shlOkaH
arjuna uvaacha
kiM tadbrahma kimadhyaatmaM kiM karma purushhOttama ।
adhibhootaM cha kiM prOktamadhidaivaM kimuchyatE ॥ 1 ॥
Meaning
arjunaH uvaaca — Arjuna said; kim — what; tat — that; brahma — Brahman; kim — what; adhyaatmam — the self; kim — what; karma — fruitive activities; purushha-uttama — O Supreme Person; adhibhootam — the material manifestation; ca — and; kim — what; prOktam — is called; adhidaivam — the demigods; kim — what; ucyatE — is called.
Translation
Arjuna inquired: O my Lord, O Supreme Person, what is Brahman? What is the self? What are fruitive activities? What is this material manifestation? And what are the demigods? Please explain this to me.
shlOkaH
adhiyajjhNaH kathaM kO.atra dEhE.asminmadhusoodana ।
prayaaNakaalE cha kathaM jjhNEyO.asi niyataatmabhiH ॥ 2 ॥
Meaning
adhiyajjhNaH — the Lord of sacrifice; katham — how; kaH — who; atra — here; dEhE — in the body; asmin — this; madhusoodana — O Madhusūdana; prayaaNa-kaalE — at the time of death; ca — and; katham — how; jjhNEyaH asi — You can be known; niyata-aatmabhiH — by the self-controlled.
Translation
Who is the Lord of sacrifice, and how does He live in the body, O Madhusūdana? And how can those engaged in devotional service know You at the time of death?
shlOkaH
shreebhagavaanuvaacha
akshharaM brahma paramaM svabhaavO.adhyaatmamuchyatE ।
bhootabhaavOdbhavakarO visargaH karmasaMjjhNitaH ॥ 3 ॥
Meaning
shree-bhagavaan uvaaca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; akshharam — indestructible; brahma — Brahman; paramam — transcendental; svabhaavaH — eternal nature; adhyaatmam — the self; ucyatE — is called; bhoota-bhaava-udbhava-karaH — producing the material bodies of the living entities; visargaH — creation; karma — fruitive activities; saṁjjhNitaH — is called.
Translation
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The indestructible, transcendental living entity is called Brahman, and his eternal nature is called adhyātma, the self. Action pertaining to the development of the material bodies of the living entities is called karma, or fruitive activities.
shlOkaH
adhibhootaM kshharO bhaavaH purushhashchaadhidaivatam ।
adhiyajjhNO.ahamEvaatra dEhE dEhabhRRitaaM vara ॥ 4 ॥
Meaning
adhibhootam — the physical manifestation; kshharaH — constantly changing; bhaavaH — nature; purushhaH — the universal form, including all the demigods, like the sun and moon; ca — and; adhidaivatam — called adhidaiva; adhiyajjhNaH — the Supersoul; aham — I (Kṛṣṇa); Eva — certainly; atra — in this; dEhE — body; dEha-bhRRitaam — of the embodied; vara — O best.
Translation
O best of the embodied beings, the physical nature, which is constantly changing, is called adhibhūta [the material manifestation]. The universal form of the Lord, which includes all the demigods, like those of the sun and moon, is called adhidaiva. And I, the Supreme Lord, represented as the Supersoul in the heart of every embodied being, am called adhiyajña [the Lord of sacrifice].
shlOkaH
antakaalE cha maamEva smaranmuktvaa kalEvaram ।
yaH prayaati sa madbhaaavaM yaati naastyatra saMshayaH ॥ 5 ॥
Meaning
anta-kaalE — at the end of life; ca — also; maam — Me; Eva — certainly; smaran — remembering; muktvaa — quitting; kalEvaram — the body; yaH — he who; prayaati — goes; saH — he; mat-bhaavam — My nature; yaati — achieves; na — not; asti — there is; atra — here; saṁshayaH — doubt.
Translation
And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body remembering Me alone at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.
shlOkaH
yaM yaM vaapi smaranbhaavaM tyajatyantE kalEvaram ।
taM tamEvaiti kauntEya sadaa tadbhaaavabhaavitaH ॥ 6 ॥
Meaning
yam yam — whatever; vaa api — at all; smaran — remembering; bhaavam — nature; tyajati — gives up; antE — at the end; kalEvaram — this body; tam tam — similar; Eva — certainly; Eti — gets; kauntEya — O son of Kuntī; sadaa — always; tat — that; bhaava — state of being; bhaavitaH — remembering.
