bhagavad-giitaa adhyaaya 8 (English)

This chapter starts with Arjuna asking Kr's'n'a to define some words that he explained in the end of the seventh chapter. This means that Arjuna wants a clear definition of the words used, so that the discussion becomes meaningful. Another point is that languages change over time, and meanings of words can change over centuries, so it is a good idea to get the words defined as clearly as possible. Kr's'n'a replies by giving short definitions of the words that Arjuna wanted to be clarified. He also explains that since a dyijng person reaches the condition that he meditates on, someone who wants to reach the highest destination should meditate on the highest divine person. This highest divine person is Kr's'n'a himself. Then, Kr's'n'a explains that the soul, who has reached him, do not return again to take birth in this world. This means that karma-phala does not force a person to leave that highest abode, the way it forces a person to eventually leave even the world of Brahmaa. In the different heavenly planets of this universe, souls stay because of their karma, but in this highest divine abode, souls stay only because of their bhakti. After explaining that, Kr's'n'a gives some explanations, based on the stories in the Puraan'as of the creation of the universe. The purpose of these explanatinons is to give Arjuna some perspective that the abode of Kr's'n'a does not vanish even after the extremely long periods of the day of Brahmaa. Thereafter, Kr's'n'a explains the times when a yogii, who passes away, goes to this highest divine abode and when the yogii goes to some higher planet in this universe, to return later. In the end of the chapter, Kr's'n'a explains that a successful yogii goes beyond the results of the religious practices, and goes to Kr's'n'a's abode. The results of these religious practices are the higher planets of this universe, where one can stay for a very long time, but eventually one has to come back from there to this world again. Some yogiis aspire for these conditions, but others aspire for bhakti, which enables the soul to reach what is beyond this universe.

Next adhyaaya

Aj:Øün: uv:ac: ek÷ t:dÏb:ÒÉ ekm:Dy:atm:ö ek÷ km:ü p:Ø,\:<¶:m: . AeD:B:Üt:ö c: ek÷ )<Vt:m:eD:dòv:ö ekm:Øcy:t:ð / 1 /	Arjuna spoke: What is that brahma, what is one's own, what is action, o supreme person^*, and what is declared to be regarding to nature, what is called regarding to deity? (1)
AeD:y:wH kT:ö k<\|*: dðhð\|¡sm:nm:D:Øs:Üdn: . )y:aN:kal:ð c: kT:ö wðy:<\|es: en:y:t:atm:eB:H / 2 /	How is this regarding to sacrifice, who is here in this body, o Madhusuudana^*, and how are you to be known by the self-controlled at the time of death? (2)
Â:iB:g:v:an:Øv:ac: Ax:rö b:ÒÉ p:rm:ö sv:B:av:<\|Dy:atm:m:Øcy:t:ð . B:Üt:B:av:<»v:kr< ev:s:g:üH km:üs:öewt:H / 3 /	S''rii Bhagavaan spoke: Brahma is the highest imperishable. One's own condition is called one's own. The creation which produces the conditions of living beings is termed action. (3)
AeD:B:Üt:ö x:r< B:av:H p:Ø,\:Á:aeD:dòv:t:m:Î . AeD:y:w<\|hm:ðv:a*: dðhð dðhB:àt:aö v:r / 4 /	The perishable condition is regarding to nature, and the person is regarding to deity. I myself am regarding to sacrifice here in the body, o precious among body-carriers^*, (4)
