Chapter 8 · 28 verses

अक्षरब्रह्मयोग

Akṣara Brahma Yoga

The Yoga of the Imperishable Brahman

Krishna defines Brahman, Adhyatma, Karma and related terms, and teaches that one's thought at the moment of death shapes the next destination. He describes the bright and dark paths and the value of remembering God always.

Theme: Brahman, the state at death, and the paths after death

All Shlokas (Shloka 1–28)

28 verses

8.1
अर्जुन उवाचArjuna said, "What is Brahman? What is Adhyatma? What is action, O best among men? What is Adhibhuta declared to be? And, what is Adhidaiva said to be?"
8.2
अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन।Who and how is Adhiyajna here in this body, O destroyer of Madhu? And how, at the time of death, are You to be known by the self-controlled?
8.3
श्री भगवानुवाचThe Blessed Lord said, "Brahman is the Imperishable, the Supreme; its essential nature is called Self-knowledge; the offering (to the gods) that causes the existence and manifestation of beings and sustains them is called action."
8.4
अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम्।Adhibhuta—knowledge of the elements—pertains to My perishable nature, and the Purusha, or the Soul, is the Adhidaiva; I alone am the Adhiyajna here in this body, O best among the embodied.
8.5
अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम्।And whoever, leaving their body, goes forth remembering Me alone at the time of death, they will attain My Being; there is no doubt about this.
8.6
यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम्।Whoever at the end leaves the body, thinking of any being, to that being only does he go, O son of Kunti (Arjuna), due to his constant thought of that being.
8.7
तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च।Therefore, at all times, remember Me only and fight. With your mind and intellect fixed on Me, you will undoubtedly come to Me alone.
8.8
अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना।With the mind not moving towards any other thing, made steadfast through the practice of habitual meditation, and constantly meditating, one goes to the Supreme Person, the Resplendent, O Arjuna.
8.9
कविं पुराणमनुशासितारWhosoever meditates on the Omniscient, the Ancient, the Ruler of the whole world, minuter than an atom, the supporter of all, of inconceivable form, effulgent like the sun and beyond the darkness of ignorance.
8.10
प्रयाणकाले मनसाऽचलेनAt the time of death, with an unwavering mind, endowed with devotion, by the power of Yoga, fixing the whole life-breath in the middle of the two eyebrows, he reaches that resplendent Supreme Person.
8.11
यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्तिThat which is declared to be Imperishable by those who know the Vedas, that which the self-controlled (ascetics or Sannyasins) and passion-free enter, that goal, desiring which celibacy is practised, I will declare to thee in brief.
8.12
सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च।Having closed all the gates, confined the mind in the heart, and fixed the life-breath in the head, engage in the practice of concentration.
8.13
ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन्।Uttering the one-syllabled Om, the Brahman, and remembering Me, he who departs, leaving the body, attains the Supreme Goal.
8.14
अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः।I am easily attainable by that ever-steadfast yogi who constantly and daily remembers me for a long time, not thinking of anything else with a single-minded or one-pointed focus, O Partha.
8.15
मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम्।Having attained Me, these great souls do not take birth again here—a place of pain and impermanence—but have reached the highest perfection of liberation.
8.16
आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन।All the worlds, including the world of Brahma, are subject to return again, O Arjuna; but he who reaches Me, O son of Kunti, has no rebirth.
8.17
सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद्ब्रह्मणो विदुः।Those who know the day of Brahma, which lasts a thousand Yugas, and the night, which also lasts a thousand Yugas, know day and night.
8.18
अव्यक्ताद्व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे।From the Unmanifested, all the manifested worlds proceed upon the arrival of the 'day'; upon the arrival of the 'night', they dissolve indeed into that which is known as the Unmanifested.
8.19
भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते।This same multitude of beings, being born again and again, helplessly dissolves, O Arjuna, into the Unmanifested at the coming of the night and comes forth at the coming of the day.
8.20
परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः।But verily, there exists higher than this Unmanifested, another Unmanifested Eternal, which is not destroyed even when all beings are destroyed.
8.21
अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम्।What is known as the Unmanifested and the Imperishable, That is said to be the highest goal. Those who reach It do not return (to this Samsara). That is My supreme abode (place or state).
8.22
पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया।That highest Purusha, O Arjuna, is attainable by unswerving devotion to Him alone, within Whom all beings dwell and by Whom all this is pervaded.
8.23
यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः।Now I will tell you, O chief of the Bharatas, the times of departure at which the Yogis will return or not return.
8.24
अग्निर्ज्योतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम्।Fire, light, daytime, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern path of the sun (the northern solstice) departing, then men who know Brahman go to Brahman.
8.25
धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम्।Attaining the lunar light through smoke, night time, the dark fortnight, and the six months of the southern path of the sun (the southern solstice), the yogi returns.
8.26
शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते।The bright and dark paths of the world are thought to be eternal; one leads to no return, and the other leads to return.
8.27
नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन।Knowing these paths, O Arjuna, no yogi is deluded; therefore, at all times, be steadfast in yoga.
8.28
वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैवWhatever fruit of merit is declared (in the scriptures) to accrue from (the study of) the Vedas, (the performance of) sacrifices, (the practice of) austerities, and gifts, beyond all this goes the Yogi, having known this; and he attains to the Supreme, Primeval (first or ancient) Abode.

✦ Authoritative sources ✦

Official sites of the scriptural traditions and publishing trusts behind the editions and commentaries cited on this page.

The Divine Life Society (Swami Sivananda)
The Divine Life Society — institutional home of Swami Sivananda, whose English translation is cited on this site.
Divine Life Society →
Chinmaya Mission
Chinmaya Mission — Swami Chinmayananda's organisation, whose Bhagavad Gita commentary is cited on this site.
Chinmaya Mission →
Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math
Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math — institutional home of Swami Vivekananda's Vedanta teachings cited on this site.
Ramakrishna Mission →