Bhagavad Gita-Chapter 8 All Verses with Meaning and Audio With Lyrics, Audio, Meaning, Significance in Sanskrit, English and other languages

Bhagavad Gita-Chapter 8 All Verses with Meaning and Audio

अर्जुन उवाच ।
किं तद् ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम ।
अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते ॥ ८-१॥

arjuna uvāca
kiṃ tad brahma kimadhyātmaṃ kiṃ karma puruṣottama
adhibhūtaṃ ca kiṃ proktamadhidaivaṃ kimucyate 8-1

Arjuna said: What is that BRAHMAN? What is the ADHYATMA ? What is action ? O best among men, what is declared to be the ADHIBHUTA? And what is ADHIDAIVA said to be?

अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन ।
प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः ॥ ८-२॥

adhiyajñaḥ kathaṃ ko’tra dehe’sminmadhusūdana
prayāṇakāle ca kathaṃ jñeyo’si niyatātmabhiḥ 8-2

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?

श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते ।
भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः ॥ ८-३॥

śrībhagavānuvāca
akṣaraṃ brahma paramaṃ svabhāvo’dhyātmamucyate
bhūtabhāvodbhavakaro visargaḥ karmasaṃjñitaḥ 8-3

The Blessed Lord said: 3 . BRAHMAN is Imperishable, the Supreme; His essential nature is called Self-knowledge, the creative force that causes beings to spring forth into manifestation is called work.

अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम् ।
अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर ॥ ८-४॥

adhibhūtaṃ kṣaro bhāvaḥ puruṣaścādhidaivatam
adhiyajño’hamevātra dehe dehabhṛtāṃ vara 8-4

ADHIBHUTA (or elements) constitutes My perishable nature, and the Indweller (or the essence) is the ADHIDAIVATA; I alone am the ADHIYAJNA here, in this body, O best of the embodied.

अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् ।
यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः ॥ ८-५॥

antakāle ca māmeva smaranmuktvā kalevaram
yaḥ prayāti sa madbhāvaṃ yāti nāstyatra saṃśayaḥ 8-5

And whosoever, leaving the body, goes forth remembering Me alone, at the time of his death, he attains My being; there is no doubt about this.

यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् ।
तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः ॥ ८-६॥

yaṃ yaṃ vāpi smaranbhāvaṃ tyajatyante kalevaram
taṃ tamevaiti kaunteya sadā tadbhāvabhāvitaḥ 8-6

Whosoever, at the end, leaves the body, thinking of any being, to that being only he goes, O Kaunteya (O son of Kunti) , because of his constant thought of that being.

तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च ।
मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर् र्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयम् ॥ ८- ७॥

tasmātsarveṣu kāleṣu māmanusmara yudhya ca
mayyarpitamanobuddhir māmevaiṣyasya saṃśayaḥ 8-7

Therefore, at all times, remember Me, and fight, with mind and intellect fixed (or absorbed) in Me; you shall doubtless come to Me alone.

अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना ।
परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन् ॥ ८-८॥

abhyāsayogayuktena cetasā nānyagāminā
paramaṃ puruṣaṃ divyaṃ yāti pārthānucintayan 8-8

With the mind not moving towards any other thing, made steadfast by the method of habitual meditation, and constantly meditating on the Supreme PURUSHA, the Resplendent, O Partha, he goes (to Him) .

कविं पुराणमनुशासितार-
मणोरणीयंसमनुस्मरेद्यः ।
सर्वस्य धातारमचिन्त्यरूप-
मादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् ॥ ८-९॥

kaviṃ purāṇamanuśāsitāra-
maṇoraṇīyaṃsamanusmaredyaḥ
sarvasya dhātāramacintyarūpa-
mādityavarṇaṃ tamasaḥ parastāt 8-9

Whosoever, meditates upon the Omniscient, the Ancient, the Ruler (of the whole world) , minuter than the atom, the Supporter of all, of Form inconceivable, Effulgent like the Sun and beyond the darkness (of ignorance) . . .

प्रयाणकाले मनसाऽचलेन
भक्त्या युक्तो योगबलेन चैव ।
भ्रुवोर्मध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्यक्
स तं परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् ॥ ८-१०॥

prayāṇakāle manasā’calena
bhaktyā yukto yogabalena caiva
bhruvormadhye prāṇamāveśya samyak
sa taṃ paraṃ puruṣamupaiti divyam 8-10

At the time of death, with an unshaken mind full of devotion, by the power of YOGA fixing the whole PRANA (breath) between the two eyebrows, he (the seeker) reaches the Supreme Resplendent PURUSHA.

यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति
विशन्ति यद्यतयो वीतरागाः ।
यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति
तत्ते पदं सङ्ग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये ॥ ८-११॥

yadakṣaraṃ vedavido vadanti
viśanti yadyatayo vītarāgāḥ
yadicchanto brahmacaryaṃ caranti
tatte padaṃ saṅgraheṇa pravakṣye 8-11

That which is declared Imperishable by the VEDA -knowers; That into which, the self-controlled and desire-freed enter; That desiring which BRAHMCHARYA is practised — That Goal I will declare to thee in brief.

सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च ।
मूर्ध्न्याधायात्मनः प्राणमास्थितो योगधारणाम् ॥ ८-१२॥

sarvadvārāṇi saṃyamya mano hṛdi nirudhya ca
mūrdhnyādhāyātmanaḥ prāṇamāsthito yogadhāraṇām 8-12

Having closed all the gates, having confined the mind in the heart, having fixed the life-breath in the head engaged in the practice of concentration,

ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन् ।
यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम् ॥ ८-१३॥

omityekākṣaraṃ brahma vyāharanmāmanusmaran
yaḥ prayāti tyajandehaṃ sa yāti paramāṃ gatim 8-13

Uttering the one-syllabled OM — the (symbol of) BRAHMAN — and remembering Me, he who departs, leaving the body, attains the Supreme Goal.

अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः ।
तस्याहं सुलभः पार्थ नित्ययुक्तस्य योगिनः ॥ ८-१४॥

ananyacetāḥ satataṃ yo māṃ smarati nityaśaḥ
tasyāhaṃ sulabhaḥ pārtha nityayuktasya yoginaḥ 8-14

I am easily attainable by that ever-steadfast YOGI who constantly remembers Me daily, not thinking of anything else, O Partha.

मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम् ।
नाप्नुवन्ति महात्मानः संसिद्धिं परमां गताः ॥ ८-१५॥

māmupetya punarjanma duḥkhālayamaśāśvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṃsiddhiṃ paramāṃ gatāḥ 8-15

Having attained Me, these MAHATMAS (great souls) do not again take birth, which is the house of pain and is non-eternal, they having reached the Highest Perfection , MOKSHA.

आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन ।
मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ॥ ८-१६॥

ābrahmabhuvanāllokāḥ punarāvartino’rjuna
māmupetya tu kaunteya punarjanma na vidyate 8-16

Worlds upto the world-of -BRAHMAJI are subject to rebirth O Arjuna; but he who reaches Me O Kaunteya has no birth.

सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद् ब्रह्मणो विदुः ।
रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः ॥ ८-१७॥

sahasrayugaparyantamaharyad brahmaṇo viduḥ
rātriṃ yugasahasrāntāṃ te’horātravido janāḥ 8-17

Those people who know (the length of) the day- of-BRAHMA which ends in a thousand YUGAS (aeons) , and the night which (also) ends in a thousand YUGAS (aeons) , they know day-and-night.

अव्यक्ताद् व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे ।
रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके ॥ ८-१८॥

avyaktād vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ prabhavantyaharāgame
rātryāgame pralīyante tatraivāvyaktasaṃjñake 8-18

From the unmanifested all the manifested proceed at the coming of the day ; at the coming of night they dissolve verily in that alone which is called the unmanifest.

भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते ।
रात्र्यागमेऽवशः पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे ॥ ८-१९॥

bhūtagrāmaḥ sa evāyaṃ bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate
rātryāgame’vaśaḥ pārtha prabhavatyaharāgame 8-19

This same multiple of beings are being born again and again, and are dissolved (into the unmanifest) ; helplessly, O Partha, at the coming of night and they come forth again at the coming of day.

परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः ।
यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति ॥ ८-२०॥

parastasmāttu bhāvo’nyo’vyakto’vyaktātsanātanaḥ
yaḥ sa sarveṣu bhūteṣu naśyatsu na vinaśyati 8-20

But verily there exists, higher than that unmanifest (AVYAKTA) , another Unmanifested, which is Eternal, which is not destroyed when all beings are destroyed.

अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम् ।
यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ॥ ८-२१॥

avyakto’kṣara ityuktastamāhuḥ paramāṃ gatim
yaṃ prāpya na nivartante taddhāma paramaṃ mama 8-21

That which is called the Unmanifest and the Imperishable, that, they say is the Highest Goal (path) . They who reach It never again return. That is My highest abode (state) .

पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया ।
यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् ॥ ८-२२॥

puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyastvananyayā
yasyāntaḥsthāni bhūtāni yena sarvamidaṃ tatam 8-22

That Highest PURUSHA , O Partha, is attainable by unswerving devotion to Him alone, within whom all beings dwell, by whom all this is pervaded.

यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः ।
प्रयाता यान्ति तं कालं वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ ॥ ८-२३॥

yatra kāle tvanāvṛttimāvṛttiṃ caiva yoginaḥ
prayātā yānti taṃ kālaṃ vakṣyāmi bharatarṣabha 8-23

Now at what time (path) departing, YOGINS go, never to return, as also to return, that time (path) , I will tell you, O Chief of Bharatas.

अग्निर्ज्योतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम् ।
तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः ॥ ८-२४॥

agnirjyotirahaḥ śuklaḥ ṣaṇmāsā uttarāyaṇam
tatra prayātā gacchanti brahma brahmavido janāḥ 8-24

Fire, light, day-time, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern solstice; following this path, men who know BRAHMAN go to BRAHMAN.

धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम् ।
तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते ॥ ८-२५॥

dhūmo rātristathā kṛṣṇaḥ ṣaṇmāsā dakṣiṇāyanam
tatra cāndramasaṃ jyotiryogī prāpya nivartate 8-25

Smoke, night-time, the dark fortnight, also six months of the southern solstice, attaining by these to the Moon, the lunar light, the YOGI returns.

शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते ।
एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययावर्तते पुनः ॥ ८-२६॥

śuklakṛṣṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śāśvate mate
ekayā yātyanāvṛttimanyayāvartate punaḥ 8-26

The Path of Light and the Path of Darkness available for the world are verily thought to be both eternal; by the one, the Path of Light a man goes to return not; by the other, the Path of Darkness he returns again.

नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन ।
तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन ॥ ८-२७॥

naite sṛtī pārtha jānanyogī muhyati kaścana
tasmātsarveṣu kāleṣu yogayukto bhavārjuna 8-27

Knowing these paths, O Partha, no YOGIN is deluded; therefore, at all times be steadfast in YOGA , O Arjuna.

वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैव
दानेषु यत्पुण्यफलं प्रदिष्टम् ।
अत्येति तत्सर्वमिदं विदित्वा
योगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाद्यम् ॥ ८-२८॥

ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु
ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे
अक्षरब्रह्मयोगो नामाष्टमोऽध्यायः ॥ ८॥

vedeṣu yajñeṣu tapaḥsu caiva
dāneṣu yatpuṇyaphalaṃ pradiṣṭam
atyeti tatsarvamidaṃ viditvā
yogī paraṃ sthānamupaiti cādyam 8-28

oṃ tatsaditi śrīmadbhagavadgītāsūpaniṣatsu
brahmavidyāyāṃ yogaśāstre śrīkṛṣṇārjunasaṃvāde
akṣarabrahmayogo nāmāṣṭamo’dhyāyaḥ 8

Whether fruit of merit is declared (in the scriptures) as springing up from study of the VEDAS, from performance of sacrifices, from practice of austerities, and from charity — beyond all these goes the YOGIN, who having known this (the two paths ) attains to the Supreme, Primeval (Essence) .

Description

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8 Summary

AkṣaraBrahma-yoga – The Imperishable Brahman

The previous chapter concluded by introducing certain technical terms and this one begins with an explanation of those. It then details various spiritual practices undertaken by those who desire to merge with the Supreme. This chapter also describes the two paths followed by the “jiva” after it leaves the body – one being the path of eventual return (to this world) and the other being the path of no return (krama-mukti).
Below are the main themes of Chapter 8:

Verses 1 – 4
Definition of the terms Brahman, adhyātma, karma, adhibūta, adhidaiva and adhiyajña

Verses 5 – 14
The significance and the method of remembering the Lord at the time of death

Verses 15 – 22
Comparison between two types of goals — God and world

Verses 23 – 27
The bright and dark paths

Verses 28
Glory of upāsanā

Gita Chapter 8 – Commentary by Swami Paramarthananda

Background

Lord Krishna concluded the seventh chapter by gloriying jñāni-bhakta as one who knows Brahman, adhyātma, karma, adhibūta and adhiyajña (i.e., the complete nature of God consisting of parā and aparā-prakṛti). He remembers the God at the time of death also.

With the desire to understand the above new terms, Arjuna asks seven questions to Krishna. The eighth chapter begins with these questions — the first six dealing with the six terms beginning with Brahman and the last one dealing with the thought of a person at the time of death (1, 2).

Lord Krishna answers — Brahman is the imperishable Truth, Adhyātma (or ātman) is the same Brahman behind the individual equipments. Karma refers to all actions which are the cause for the birth of all beings (3).

Adhibhūta is the entire perishable, inert universe. Adhidaiva is the Hiraṇyagarbha who blesses all the organs of of all beings. Adhiyajña is the Lord as the presiding deity of all the actions of the individual (4).

