Aksara Brahman Yoga
The Yoga Of The Imperishable Brahman
8:1: Arjuna inquired: What is Brahman? What is the individual self? What is karma? O Supreme Soul, what are the objective universes and what are the gods?
8:2: O Krishna [slayer of the demon Madhu], who is the God of Sacrifice and how does that Being dwell within [material] bodies? At the time of death, how can You [God] be known by one who is Self-controlled?
8:3: The Blessed One said: The eternal nature of the living entity is called “supreme imperishable Brahman.” The origin of manifest forms is called “the emission of action.”
8:4: The objective universe is perishable by nature. Purusha, the Soul of the universe, is the God of the demigods. I am the God of Sacrifice, and I dwell within the body, Arjuna [O, the best of the embodied beings].
8:5: At the time of death, one who leaves the body, remembering Me only, attains My realm. Of this, there is no doubt.
8:6: Whichever form one remembers when leaving the body, Arjuna [O child of Kunti], that nature will certainly be attained because of the constant conditioning of consciousness.
8:7: Therefore, as you fight [or perform your duty], constantly remember Me. With your mind and intellect fixed on Me, you will, without a doubt, come to Me.
8:8: By the yoga of constant meditation, maintaining the mind and intellect without deviation, the Supreme, Transcendental Person is attained, Arjuna [O Partha, son of Pritha: Kunti], by this constant remembrance.
8:9, 10: One who constantly remembers [Me] as the all-knowing, the oldest, the supreme ruler, smaller than the atom, maintainer of all, of in-conceivable form, luminous as the sun, and yet transcendent like the darkness, at the time of death, with the mind undeviated, and yoked with devotion to the Supreme Person through the power of yoga, and with the breath of life completely placed between the eyebrows, attains the celestial nature.
8:11: I will now explain to you in brief that which the knowers of the Vedas call the Imperishable and which, being entered by those who practice Self-control, who desire freedom from attachment, and who therefore practice celibacy [or, renunciation from material sense objects], set foot on.
8:12: To practice meditative concentration, one must restrain all the doors of the body and confine the mind within the heart. Placing the vital life energy of the soul in the head [i.e. penial gland or third eye], abide there.
8:13: One who quits the body while uttering the Omkara, the single-syllable form of Brahman, remembering Me, attains the supreme goal.
8:14: For one whose mind is undeviated, who constantly remembers Me and is regularly engaged in yoga, Arjuna [O son of Pritha], I am easy to attain.
8:15: Achieving Me, these great souls never again return to this place of suffering and rebirth, having achieved the highest perfection.
8:16: All the planets up to Brahmaloka require one to return, O Arjuna, but upon attaining Me, Arjuna [O child of Kunti], further rebirths are not produced.
8:17 - 19: According to those with knowledge, one thousand human ages are the length of Brahma’s day; his night is also one thousand years. From the Unmanifest, all manifestations spring forth as his day dawns. As his night falls, they dissolve again into that which is called the Unmanifest. Arjuna [O son of Partha/Kunti], the multitude of souls are repeatedly born and dissolved as the night falls. And again, they instinctively manifest themselves at daybreak.
Note: The duration of the material universe is limited by God. Its existence is calculated by cycles of kalpas.
One kalpa equals a single day of Brahmā. One day of Brahmā consists of a thousand cycles of the four yugas (ages): Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara, and Kali.
Satya yuga is characterized by virtue, wisdom, and pious religious observance. Satya yuga lasts 1,728,000 years. During the second age, Tretā-yuga vice is introduced. This yuga lasts 1,296,000 years. The third age is called Dvāpara-yuga. This age experiences a greater decline in virtue and religion as vice and the deception of materialism increases and concludes with the War of Kuruksetra at the beginning of which God incarnates and reveals Srimad Bhagavad Gita for the good of the people of the final age. This yuga lasts 864,000 years. And finally comes Kali-yuga (the yuga we have been experiencing for the past 5,000 years). During this age, there is an abundance of strife, hatred, ignorance, delusion, irreligion, and vice. True virtue and religious piety become practically nonexistent during this age. Kali yuga is set to last 432,000 years. However, because of the rampant wickedness, the scheduled time duration is cut short out of divine compassion. To terminate Kali yuga, the Supreme Lord Himself appears as the Kalki avatar, vanquishes the demons, saves His devotees, and in time commences another Satya-yuga. Then, the cyclical process is set rolling again.
During each day of Lord Brahmā, the four yugas cycle a thousand times, and the same number comprise one night. Lord Brahmā is also a created being with a set life span. He lives one hundred of his years, and then he must die. How long is his lifespan in human terms? His one hundred years equals 311 trillion and 40 million earth years. Such figures stagger human imagination, and yet with the ‘causal ocean’ of true existence, there are innumerable Brahmās rising and disappearing like bubbles in the sea without end. Such is the inconceivable reality.
8:20, 21: But higher than that unmanifested condition is another Unmanifest; This Unmanifest is eternal and not extinguished, even when all beings are decimated. Thus, it is said that this Being, Who is the Imperisha-ble, Unmanifest, is the supreme Objective. Achieving Whom one does not return from that supreme abode of Mine.
8:22: O child of Partha, this Supreme Person Who is dwelling within all beings and by Whom all this is pervaded, can only be attained through unalloyed devotion [bhakti].
8:23 -28: I will now describe the times in which if a yogi departs the body, he or she will or will not return, O best of the Bharatas.
Those who know Brahman and pass away during the influence of the fire, the light of day, the bright fortnight, or the six months when the sun passes to the north go to Brahman.
The yogi who passes away during the influence of smoke, night, the dark fortnight, or the six months when the sun passes to the south goes to the moon and then returns.