Translation
Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kuntī, that state he will attain without fail.
shlOkaH
tasmaatsarvEshhu kaalEshhu maamanusmara yudhya cha ।
mayyarpitamanObuddhirmaamEvaishhyasyasaMshayaH ॥ 7 ॥
Meaning
tasmaat — therefore; sarvEshhu — at all; kaalEshhu — times; maam — Me; anusmara — go on remembering; yudhya — fight; ca — also; mayi — unto Me; arpita — surrendering; manaH — mind; buddhiH — intellect; maam — unto Me; Eva — surely; Eshhyasi — you will attain; asaṁshayaH — beyond a doubt.
Translation
Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Kṛṣṇa and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt.
shlOkaH
abhyaasayOgayuktEna chEtasaa naanyagaaminaa ।
paramaM purushhaM divyaM yaati paarthaanuchintayan ॥ 8 ॥
Meaning
abhyaasa-yOga — in the practice of meditation; yuktEna — being engaged; cEtasaa — by the mind and intelligence; na anya-gaaminaa — without their being deviated; paramam — the Supreme; purushham — Personality of Godhead; divyam — transcendental; yaati — one achieves; paartha — O son of Pṛthā; anucintayan — constantly thinking of.
Translation
He who meditates on Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind constantly engaged in remembering Me, undeviated from the path, he, O Pārtha, is sure to reach Me.
shlOkaH
kaviM puraaNamanushaasitaara-
maNOraNeeyaaMsamanusmarEdyaH ।
sarvasya dhaataaramachintyaroopa-
maadityavarNaM tamasaH parastaat ॥ 9 ॥
Meaning
kavim — the one who knows everything; puraaNam — the oldest; anushaasitaaram — the controller; aNOH — than the atom; aNeeyaaṁsam — smaller; anusmarEt — always thinks of; yaH — one who; sarvasya — of everything; dhaataaram — the maintainer; acintya — inconceivable; roopam — whose form; aaditya-varNam — luminous like the sun; tamasaH — to darkness; parastaat — transcendental.
Translation
One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows everything, as He who is the oldest, who is the controller, who is smaller than the smallest, who is the maintainer of everything, who is beyond all material conception, who is inconceivable, and who is always a person. He is luminous like the sun, and He is transcendental, beyond this material nature.
shlOkaH
prayaaNakaalE manasaachalEna
bhaktyaaa yuktO yOgabalEna chaiva ।
bhruvOrmadhyE praaNamaavEshya samya-
ksa taM paraM purushhamupaiti divyam ॥ 10 ॥
Meaning
prayaaNa-kaalE — at the time of death; manasaa — by the mind; acalEna — without its being deviated; bhaktyaa — in full devotion; yuktaH — engaged; yOga-balEna — by the power of mystic yoga; ca — also; Eva — certainly; bhruvOH — the two eyebrows; madhyE — between; praaNam — the life air; aavEshya — establishing; samyak — completely; saH — he; tam — that; param — transcendental; purushham — Personality of Godhead; upaiti — achieves; divyam — in the spiritual kingdom.
Translation
One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between the eyebrows and, by the strength of yoga, with an undeviating mind, engages himself in remembering the Supreme Lord in full devotion, will certainly attain to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
shlOkaH
yadakshharaM vEdavidO vadanti
vishanti yadyatayO veetaraagaaH ।
yadichChantO brahmacharyaM charanti
tattE padaM sangrahENa pravakshhyE ॥ 11 ॥
Meaning
yat — that which; akshharam — syllable oṁ; vEda-vidaH — persons conversant with the Vedas; vadanti — say; vishanti — enter; yat — in which; yatayaH — great sages; veeta-raagaaH — in the renounced order of life; yat — that which; icchantaH — desiring; brahma-caryam — celibacy; caranti — practice; tat — that; tE — unto you; padam — situation; sangrahENa — in summary; pravakshhyE — I shall explain.