Ant:kal:ð c: m:am:ðv: sm:rnm:ØVtv:a kl:ðv:rm:Î . y:H )y:aet: s: m:»av:ö y:aet: n:asty:*: s:öS:y:H / 5 /	and he who passes on, remembering me alone after leaving the body at the time of death, enters my condition. In this respect, there is no doubt. (5)
y:ö y:ö v:aep: sm:rnB:av:ö ty:j:ty:nt:ð kl:ðv:rm:Î . t:ö t:m:ðv:òet: k>nt:ðy: s:da t:»av:B:aev:t:H / 6 /	Moreover, whatever condition one remembers while abandoning the body at death, that very respective condition one goes to, o Kuntii's son^*, always cultivated by that condition. (6)
t:sm:ats:v:ðü\:Ø kal:ð\:Ø m:am:n:Øsm:r y:ØDy: c: . m:yy:ep:üt:m:n:< b:Øe¹m:aüm:ðv:ò\y:sy:s:öS:y:H / 7 /	Therefore, remember me at all times and fight unselfishly. With your mind fixed in me, and your intelligence free from doubt, you will go to me alone. (7)
ABy:as:y:<g:y:ØVt:ðn: c:ðt:s:a n:any:g:aem:n:a . p:rm:ö p:Ø,\:ö edvy:ö y:aet: p:aT:aün:Øec:nt:y:n:Î / 8 /	The meditating person, with his consciousness united in repeated union, which doesn't go elsewhere, goes to the highest divine person, o Pr'thaa's son^*. (8)
kev:ö p:ØraN:m:n:ØS:aes:t:arm:N:<rN:iy:aös:m:n:Øsm:rð½H . s:v:üsy: D:at:arm:ec:nty:-p:m:aedty:v:N:þ t:m:s:H p:rst:at:Î / 9 /	He, who would remember the ancient sage and instructor, more minute than an atom, the supporter of all, with an inconceiveble form, with the sun's colour, beyond darkness, (9)
)y:aN:kal:ð m:n:s:a\|c:l:ðn: B:Vty:a y:ØVt:< y:<g:b:l:ðn: c:òv: . B:ÒÙv:<m:üDy:ð )aN:m:av:ðSy: s:my:Vs: t:ö p:rö p:Ø,\:m:Øp:òet: edvy:m:Î / 10 /	at the time of death with immovable mind, with devotion, and really united with supernatural power, after accurately settling his breath in the middle of his eyebrows, reaches that highest divine person. (10)
y:dx:rö v:ðdev:d< v:d¡nt: ev:S:¡nt: y:½t:y:< v:it:rag:aH . y:edcCnt:< b:ÒÉc:y:þ c:r¡nt: t:¶:ð p:dö s:{Ïg:ÒhðN: )v:xy:ð / 11 /	I will summarily^* explain that state to you, which the knowers of the Veda call imperishable, and which ascetics, who are free from passion, enter, and which those who strive after studies follow. (11)
s:v:ü¾araeN: s:öy:my: m:n:< Æed en:,Dy: c: . m:Ü¿y:aüD:ay:atm:n:H )aN:m:a¡sT:t:< y:<g:D:arN:am:Î / 12 /	After closing all entrances, and after confining the mind in the heart, and after keeping one's own breath in the forehead, the concentration^* of yoga is performed. (12)
A<em:ty:ðkax:rö b:ÒÉ vy:ahrnm:am:n:Øsm:rn:Î . y:H )y:aet: ty:j:ndðhö s: y:aet: p:rm:aö g:et:m:Î / 13 /	He who passes on, abandoning the body while uttering the great monosyllable "om" and remembering me, goes to the final path. (13)
An:ny:c:ðt:aH s:t:t:ö y:< m:aö sm:ret: en:ty:S:H . t:sy:ahö s:Øl:B:H p:aT:ü en:ty:y:ØVt:sy: y:<eg:n:H / 14 /	I am easily attainable for that eternally united yogii with constant undistracted consciousness, who always remembers me, o Pr'thaa's son^*. (14)
m:am:Øp:ðty: p:Øn:j:ünm: dØHK:al:y:m:S:aÃ:t:m:Î . n:apn:Øv:¡nt: m:hatm:an:H s:öes:e¹ö p:rm:aö g:t:aH / 15 /	After reaching me, the magnanimous souls who have arrived at final perfection, do not again obtain a temporary birth which is the abode of pain. (15)
Aab:ÒÉB:Øv:n:all:<kaH p:Øn:rav:et:ün:<\|j:Øün: . m:am:Øp:ðty: t:Ø k>nt:ðy: p:Øn:j:ünm: n: ev:½t:ð / 16 /	Up to Brahmaa's abode, the worlds are for returning again, o Arjuna, but after reaching me, birth again is not known, o Kuntii's son^*. (16)
