The Path of Deliverance through Sonic Brahman
At the end of Chapter 7, Śrī Kṛṣṇa introduced the terms brahman (the Absolute), adhyātma (integral selfhood), karma (consequential action), adhibhūta (phenomenality), adhidaiva (cosmic governance), and adhiyajña (the immanent impeller of action). Arjuna, not being very clear about the meaning of these terms, inquires about them at the beginning of Chapter 8. In addition, he then asks, “How are You to be known at the time of death by the self-controlled?” Kṛṣṇa first defines all these terms and then answers Arjuna’s question in detail.
There are twenty-eight verses in this chapter. The first two verses are questions posed by Arjuna, while the remaining verses contain Kṛṣṇa’s reply. Kṛṣṇa defines the six terms (3–4): “The highest imperishable reality is Brahman, the self’s (sva) state of individuated existence (bhāva) is what is meant by integral selfhood (adhyātma), and the acts of resignation (visarga) [such as the offering of sacrifices to the devas] that perpetuate the birth and evolution of living beings are called consequential action (karma). O best of embodied beings, perishable existence [i.e., the existence of objects that are subject to passing away] is what is meant by phenomenality (adhibhūta), the cosmic being (puruṣa) is known as the supreme deity of cosmic governance (adhidaivata), and I Myself am present in this body as the impeller and bestower of the results of all action in the form of the Immanent Self (adhiyajña).”
Kṛṣṇa then answers Arjuna’s question, explaining how one’s future birth depends upon one’s consciousness at the time of death. He describes the yogic method of leaving the body, which is to die thinking of Kṛṣṇa while chanting Oṁ. This results in the yogī attaining His abode (5–14). Such a person does not take birth again (15–16). Kṛṣṇa describes the cycle of creation and destruction (17–19) and states that His own abode is eternal (20–21). This abode is attained only through devotion (22).
There are two paths that a yogī can follow upon departing from the body: the path of light and the path of darkness (24–25). One who departs by the path of light does not take birth again, while one who leaves by the path of darkness has to come back after enjoying heavenly pleasures (26). A yogī who knows these two paths is never bewildered and reaches the supreme destination (27–28).
All Verses
- Verse 1-2Arjuna inquired: What is the Absolute (Brahman), what is integral selfhood (adhyātma), and what is consequential action (karma), O best of men? What does phenomenality (adhibhūta) refer to, and what is meant by cosmic governance (adhidaiva)? Madhusūdana, who is the immanent impeller of action (adhiyajña) and how does he dwell in this body? And how are You to be known at the time of death by those of restrained mind?
- Verse 3Śrī Bhagavān replied: The highest imperishable reality is Brahman, the self’s (sva) state of individuated existence (bhāva) is what is meant by integral selfhood (adhyātma), and the acts of resignation (visarga) [such as the offering of sacrifices to the devas] that perpetuate the birth and evolution of living beings are called consequential action (karma).
- Verse 4O best of embodied beings, perishable existence [i.e., the existence of objects that are subject to passing away] is what is meant by phenomenality (adhibhūta), the cosmic being (puruṣa) is known as the supreme deity of cosmic governance (adhidaivata), and I Myself am the impeller and bestower of the results of all action in the form of the Immanent Self (adhiyajña) present in this body.
- Verse 5And one who, at the time of death, departs from the body while absorbed in remembrance of Me alone, attains My nature. There is no doubt about this.
- Verse 6O son of Kuntī, whatever object one contemplates at the time of death while giving up the body, that and that only he attains, being constantly absorbed in thoughts of it.
- Verse 7Therefore, remember Me at every moment and be engaged in battle. With your mind and intellect dedicated unto Me, you will undoubtedly attain Me alone.
- Verse 8O Arjuna, being constantly immersed in contemplation on the Divine Supreme Person by absorption in the practice of meditation with an unwavering mind, one attains Him alone.
- Verse 9-10At the time of death, one who, being endowed with devotion, and having carefully fixed the vital force (prāṇa) at the ājñā-cakra through the power of yoga, meditates constantly with an undeviating mind on the Puruṣa, who is omniscient, beginningless, the primordial preceptor, subtler than the atom*, the universal sustainer, whose form transcends the limits of rationality, who is resplendent like the sun and beyond ignorance — such a person attains that Divine Supreme Person.
- Verse 11I shall tell you in brief about the supreme destination, which the knowers of the Vedas refer to as the imperishable Brahman, into which spiritual aspirants bereft of all desires enter, and desiring which, students lead an abstinent life.
- Verse 12-13Controlling all the gates of the senses, restraining the mind from all external phenomena by holding it steadily in the heart, leading the vital force to the crown of the head, being situated in yogic fixity rooted in the Self, repeating the one imperishable syllable, “Oṁ,” which is Brahman in the form of sound, and continuously remembering Me — one who departs thus while giving up the body reaches the supreme destination.
- Verse 14Arjuna, one who constantly remembers Me in a regulated manner, his mind being fixed exclusively on Me — to such a yogī, who is ever united with Me, I am easily attainable.
- Verse 15The highly self-realized who have attained Me are no longer subject to a transient birth which is the abode of misery, because they have reached the highest perfection.
- Verse 16O Arjuna, all planets, up to and including that of Brahmā*, are places from which the residents must endure return [to earth] again, but upon attaining Me, O son of Kuntī, there is no rebirth again.
- Verse 17Those who know that a day of Brahmā lasts for a thousand cycles of four yugas and that his night also extends for the same span, are the true knowers of day and night.
- Verse 18At the advent of Brahmā’s day, all manifested beings emanate from the unmanifest, and at the approach of his night, they again merge into that alone which is known as the unmanifest.
- Verse 19O Pārtha, that very multitude of beings, having taken birth again and again, is merged back into its unmanifest causal source at the approach of [Brahmā’s] night and is born again under the influence of past karma at the approach of [his] day.
- Verse 20But beyond that unmanifest, there is yet another existent [the Supreme Person] who is unmanifest and without beginning or end. He does not perish, even upon the destruction of all beings.
- Verse 21That unmanifest is called “the imperishable” (akṣara) and is said to be the ultimate goal, attaining which, one does not return to this mortal world. That [unmanifest] is My supreme form and identity (dhāma).
- Verse 22O Pārtha, that Supreme Person within whom all living beings are situated and by whom this entire cosmos is pervaded, is attainable, however, only through exclusive devotion.
- Verse 23O best of the Bharatas, I shall describe to you the different moments in which the yogīs, on departing from their bodies, either return or do not return [to the cycle of repeated birth (punar-janma*)].
- Verse 24Those who have realized Brahman attain Brahman, while departing from this world during the fire, the light, the day, the bright fortnight, and the six months of the sun’s northern course [i.e., by following the path presided over by the deities of these respective temporal influences].
- Verse 25The yogī who departs during the smoke, the night, the dark fortnight, and the six months of the sun’s southern course [i.e., by following the path presided over by these deities], attains the celestial light of the lunar sphere and subsequently returns [to this earthly planet].
- Verse 26These two paths of the world, the bright and the dark, are considered to be ever existent. Proceeding by one of them, one does not return, while proceeding by the other, one comes back again.
- Verse 27O Pārtha, knowing these two paths, a yogī is never deluded. Therefore, at all times be endowed with yoga, O Arjuna.
- Verse 28Whatever meritorious results have been indicated [in scriptures] regarding the study of the Vedas, the performance of yajña, the execution of penance, and acts of charity, the yogī surpasses all of that, knowing this truth [regarding the eight topics of inquiry]. He thus attains the original supreme abode.