Translation
Persons who are learned in the Vedas, who utter oṁ-kāra, and who are great sages in the renounced order enter into Brahman. Desiring such perfection, one practices celibacy. I shall now briefly explain to you this process by which one may attain salvation.
shlOkaH
sarvadvaaraaNi saMyamya manO hRRidi nirudhya cha ।
moodhnryaadhaayaatmanaH praaNamaasthitO yOgadhaaraNaam ॥ 12 ॥
Meaning
sarva-dvaaraaNi — all the doors of the body; saṁyamya — controlling; manaH — the mind; hRRidi — in the heart; nirudhya — confining; ca — also; moordhni — on the head; aadhaaya — fixing; aatmanaH — of the soul; praaNam — the life air; aasthitaH — situated in; yOga-dhaaraNaam — the yogic situation.
Translation
The yogic situation is that of detachment from all sensual engagements. Closing all the doors of the senses and fixing the mind on the heart and the life air at the top of the head, one establishes himself in yoga.
shlOkaH
OM ityEkaakshharaM brahma vyaaharanmaamanusmaran ।
yaH prayaati tyajandEhaM sa yaati paramaaM gatim ॥ 13 ॥
Meaning
Oṁ — the combination of letters oṁ (oṁ-kāra); iti — thus; Eka-akshharam — the one syllable; brahma — absolute; vyaaharan — vibrating; maam — Me (Kṛṣṇa); anusmaran — remembering; yaH — anyone who; prayaati — leaves; tyajan — quitting; dEham — this body; saH — he; yaati — achieves; paramaam — the supreme; gatim — destination.
Translation
After being situated in this yoga practice and vibrating the sacred syllable oṁ, the supreme combination of letters, if one thinks of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and quits his body, he will certainly reach the spiritual planets.
shlOkaH
ananyachEtaaH satataM yO maaM smarati nityashaH ।
tasyaahaM sulabhaH paartha nityayuktasya yOginaH ॥ 14 ॥
Meaning
ananya-cEtaaH — without deviation of the mind; satatam — always; yaH — anyone who; maam — Me (Kṛṣṇa); smarati — remembers; nityashaH — regularly; tasya — to him; aham — I am; su-labhaH — very easy to achieve; paartha — O son of Pṛthā; nitya — regularly; yuktasya — engaged; yOginaH — for the devotee.
Translation
For one who always remembers Me without deviation, I am easy to obtain, O son of Pṛthā, because of his constant engagement in devotional service.
shlOkaH
maamupEtya punarjanma duHkhaalayamashaashvatam ।
naapnuvanti mahaatmaanaH saMsiddhiM paramaaM gataaH ॥ 15 ॥
Meaning
maam — Me; upEtya — achieving; punaH — again; janma — birth; duHkha-aalayam — place of miseries; ashaashvatam — temporary; na — never; aapnuvanti — attain; mahaa-aatmaanaH — the great souls; saṁsiddhim — perfection; paramaam — ultimate; gataaH — having achieved.
Translation
After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.
shlOkaH
aabrahmabhuvanaallaOkaaH punaraavartinO.arjuna ।
maamupEtya tu kauntEya punarjanma na vidyatE ॥ 16 ॥
Meaning
aa-brahma-bhuvanaat — up to the Brahmaloka planet; lOkaaH — the planetary systems; punaH — again; aavartinaH — returning; arjuna — O Arjuna; maam — unto Me; upEtya — arriving; tu — but; kauntEya — O son of Kuntī; punaH janma — rebirth; na — never; vidyatE — takes place.
Translation
From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again.
shlOkaH
sahasrayugaparyantamaharyadbrahmaNO viduH ।
raatriM yugasahasraantaaM tE.ahOraatravidO janaaH ॥ 17 ॥
Meaning
sahasra — one thousand; yuga — millenniums; paryantam — including; ahaH — day; yat — that which; brahmaNaH — of Brahmā; viduH — they know; raatrim — night; yuga — millenniums; sahasra-antaam — similarly, ending after one thousand; tE — they; ahaH-raatra — day and night; vidaH — who understand; janaaH — people.
