Bhagavatgita a detailed study-chapter2

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23.yathra kale thu anaavrtthim aavrtthim chaiva yoginaH

pryaathaa yaanthi tham kaalam vakshyaami

bharatharshabha

Oh bull among the clan of Bharatha, I will tell you about the time when the departed yogis leaving this earth either return or attain the point of no return.

Then Krishna explains the journey of the soul of the yogis who attain brahman and those who return to earth..

24. agnih jyothiH ahaH SuklaH shaNmaasaa utthraayaNam

thathra pryaathaa gacChanthi brahma brhamavidho janaaHT

The fire, light, day, the bright fortnight, the six months of uttharayaNam, northern solar movement, is the time departing when the knowers of Brahman attain salvation and do not come back to earth.

25.Dhoomo raathriH thaThaa krshnaH shaNmaasaa

dhakshiNaayanam

thathra chaandhramasam jyothiH yogee praapya nivarththe

Those who depart at the time of smoke, night, the dark fortnight and dhakshiNAyana, the six months of the sun's southern course, reach the lunar light and return to earth.

The word yogi is used to differentiate between those who aspire for moksha and others who return to earth in any case.

26.SuklakrshNa gathee hyethe jagathaH SaaSvathe mathe

ekayaa yaanthi anaavrtthim anyayaa aavarthathe punaH

The bright and dark paths are these which exist always in the world. Proceeding by one assures no return and by the other one returns.

The words, light, day etc. do not indicate merely the landmarks of the departing soul but represent the deities ordained by the Lord to guide the soul.. Thus there are two courses , one of light, archiradhi marga or devayaana and the other dhooma marga, pithryaana, that of smoke, and the first is that, the soul departing by which does not return and departing by the second , it does return.

27.Naithe srthee paarTha jaanana yogee muhyathi kaSchana

thasmaath sarveshu kaaleshu yyogayuktho bhava Arjuna

A yogi knowing about these two paths does not get deluded. Therefore Arjuna, be yogi at all times.

But the question that arises is that whether a man dying in the night and in dhakshiNayana even if he is a yogi, never attains Brahman? The answer is given by Badharayana in Brahmasuthra.The karma of the man of knowledge comes to an end at the time of leaving his body in his last life, he attains Brahman though he dies at night. This is proved by the text. The text quoted, namely, 'dhivaa cha suklapakshascha uttharaayaNam eva cha; mumoorshathaam prasasthaani vipareetham thu garhitham, daytime, the bright half of the month and the northern progress of the sun are excellent for those about to die; the contrary times are unfavorable, ' is for those who have not attained knowledge.

Ramanuja says in Sribhashya commenting on the Brahma suthra athaschaayanepi dhakshiNe,( 4-2-19),' For the same reason even dying in dakshiNAyana the enlightened attains Brahman,' says,

 

`But a doubt arises that because it is said that those who die in DhakshiNAyana reach the world of pithrs and while those who die in utthraAyaNa reach the moon. The former are said to return to earth when their merits are exhausted. Bhishma and others who were enlightened, awaited the uttharAyaNa and hence it looks as though those who die in dhakshiNAyana cannot attain Brahman.

 

The answer to this is that those who have knowledge, even when they go to the world of the moon, do not return to earth but go further to attain Brahman and the stay in the world of the moon is only a rest for them. Mahanarayana upanishad declares that from there one reaches Brahman. 'thasmaath brahmaNah mahimanam Apnothi.' ( (Mahanarayana. 25-1) Bhishma and others postponed their death not because they cannot attain Brahman by dying in dhakshiNAyana but only to demonstrate the glory of uttharAyana for promoting dharma and AchAra. `

28. vedheshu yajneshyu tthapaasu chaiva

dhaaneshu yath puNyaphalam paradhishtam

athyethi thath sarvamidham vidhithvaa

yogee param sThaanam upaithi chaadhyam

The yogi who knows all this transcends the fruits declared by mastering the Vedas, performing yajnas and penances, giving away to charity, and reaches the highest status.

Krishna ends the subject of the departure of the soul thus. The yogi who has known and practised properly what has been stated in this chapter in the course of answering the seven questions, surpasses all the meritorious fruits of mastering the vedas, sacrifices rightly performed, penances well undergone, and the gifts duly offered and attains Brahman, which is the highest goal.

The end of chapter 8