Bhagwad Gita - Post 95

Chapter VIII (Continued…)

Verse 10

Prayaanakaale manasaachalena

Bhaktyaa yukto yogabalena chaiva; 

Bhruvormadhye praanamaaveshya samyak

Sa tam param purusham upaiti divyam.

At the time of death, with unshaken mind, endowed with devotion and by the power of Yoga, fixing the whole life-breath in the middle of the two eyebrows, he reaches that resplendent Supreme Person.

Verse 11

Yadaksharam vedavido vadanti

Vishanti yadyatayo veetaraagaah;

Yadicchanto brahmacharyam charanti

Tatte padam samgrahena pravakshye.

That which is declared imperishable by those who know the Vedas, that which the self-controlled (ascetics) and passion-free enter, that desiring which celibacy is practised—that goal I will declare to thee in brief.

Verse 12

Sarvadwaaraani samyamya

Mano hridi nirudhya cha; Moordhnyaadhaayaatmanah

Praanamaasthito yogadhaaranaam.

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

Verse 13

Omityekaaksharam brahma

Vyaaharan maamanusmaran;

Yah prayaati tyajan deham

Sa yaati paramaam gatim.

Uttering the monosyllable Om—the Brahman—remembering Me always, he who departs thus, leaving the body, attains to the supreme goal.

Verse 14

Ananyachetaah satatam

Yo maam smarati nityashah;

Tasyaaham sulabhah paartha

Nityayuktasya yoginah.

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 or one-pointed mind), O Partha (Arjuna)!

Verse 15

Maamupetya punarjanma Duhkhaalayamashaashwatam;

Naapnuvanti mahaatmaanah

Samsiddhim paramaam gataah.

Having attained Me these great souls do not again take birth (here), which is the place of pain and is non-eternal; they have reached the highest perfection (liberation).

Verse 16

Aabrahmabhuvanaallokaah

Punaraavartino’rjuna;

Maamupetya tu kaunteya

Punarjanma na vidyate.

(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!

Verse 17

Sahasrayugaparyantam

Aharyad brahmano viduh;

Raatrim yugasahasraantaam

Te’horaatravido janaah.

Those who know the day of Brahma, which is of a duration of a thousand Yugas (ages), and the night, which is also of a thousand Yugas’ duration, they know day and night.

Verse 18

Avyaktaadvyaktayah sarvaah Prabhavantyaharaagame;

Raatryaagame praleeyante Tatraivaavyaktasamjnake.

From the unmanifested all the manifested (worlds) proceed at the coming of the “day”; at the coming of the “night” they dissolve verily into that alone which is called the unmanifested.

Continued…

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 94

Chapter VIII (Continued…)

Verse 1

Arjuna Uvaacha:

Kim tadbrahma kim adhyaatmam

Kim karma purushottama;

Adhibhootam cha kim proktam

Adhidaivam kimuchyate.

Arjuna said:

What is that Brahman? What is Adhyatma? What is action, O best among men? What is declared to be Adhibhuta? And what is Adhidaiva said to be?

Verse 2

Adhiyajnah katham ko’tra

Dehe’smin madhusoodana;

Prayaanakaale cha katham

Jneyo’si niyataatmabhih.

Who and how is Adhiyajna here in this body, O destroyer of Madhu (Krishna)? And how, at the time of death, art Thou to be known by the self-controlled one?

Verse 3

Sri Bhagavaan Uvaacha:

Aksharam brahma paramam Swabhaavo’dhyaatmamuchyate; Bhootabhaavodbhavakaro

Visargah karmasamjnitah.

The Blessed Lord said:

Brahman is the Imperishable, the Supreme; His essential nature is called Self-knowledge; the offering (to the gods) which causes existence and manifestation of beings and which also sustains them is called action.

Verse 4

Adhibhootam ksharo bhaavah Purushashchaadhidaivatam; Adhiyajno’hamevaatra

Dehe dehabhritaam vara.

Adhibhuta (knowledge of the elements) pertains to My perishable Nature, and the Purusha or soul is the Adhidaiva; I alone am the Adhiyajna here in this body, O best among the embodied (men)!

Verse 5

Antakaale cha maameva

Smaran muktwaa kalevaram;

Yah prayaati sa madbhaavam

Yaati naastyatra samshayah.

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

Verse 6

Yam yam vaapi smaran

Bhaavam tyajatyante kalevaram;

Tam tamevaiti kaunteya

Sadaa tadbhaavabhaavitah.