Translation
By human calculation, a thousand ages taken together form the duration of Brahmā’s one day. And such also is the duration of his night.
shlOkaH
avyaktaad vyaktayaH sarvaaH prabhavantyaharaagamE ।
raatryaagamE praleeyantE tatraivaavyaktasaMjjhNakE ॥ 18 ॥
Meaning
avyaktaat — from the unmanifest; vyaktayaH — living entities; sarvaaH — all; prabhavanti — become manifest; ahaH-aagamE — at the beginning of the day; raatri-aagamE — at the fall of night; praleeyantE — are annihilated; tatra — into that; Eva — certainly; avyakta — the unmanifest; saṁjjhNakE — which is called.
Translation
At the beginning of Brahmā’s day, all living entities become manifest from the unmanifest state, and thereafter, when the night falls, they are merged into the unmanifest again.
shlOkaH
bhootagraamaH sa EvaayaM bhootvaa bhootvaa praleeyatE ।
raatryaagamE.avashaH paartha prabhavatyaharaagamE ॥ 19 ॥
Meaning
bhoota-graamaH — the aggregate of all living entities; saH — these; Eva — certainly; ayam — this; bhootvaa bhootvaa — repeatedly taking birth; praleeyatE — is annihilated; raatri — of night; aagamE — on the arrival; avashaH — automatically; paartha — O son of Pṛthā; prabhavati — is manifest; ahaH — of daytime; aagamE — on the arrival.
Translation
Again and again, when Brahmā’s day arrives, all living entities come into being, and with the arrival of Brahmā’s night they are helplessly annihilated.
shlOkaH
parastasmaattu bhaavO.anyO.avyaktO.avyaktaatsanaatanaH ।
yaH sa sarvEshhu bhootEshhu nashyatsu na vinashyati ॥ 20 ॥
Meaning
paraH — transcendental; tasmaat — to that; tu — but; bhaavaH — nature; anyaH — another; avyaktaH — unmanifest; avyaktaat — to the unmanifest; sanaatanaH — eternal; yaH saH — that which; sarvEshhu — all; bhootEshhu — manifestation; nashyatsu — being annihilated; na — never; vinashyati — is annihilated.
Translation
Yet there is another unmanifest nature, which is eternal and is transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is supreme and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that part remains as it is.
shlOkaH
avyaktO.akshhara ityuktastamaahuH paramaaM gatim ।
yaM praapya na nivartantE taddhaama paramaM mama ॥ 21 ॥
Meaning
avyaktaH — unmanifested; akshharaH — infallible; iti — thus; uktaH — is said; tam — that; aahuH — is known; paramaam — the ultimate; gatim — destination; yam — which; praapya — gaining; na — never; nivartantE — come back; tat — that; dhaama — abode; paramam — supreme; mama — My.
Translation
That which the Vedāntists describe as unmanifest and infallible, that which is known as the supreme destination, that place from which, having attained it, one never returns – that is My supreme abode.
shlOkaH
purushhaH sa paraH paartha bhaktyaaa labhyastvananyayaa ।
yasyaantaHsthaani bhootaani yEna sarvamidaM tatam ॥ 22 ॥
Meaning
purushhaH — the Supreme Personality; saH — He; paraH — the Supreme, than whom no one is greater; paartha — O son of Pṛthā; bhaktyaa — by devotional service; labhyaH — can be achieved; tu — but; ananyayaa — unalloyed, undeviating; yasya — whom; antaH-sthaani — within; bhootaani — all of this material manifestation; yEna — by whom; sarvam — all; idam — whatever we can see; tatam — is pervaded.
Translation
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is greater than all, is attainable by unalloyed devotion. Although He is present in His abode, He is all-pervading, and everything is situated within Him.
shlOkaH
yatra kaalE tvanaavRRittimaavRRittiM chaiva yOginaH ।
prayaataa yaanti taM kaalaM vakshhyaami bharatarshhabha ॥ 23 ॥
Meaning
yatra — at which; kaalE — time; tu — and; anaavRRittim — no return; aavRRittim — return; ca — also; Eva — certainly; yOginaH — different kinds of mystics; prayaataaH — having departed; yaanti — attain; tam — that; kaalam — time; vakshhyaami — I shall describe; bharata-RRishhabha — O best of the Bhāratas.