From the 5th verse till the end of this chapter, Lord Krishna elaborately answers the last question i.e., how to remember the Lord even at the time of death.

Whatever be the predominant thought pattern at the time of death, that determines the place of the rebirth as well as the type of rebirth (6). Hence, if a person yearns for the Lord at the time of death, his rebirth will be conducive for the pursuit of the Lord in which he will naturally be successful (5). [It is said that those who are saguṇa-upāsakas will go to Brahmaloka. They will attain liberation by gaining knowledge from Brahmā, the creator himself. This is called krama-mukti]. But the thought pattern at the time of the death is determined by the predominant thought pattern throughout one’s life. Hence, Krishna asks to remember God all the time so that we will remember Him at the time of death also (7). Though it may appear difficult, one can succeed in this by constant effort and sincere practice (8).

From the 9th to the 13th verse, Krishna describes elaborately the practice of upāsanā at the time of death. One should control the organs of perception as well as action. Then by the skill of yoga-practice, prāṇa has to be withdrawn (through the suṣumnā-nāḍī) to the top of the head between the eyebrows. Then, he should withdraw the mind back to the heart, its source. With such a mind he should meditate on oṅkāra or any chosen deity with all devotion. He attains God who is omniscient, eternal, the ruler, subtler than the subtlest, the sustainer of all, incomprehensible, effulgent, and beyond ignorance. All scriptures talk about Him alone. All dispassionate seekers reach Him alone. All disciplines are for attaining Him alone. He is the ultimate goal of upāsakas.

For a person who is sincerely committed to the practice of mediation of God and whose devotion is undivided, God is easily attainable (14).

Then the Lord compares two types of goals, i.e., God and the world. Nobody can put the end to the cycle of birth by reaching higher lokas (worlds) or by acquiring better bodies. Even Brahmā, the creator, who has the longest duration of life (his day being two thousand caturyugas) cannot be free from finitude. Then what to talk of all other things and beings which appear during the day of Brahmā and disappear during his night? Hence all the lokas and achievements therein are finite. God is the only eternal and changeless principle who is beyond the unmanifest and manifest creation. He is imperishable and is the supreme goal of life. All beings exist in Him and everything is pervaded by Him. Attaining Him, one does not take rebirth in the mortal world (saṃsāra) (15 to 22).

Thus the Lord established that attainment of God is the highest goal compared to all other achievements. Now Krishna discusses the two paths that lead to the two goals which are subject to non-return and return. An upāsaka attains krama-mukti by departing through the bright-path (śukla-gati) which is presided over by the deities of fire, day, bright-fortnight and uttarāyaṇam. (He goes to Brahmaloka, gains Self-knowledge from Brahmā and becomes liberated.) Ritualists go by the dark-path (Krishna-gati) which is presided over by the deities of smoke, night, dark-fortnight and dakṣiṇāyanam. They come back after enjoying in the heavens (23 to 26).

Since the bright path takes one to God, one should choose that alone. To take to that path one should become an upāsaka. Hence Krishna advises Arjuna to be committed to upāsanā (27).

Concluding the topic, Krishna glorifies the result of upāsanā as superior to all other results gained through all other pursuits. Because, none of them can take one to that goal which the Upasaka attains — the supreme, primal God.

(Upāsanā can take a seeker to Guru and śāstra. Naturally upāsaka becomes jñāni-bhakta. He is liberated in this very life. He has no travel. This aspect (jīvanmukti) was talked in the seventh chapter and will be continued from the ninth chapter.

If upāsanā does not take one to guru and śāstra, he continues to be self-ignorant. He is not liberated in this life. But he travels by the bright-path to Brahmaloka. Instructed by Brahmā, the creator himself, he becomes jñāni-bhakta and is liberated. This is called krama-mukti, which is discussed in the eighth chapter.

Thus upāsanā is useful for jīvanmukti as well as krama-mukti.)

Gita 8th Chapter – Main Points

1. Definition of the terms Brahman, adhyātma, karma, adhibūta, adhidaiva and adhiyajña : 1 to 4
2. The significance and the method of remembering the Lord at the time of death: 5 to 14
3. Comparison between two types of goals — God and world: 15 to 22
4. The bright and dark paths: 23 to 27
5. Glory of upāsanā: 28

Since Krishna begins the teaching with Akṣara-brahman this chapter is called Akṣara-brahma-yoga.

Other Bhagavad Gita Shlokams

Bhagavad Gita-Chapter 8 All Verses with Meaning and Audio – Bhagavad Gita – Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8 All Verses Easy Chanting with Audio and Meaning, Lyrics

Bhagavad Gita-Chapter 08 All Verses with Meaning and Audio

Bhagavad Gita-Chapter 08 All Verses with Meaning and Audio