Bhagvad Gita - Chapter: 8 Aksara Brahma Yogah

Chapter 8

Aksara Brahma Yogah

अर्जुन उवाच किं तद्ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम |
अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते ||1||

Arjuna said: What is Brahman, what is the self, what are actions, O Supreme Person? What is said to be the field of material existence, and what is known as the divine?

Brahman: The ultimate reality or cosmic spirit.
Adhyatma: The nature of the self.
Purushottama: The Supreme Person.

Arjuna’s questions about Brahman, self, and cosmic principles reflect his growing curiosity about metaphysical truths. This marks the beginning of his quest for deeper understanding, moving beyond material concerns to eternal knowledge.

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Aksara Brahma Yogah - How, O Madhusudana, is the sacrifice (adhiyajna) situated in this body? And how are You to be known at the time of death by the steadfast?

अधियज्ञ: कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन |
प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभि: ||2||

How, O Madhusudana, is the sacrifice (adhiyajna) situated in this body? And how are You to be known at the time of death by the steadfast?

Madhusudana: A name of Krishna, slayer of the demon Madhu.
Adhiyajna: The lord of sacrifice.
Niyatatma: The steadfast mind.

Arjuna seeks clarity on how the supreme sacrifice manifests within the body and how one can realize it at the moment of death. This introduces the importance of steadfast focus and preparation for spiritual liberation in the final moments.

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Aksara Brahma Yogah - The Supreme Lord said: The indestructible Brahman is the ultimate reality, and one’s own nature is called the self. The creative force that brings beings into existence is called action.

श्रीभगवानुवाच अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते |
भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्ग: कर्मसञ्ज्ञित: ||3||

The Supreme Lord said: The indestructible Brahman is the ultimate reality, and one’s own nature is called the self. The creative force that brings beings into existence is called action.

Aksharam: Indestructible or imperishable.
Bhavodbhava: Source of creation and dissolution.
Karma: Actions performed with intention.

Krishna begins with a succinct explanation of fundamental concepts: Brahman as the eternal, the self as one’s intrinsic nature, and karma as the creative force. This sets the foundation for understanding the interplay between the material and spiritual worlds.

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Aksara Brahma Yogah - The material nature (adhibhuta) is perishable, and the cosmic divine being is said to be the governing deity (adhidaiva). I alone am the lord of sacrifices (adhiyajna) in the body, O best of the embodied.

अधिभूतं क्षरो भाव: पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम् |
अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर ||4||

The material nature (adhibhuta) is perishable, and the cosmic divine being is said to be the governing deity (adhidaiva). I alone am the lord of sacrifices (adhiyajna) in the body, O best of the embodied.

Adhibhuta: The perishable material nature.
Adhidaiva: The divine cosmic being.
Adhiyajna: The presiding deity of sacrifices.

Krishna outlines the different domains of existence—material, divine, and sacrificial—connecting them to the human body and its role in the cosmic order. This underscores the body as a microcosm of universal truths, with Krishna as the presiding deity.

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अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् |
य: प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशय: ||5||

Whoever, at the time of death, remembers Me while departing from the body attains My state. There is no doubt about this.

Antakala: The time of death.
Kalevaram: The physical body.
Madbhavam: The divine nature of Krishna.

The assurance that remembrance of Krishna at the moment of death leads to liberation provides hope and direction. It emphasizes the transformative power of devotion and how one’s final thoughts shape their spiritual destiny.

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Aksara Brahma Yogah - Whatever state of being one remembers while leaving the body, O son of Kunti, one attains that state, being always absorbed in its thought.

यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् |
तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावित: ||6||

Whatever state of being one remembers while leaving the body, O son of Kunti, one attains that state, being always absorbed in its thought.

Bhava: State of being or existence.
Kaunteya: Son of Kunti, referring to Arjuna.
Smriti: Remembrance or memory.

Krishna explains the profound link between one’s mental focus and their spiritual destination. This commentary highlights the continuity of consciousness and how lifetime habits influence the soul’s journey after death.

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