Translation
O best of the Bhāratas, I shall now explain to you the different times at which, passing away from this world, the yogī does or does not come back.
shlOkaH
agnairjyOtirahaH shuklaH shhaNmaasaa uttaraayaNam ।
tatra prayaataa gachChanti brahma brahmavidO janaaH ॥ 24 ॥
Meaning
agniH — fire; jyOtiH — light; ahaH — day; shuklaH — the white fortnight; shhaT-maasaaH — the six months; uttara-ayanam — when the sun passes on the northern side; tatra — there; prayaataaH — those who pass away; gacchanti — go; brahma — to the Absolute; brahma-vidaH — who know the Absolute; janaaH — persons.
Translation
Those who know the Supreme Brahman attain that Supreme by passing away from the world during the influence of the fiery god, in the light, at an auspicious moment of the day, during the fortnight of the waxing moon, or during the six months when the sun travels in the north.
shlOkaH
dhoomO raatristathaa kRRishhNaH shhaNmaasaa dakshhiNaayanam ।
tatra chaandramasaM jyOtiryOgee praapya nivartatE ॥ 25 ॥
Meaning
dhoomaH — smoke; raatriH — night; tathaa — also; kRRishhNaH — the fortnight of the dark moon; shhaT-maasaaH — the six months; dakshhiNa-ayanam — when the sun passes on the southern side; tatra — there; caandramasam — the moon planet; jyOtiH — the light; yOgee — the mystic; praapya — achieving; nivartatE — comes back.
Translation
The mystic who passes away from this world during the smoke, the night, the fortnight of the waning moon, or the six months when the sun passes to the south reaches the moon planet but again comes back.
shlOkaH
shauklakRRishhNE gatee hyEtE jagataH shaashvatE matE ।
Ekayaa yaatyanaavRRittimanyayaavartatE punaH ॥ 26 ॥
Meaning
shukla — light; kRRishhNE — and darkness; gatee — ways of passing; hi — certainly; EtE — these two; jagataH — of the material world; shaashvatE — of the Vedas; matE — in the opinion; Ekayaa — by one; yaati — goes; anaavRRittim — to no return; anyayaa — by the other; aavartatE — comes back; punaH — again.
Translation
According to Vedic opinion, there are two ways of passing from this world – one in light and one in darkness. When one passes in light, he does not come back; but when one passes in darkness, he returns.
shlOkaH
naitE sRRitee paartha jaananyOgee muhyati kashchana ।
tasmaatsarvEshhu kaalEshhu yOgayuktO bhavaarjuna ॥ 27 ॥
Meaning
na — never; EtE — these two; sRRitee — different paths; paartha — O son of Pṛthā; jaanan — even if he knows; yOgee — the devotee of the Lord; muhyati — is bewildered; kashcana — any; tasmaat — therefore; sarvEshhu kaalEshhu — always; yOga-yuktaH — engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness; bhava — just become; arjuna — O Arjuna.
Translation
Although the devotees know these two paths, O Arjuna, they are never bewildered. Therefore be always fixed in devotion.
shlOkaH
vEdEshhu yajjhNEshhu tapaHsu chaiva
daanEshhu yatpuNyaphalaM pradishhTam ।
atyEti tatsarvamidaM viditvaa
yOgee paraM sthaanamupaiti chaadyam ॥ 28 ॥
Meaning
vEdEshhu — in the study of the Vedas; yajjhNEshhu — in the performances of yajña, sacrifice; tapaHsu — in undergoing different types of austerities; ca — also; Eva — certainly; daanEshhu — in giving charities; yat — that which; puNya-phalam — result of pious work; pradishhTam — indicated; atyEti — surpasses; tat sarvam — all those; idam — this; viditvaa — knowing; yOgee — the devotee; param — supreme; sthaanam — abode; upaiti — achieves; ca — also; aadyam — original.
Translation
A person who accepts the path of devotional service is not bereft of the results derived from studying the Vedas, performing sacrifices, undergoing austerities, giving charity or pursuing philosophical and fruitive activities. Simply by performing devotional service, he attains all these, and at the end he reaches the supreme eternal abode.
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