19bhuta-gramah sa evayam / bhutva bhutva praliyateratry-agame 'vasah partha / prabhavaty ahar-agame(Again and again the day comes, and this host of beings is active ; and when the night falls they are helplessly dissolved. They repeatedly manifest, at the approach of Brahma's day, under the strict law of karma, O Partha.)Sloka 20paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo / 'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanahyah sa sarvesu bhutesu / nasyatsu na vinasyati(Yet there is another nature, which is eternal and is transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is supreme and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that part remains as it is.)Sloka 21avyakto 'ksara ity uktas / tam ahuh paramam gatimyam prapya na nivarttante / tad dhama paramam mama(That eternal unmanifest nature is known as

“akshara’ and is the supreme destination. Having attained it, one never returns--that is My supreme abode.)Sloka 22purusah sa parah partha / bhaktya labhyas tv ananyayayasyantah-sthani bhutani / yena sarvam idam tatam(The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is greater than all, is attainable by unalloyed devotion. Although He is present in His abode, He is all-pervading, and everything is situated within Him.)Sloka 23yatra kale tv anavrttim / avrttincaiva yoginahprayata yanti tam kalam / vaksyami bharatarsabha(O best of the Bharatas, I shall now explain to you the different times at which, passing away from this world, the yogi does or does not come back.)Sloka 24agnir jyotir ahah suklah / san-masa uttarayanamtatra prayata gacchanti / brahma brahma-vido

janah(Those who know the ‘Supreme Brahman’ attain that ‘Supreme’ by passing away from the world during the influence of the presiding ‘devatas’ of, Fire, Day-light, Auspicious moment of the day, During the fortnight of the waxing moon and During the six months when sun travels in the north.)

Sloka 25dhumo ratris taatha krsnah / san-masa daksinayanamtatra candramasam jyotir / yogi prapya nivarttate(The one who passes away from the world during the influence of the presiding ‘devatas’ of smoke, Night, Moonless fortnight or During the six months when the sun travels in the south attains, ‘Chandra-loka’ (Moon-planet) . After enjoying heavenly pleasures there, he again returns to this material world.)Sloka 26sukla-krsne gati hy ete / jagatah sasvate mateekaya yaty anavrttim / anyayavarttate punah

(There are two paths of passing from this world--one is bright and one in Dark. When one passes in the ‘bright-path’ , he does not come back; but when one passes in ‘dark-path’, he returns to this material world.)Sloka 27naite srti partha janan / yogi muhyati kascanatasmat sarvesu kalesu / yoga-yukto bhavarjuna(O Partha, although the Yogis have knowledge of these two paths they are never bewildered. Therefore, O Arjuna, be always fixed in yoga.)Sloka 28vedesu yajnesu tapahsu caiva / danesu yat punya-phalam pradistamatyeti tat sarvam idam viditva / yogi param sthanam upaity

cadyam(The Yogi who understands the knowledge which I have spoken to you here, surpasses all the pious results derived from studying the Vedas, performing austere sacrifices, giving charity or pursuing philosophical and fruitive activities. Simply by following My advice, he attains all these, and at the end he reaches My ‘Supreme eternal abode’.)Thus ends Srimad Bhagavad-Gita – Chapter Eight – Akshara -brahma Yoga, which gives pleasure to the bhaktas and is accepted by all saintly persons.

Ohm Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya!!!

SriKrishnaDasa Rajeev

(To Continue in next part ..)

 

NB - : The chapters 1 to 8 are saved in the Folder, ‘Gita’ in ’s FILES. The chapter-wise summary of remaining (10) chapters of Bhagavad Gita , will be posted in (10) parts, in the coming days.

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