CHAPTER NO 8

AKSHAR and BRAHMA are the terms used synonimously with the supreme self (paramatma). Omkar written as AUM (in hindi) is also same as Akshar (lierally, which is imperishable) and Brahma (literal meaning, which is ever expanding. God in both the forms, manifest or unmanifest and the word (Akshar) hold the centre-stage in this chapter. Therefore, the chapter is entitled as Akshar-Brahma Yoga

Arjuna uvacha

·  kim taf brahma kim ahyatmam
kim karma purushottam
dhibhutam cha kim proktam
adhidaivan kim uchyate

Arjuna Said : What is brahma (the Absolute)? What is the self and what is the work; O Krishna? What is called the field of influence of the gods?

·  adhigyam katham kah atra
dehe asmin madhusudana
prayan kale cha katham
gyeyah asi niyatatmabhih

What is the field of sacrifice in this body and how, O Madhusudana (Krishna)? How, are you to be known by the self-disciplined at the time of their departure (from this world)?

ShriBhagavan uvacha

·  aksharam brahma parmam
svabhavah adhyatmanam uchyate
bhutabhavodbhavakarah visargah
karma sangyitah

The blessed Lord said : Brahma (or Absolute) is not capable of being destroyed, the Supreme (the highest being) is called self. Karma is the name of the act of renouncing (in accordance with the scriptures).

·  adhibhutam kshrah bhavah
purushah cha adhidaivatam
adhiyagyah aham eva atra
dehe dehbhritama var

All the things subject to creation and decay are (adhibhuta) muable nature. The divine elements are cosmic spirit (adhi-daiva). The basis of all the sacrifices in the body is myself, O Arjuna.

·  anantakale cha mama eva
smaran muktva kalevarama
yah prayati sah madbhavam
yati na asti atra sanshayah

Anyone, who at the time of his death, departs, thinking of me alone , he comes to my state, there cannot be any doubt on this account.

·  yam yam ua api smaran bhanam
tyajati ante kalevaram
tam tam eva eti kaunteya
sada tadbhava bhavitah

Thinking of whatever state for being a person gives up his body, to that state he reaches, O son of Kunti (Arjuna) being always immersed in that thought.

·  tasmat sarvesu kalesu
mama anusmer yudhya cha
mayi arpitamanobuddhih
mama eva esyasi asanshayam

Therefore, always remembering me, join the battle. When your intelligence and mind is attuned to me, to me alone shall you attain, indoubtedly.

·  abhyasa yogayuktena chetasa
nanya gamina
paramam purusham divyam
yati partha anuchintayana

O Arjuna, constantly meditating upon the supreme being, not allowing the mind to wander off in either directions, attains to the divine person (the Supreme being).

·  kavim puranam anushasitaram
anadhoh andhiyansam
anusmareta yah sarvasya
dhataram achintyarupam.

One who meditates on the sage, the ancient, the controller of all beings, subtler than the subtle, the upholder of all, whose form cannot be imagined, who is blazing like sun, beyond the darkness.

·  pranyankle manasa achalena
bhaktya yuktah yogabalena cha eva
bhruvoh madhe pranam aveshya
samyak sah tam param purusham upaiti divyam

He who does this, at the time of his death, with a steady mind, devotion and yoga, fixing his lifeforce between his eyebrows, attains to the supreme being.

·  yat aksharam vedavidah vadanti
vishanti yat yatayah vitaragh
yat ichhantah brahmacharyam charanti
tatle padam sangrahena pravakshaye

In short I shall tell you about the state which those learned in vedas call the indestructible, which ascetics having become free from desires enter and they lead a life of coninence.

·  sarva dvarani sanyamya
manah hridi niruddha cha
murdhagni adhaya atmanah pranam
asthitah yogadharanam

All the openings of the body control the mind fixed in heart and the life force established in the head, steadied in concentration by yoga

·  aum eti ekaksharam brahma
vyavaharam mama anusmaran
yah prayati tyajan deham she
yati parman gatim

One who, uttering the single syllable Aum (which is Brahma), meditates on me, as he departs leaving his body, attains to the highest state.