s:h+y:Øg:p:y:ünt:m:hy:üdÏb:ÒÉN:< ev:dØH . rae:ö y:Øg:s:h+ant:aö t:ð\|h<ra:ev:d< j:n:aH / 17 /	The people, who know day and night, know that as a day of Brahmaa ends after a thousand yugas^*, a night also ends after a thousand yugas. (17)
Avy:Vt:adÏvy:Vt:y:H s:v:aüH )B:v:nty:hrag:m:ð . ray:ag:m:ð )l:iy:nt:ð t::òv:avy:Vt:s:Wwkñ / 18 /	All manifestations originate from the unmanifest when the day approaches, when the night approaches they are reabsorbed right into that which is named unmanifest. (18)
B:Üt:g:Òam:H s: Ov:ay:ö B:Ütv:a B:Ütv:a )l:iy:t:ð . ra*y:ag:m:ð\|v:S:H p:aT:ü )B:v:ty:hrag:m:ð / 19 /	This very multitude of living beings is unwillingly reabsorbed after coming into being again and again when the night approaches, o Pr'thaa's son^*, and originates when the day approaches, (19)
p:rst:sm:a¶:Ø B:av:<\|ny:<\|vy:Vt:<\|vy:Vt:ats:n:at:n:H . y:H s: s:v:ðü\:Ø B:Üt:ð\:Ø n:Sy:ts:Ø n: ev:n:Sy:et: / 20 /	but beyond it, there is another unmanifest, eternal existence which originates from the unmanifest, which does not vanish when all living beings disappear. (20)
Avy:Vt:<\|x:r Ety:ØVt:st:m:ahÚH p:rm:aö g:et:m:Î . y:ö )apy: n: en:v:t:ünt:ð t:¹am: p:rm:ö m:m: / 21 /	That, which is called unmanifest and imperishable, has been declared as the final way. That is my supreme domain, and after reaching it, they do not return, (21)
p:Ø,\:H s: p:rH p:aT:ü B:Vty:a l:By:stv:n:ny:y:a . y:sy:ant:HsT:aen: B:Üt:aen: y:ðn: s:v:üem:dö t:t:m:Î / 22 /	but that highest person is to be found by undistracted devotion, o Pr'thaa's son^*. The living beings are in the center of him, and all this is spread by him, (22)
y:*: kal:ð tv:n:av:àe¶:m:av:àe¶:ö c:òv: y:<eg:n:H . )y:at:a y:a¡nt: t:ö kal:ö v:xy:aem: B:rt:\:üB: / 23 /	but I will describe that time, when yogiis, who have passed away, travel to non-repetition and even repetition^, o most excellent of the Bharata^. (23)
A¡gn:jy:<üet:rhH S:ØVl:H \:Nm:as:a u¶:ray:N:m:Î . t:*: )y:at:a g:cC¡nt: b:ÒÉ b:ÒÉev:d< j:n:aH / 24 /	People who know brahma, who have passed away during fire, light, day, the bright half of the month, the six months when the sun progresses to the north, go to brahma. (24)
D:Üm:< rae:st:T:a ká\NaH \:Nm:as:a dex:N:ay:N:m:Î . t:: c:andÒm:s:ö jy:<et:y:<üg:i )apy: en:v:t:üt:ð / 25 /	In the same way, after reaching the lunar light during smoke, night, the dark half of the month, the six months when the sun progresses to the south, a yogii returns, (25)
S:ØVl:ká\Nað g:t:i Êðt:ð j:g:t:H S:aÃ:t:ð m:t:ð . Oky:a y:aty:n:av:àe¶:m:ny:y:av:t:üt:ð p:Øn:H / 26 /	for these are considered the eternal bright and dark ways of the world. By one, one travels to non-repetition; by the other, one returns again. (26)
n:òt:ð s:àt:i p:aT:ü j:an:ny:<g:i m:ØÊet: kÁ:n: . t:sm:ats:v:ðü\:Ø kal:ð\:Ø y:<g:y:ØVt:< B:v:aj:Øün: / 27 /	No yogii, who knows these roads, is bewildered, o Pr'thaa's son^*. Therefore, be united in yoga at all times, o Arjuna. (27)
v:ðdð\:Ø y:wð\:Ø t:p:Hs:Ø c:òv: dan:ð\:Ø y:tp:ØNy:Pl:ö )edÄm:Î . Aty:ðet: t:ts:v:üem:dö ev:edtv:a y:<g:i p:rö sT:an:m:Øp:òet: c:a½m:Î / 28 /	After knowing all this, the yogii passes over that, which is indicated as the result of virtue in the Vedas, in sacrifices, and even in penances and in donations, and reaches the original highest place. (28)