Whosoever at the end leaves the body, thinking of any being, to that being only does he go, O son of Kunti (Arjuna), because of his constant thought of that being!

Verse 7

Tasmaat sarveshu kaaleshu

Maamanusmara yudhya cha; Mayyarpitamanobuddhir Maamevaishyasyasamshayam.

Therefore, at all times remember Me only and fight. With mind and intellect fixed (or absorbed) in Me, thou shalt doubtless come to Me alone.

Verse 8

Abhyaasayogayuktena

Chetasaa naanyagaaminaa;

Paramam purusham divyam

Yaati paarthaanuchintayan.

With the mind not moving towards any other thing, made steadfast by the method of habitual meditation, and constantly meditating, one goes to the Supreme Person, the Resplendent, O Arjuna!

Verse 9

Kavim puraanamanushaasitaaram Anoraneeyaamsam anusmaredyah;

Sarvasya dhaataaram achintyaroopam Aadityavarnam tamasah parastaat.

Whosoever 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.

Continued…

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 93

CHAPTER 8

THE YOGA OF THE IMPERISHABLE BRAHMAN

Dear All,

Now, we are getting into the very core of Vedanta, from this chapter onwards. 

Lord Krishna explains how those who attain Him do not have to come again into this impermanent world of sorrow and pain. 

All beings, including even the Gods, come again and again into this created universe from the state of unmanifest being wherein they remained at the end of an age-cycle. 

But the Lord exists even beyond this unmanifest being. That radiant, imperishable Divine Reality is the highest goal to be attained. Single-minded devotion of our heart is the means of attaining this highest blessed state.

Even though there are auspicious and inauspicious circumstances of departing from the physical body and journeying forth, yet if one steadily abides in the Lord through firm devotion and faith, then these conditions do not matter. 

By always remaining in tune with the Lord through pure love, everything is made auspicious, if one can ever remain united with the Divine through deep devotion, constant remembrance, regular meditation and continuous communion, then all times, places, conditions and situations become auspicious and blessed. This is the secret of invoking His Grace and attaining Him and becoming eternally free and blissful.

Arjuna here asks Lord Krishna about the meaning of the different terms referred to by Him in the last two verses of the previous chapter. 

Those who strive for liberation from old age and death, taking refuge in Me, realize in full that Brahman, the whole knowledge of the Self and all action.( Chapter 7-29)

Those who know Me with the Adhibhuta (pertaining to the elements), the Adhidaiva (pertaining to the Gods), and Adhiyajna (pertaining to the sacrifice), know Me even at the time of death, steadfast in mind. (Chapter 7-30).

Arjuna asked, “What is this that You are speaking? You said there is Brahma, the Absolute; then You said there is adhyatma; then You said there is karma; then You said there is adhibhuta; then You said there is adhidaiva; then You said there is adhiyajna. I cannot understand what all this is, and You want me to bring them together into a total focus?” 

Kiṁ tad brahma (8.1): “Which is that Supreme Absolute that You are speaking of, O Lord?” 

Kim adhyātmaṁ: “Which is that subjective self?” 

Kiṁ karma: “Which is that action that You refer to?” 

Adhibhūtaṁ ca kiṁ proktam: “Which is the objective world that You are speaking of? What does it actually mean?” 

Adhiyajñaḥ kathaṁ kotra (8.2): “Which is that transcendent element which You spoke of as being between the subject and object? 

You refer to adhiyajna as an activity that You are performing in the cosmos. What does it mean, Bhagavan Sri Krishna?” 

The last question was: “Also, how am I to think of You at the time of death?”

He wishes to know what is the Supreme Being, what is Karma or action that He refers to, and what is the meaning that pertains to this spirit, the elements and the center of all things within this human body.

Beyond all things manifest and unmanifest, beyond these names and forms, there is the Supreme Being — Brahman. He indwells this body as the center of all things, including even our own self (individual soul). 

The secret of reaching the Divine Being and thus freeing oneself forever from birth and death and the pains and sufferings of this earth-life, is to constantly practice unbroken remembrance of the Lord at all times, in all places and even amidst one’s daily activities. 

If one practices such steady remembrance through regular daily Sadhana, then he will be rooted in His remembrance even at the time of departing from this body at death. Thus departing, he will go beyond darkness and bondage and attain the realm of eternal blessedness.

One must practice sense-control. The senses must be well disciplined and gradually withdrawn from outside objects. The mind should be centered within upon God, by uttering Aum or any Divine Name. By such steady practice daily the Lord is easily attained.

Love.