·  ananyachetah satatam yah
mam smarati nityashah
tasya aham sulabhah partha
nityayuktasya yoginah

Who is constantly remembering me, thinking of none others, I am easily available to such a disciplined yogi.

·  mama upetya punarjanma
duhkhalayam ashvashatam
na apruvanti mahatmanah
sansiddhim parmam gatah

The yogi attained to the highest state of mine do not go back to the place of sorrow and impermamence, to born again.

·  abrahmabhuvanat lokah
punravartinah arjuna
mama upetya tu kaunteya
punarjanma na vidhyate

O Arjuna, from the world of Brahma downwards, all the worlds have the nature of birth and re-birth cycle, but O, Son of Kunti, no one is born again after having reached to my state.

·  sahastrayugaparnartam ahah
yat brahmanah viduh
ratrim yugasahatrantam
te ahoratravidah janah

O Arjuna, those who know that the day of Brahma is equal to one thousand ages and the night is also a thousand ages long, know the secrets of time.

·  avyaktal uyaktayah sarvah
prabhavanti ahragame
ratrayagame praliyante
tatra eva avyaktasangyake

At the start of the day all the beings come into existence and when night starts they go back to unmanifested state. They come from unmanifested state and again go back to unmanifested, during the day, they remain manifested)

·  bhutagramah saheva ayam
bhutva bhutva praliyate
hafrayagame avashah partha
prabhavati ahragame

That every multitude of the living beings again and again comes into existence at the beginning of the day and at the start of the night they merge into the unmanifested state; O Arjuna, this happens according to the law of nature.

·  parah tasmat tu bhavah
anyah avyaktah avyaktat
sanatanah yah sah sarvesu
bhutesu nashyatsu na avinashyati

But beyond the unmanifested there is yet another being which is external and does not perish even when all other beings perish.

·  avyatah aksharah iti uktah
tam ahuh parmam gatim
yam prapya na uivartante
tat dham parmam mama

This unmanifested is called imperishable. That is called the supreme goal. Those reaching that do not come again. That is my supreme seat.

·  purushah sah parah partha
bhaktya labhyah tu ananya
yasya antahsthani bhutani
yen sarvam idam tatam.

This the supreme being, O Arjuna in which entire existence abides and by whom it is pervaded, He can be reached through complete devotion.

·  yatra kale tu anavritam
avritim cha eva yoginah
prayatah yauti tam kalam
vakshyami bharatarshabhah

O, Best of Bharatas (Arjuna) now, I Shall tell you the time (way) in which yogis departing after giving up their bodies do not come back and the time (way) when they return.

·  agnih jyotih ahah shuklah
shanmasah uttarayanam
tatra prayatah gachhanti
brahma brahma vidah janah

The knowers of brahma, going in the way of fire, light, day, the bright half of the month, the six months when the sun is in the northern path, go to the absolute.

·  dhumah ratrih tatha krishnah
shanmasah dakshinayanam
tatra chandramasam jyotih
yogi prapya nivartate

Those going through the way of smoke, night, dark half of the month, when the sun is on its southern course, such yogis obtain lunar light and come back.

·  shukla krishne gati hi ate
jagatah shashvate mate
ekaya yati anavritim
anyatha avartate punah

The two paths of light and darkness are regarded as the world eternal paths. By one path the traveller returns back while by the other he does not return again.

·  na etc shriti partha janam
yogi muhyati kaschanah
tasmat sarveshu kaleshu
yogayaktah bhava arjuna

·  O Arjuna, be established in yoga at all the time, because, the yogi knowing both these paths truly, is never deluded.

·  vedesu yagyesu tapalsu cha eva
danesu yat panyaphalam pradistam
atyeti tat sarvam idam viditva
yogi param sthanam upaiti cha adhyam

Yogi having obtained the knowledge of all this goes beyond the fruits of the study of the vedas, and sacrifices and austerities and donations and reaches the eternal supreme goal.

Iti… akshar brahmayoganama asaptamo adhyaya

This is the eighth chapter entitled the yoga of the imperishable absolute.