Light and Dark are indeed believed to be the ways of the perpetual universe. By one of these, the soul goes and does not return, by the other the living entity returns.
O Child of Partha, knowing these two paths, a true yogi is not deluded. Therefore, O Arjuna, at all times, be yoked to the yoga system.
The yogi who knows this transcends whatever fruits of holiness are declared in all the Vedas, in performing sacrifices, in austerities, or in giving charities and achieves the supreme, primeval abode.
Aksara Brahman Yoga
The Yoga of the Imperishable Brahman
8:1: Arjuna inquired: What is Brahman? What is the individual self? What is karma? O Supreme Soul, what are the objective universes, and what are the gods?
8:2: O Krishna [slayer of the demon Madhu], who is the God of Sacrifice, and how does that Being dwell within [material] bodies? At the time of death, how can You [God] be known by one who is Self-controlled?
8:3: Sri Krishna [the Blessed One] replied: The eternal nature of the living entity is called “supreme imperishable Brahman.” The origin of manifest forms is called “the emission of action” [i.e., bhuta-bhava-udbhava-karah; action that produces material bodies of the living entities].
8:4: The objective universe is perishable by nature. Purusha, the Soul of the universe, is the God of the demigods. I am the God of Sacrifice. I dwell within each body, Arjuna [O, the best of the embodied beings].
8:5: At the time of death, one who leaves the body, remembering Me only, attains My realm. Of this, there is no doubt.
8:6: Whichever form one remembers when leaving the body, Arjuna [O son of Kunti], that nature will certainly be attained because of the constant conditioning of consciousness.
8:7: Therefore, as you fight [or perform your duty], constantly remember Me. With your mind and intellect fixed on Me, you will, without a doubt, come to Me.
8:8: By the yoga of constant meditation, maintaining the mind and intellect without deviation, the Supreme, Transcendental Person is attained, Arjuna [O Partha, son of Pritha: Kunti], by this constant remembrance.
8:9, 10: One who constantly remembers [Me] as the all-knowing, the oldest, the supreme ruler, smaller than the atom, maintainer of all, of inconceivable form, more luminous than the sun, and yet transcendent like the darkness, at the time of death, with the mind focused, and yoked with devotion to the Supreme Person through the power of yoga, and with the breath of life completely placed between the eyebrows, attains the celestial nature.
8:11: I will now explain to you in brief that which the knowers of the Vedas call the Imperishable and which, being entered by those who practice Self-control, who desire freedom from attachment, and who therefore practice celibacy [or, renunciation from material sense objects], set foot on.
8:12: To practice meditative concentration, one must restrain all the doors of the body and confine the mind within the heart. Placing the vital life energy of the soul in the head [i.e., penial gland or ‘third eye’], abide there.
8:13: One who quits the body while uttering the Omkara, the single-syllable form of Brahman, remembering Me, attains the supreme goal.
8:14: For one whose mind is properly focused, who constantly remembers Me and is regularly engaged in yoga, Arjuna [O son of Pritha], I am easy to attain.
8:15: Achieving Me, these great souls never again return to this place of suffering and rebirth, having achieved the highest perfection.
8:16: All the planets up to Brahmaloka require one to return, O Arjuna, but upon attaining Me, Arjuna [O child of Kunti], further rebirths are not produced.
8:17 - 19: According to those with knowledge, one thousand human ages are the length of Brahma’s single day; his night is also one thousand years. From the Unmanifest, all manifestations spring forth as his day dawns. As his night falls, they dissolve again into that which is called the Unmanifest. Arjuna [O son of Partha/Kunti], the multitude of souls are thus repeatedly born and dissolved as the night falls. And again, they instinctively manifest themselves at daybreak.
Note: The duration of the material universe is limited by God. Its existence is calculated by cycles of kalpas.
One kalpa equals a single day of Brahmā. One day of Brahmā consists of a thousand cycles of the four yugas (ages): Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara, and Kali.
Satya yuga is characterized by virtue, wisdom, and pious religious observance. Satya yuga lasts 1,728,000 years. During the second age, Tretā-yuga vice is introduced. This yuga lasts 1,296,000 years. The third age is called Dvāpara-yuga. This age experiences a greater decline in virtue and religion as vice, and the deception of materialism increases and concludes with the War of Kurukshetra at the beginning of which God incarnates as Sri Krishna and reveals Srimad Bhagavad Gita for the good of the people of the final age. This yuga lasts 864,000 years. And finally comes Kali-yuga (the yuga we have been experiencing for the past 5,000 years). During this age, there is an abundance of strife, hatred, ignorance, delusion, irreligion, and vice. True virtue and religious piety become practically nonexistent during this age. Kali yuga is set to last 432,000 years. However, because of the rampant wickedness, the scheduled time duration is cut short out of divine compassion. To end Kali yuga the Supreme Lord Himself appears as the Kalki avatar, vanquishes the demons, saves His devotees, and in time commences another Satya-yuga. Then, the cyclical process is begins again.
During each day of Lord Brahmā the four yugas cycle a thousand times and the same number comprise one night. Lord Brahmā is also a created being with a set life span. He lives one hundred of his years, and then he must die. How long is his lifespan in human terms? His one hundred years equals 311 trillion and 40 million earth years. Such figures stagger human imagination, and yet within the ‘causal ocean’ of true existence, there are innumerable Brahmās rising and disappearing like bubbles in the sea without end. Such is the inconceivable reality within the Sanatana Dharma.
8:20, 21: But higher than that unmanifested condition is another Unmanifest; This Unmanifest is eternal and not extinguished, even when all beings are decimated. Thus, it is said that this Being, Who is the Imperishable and Unmanifest, is the supreme Objective. Achieving Whom one does not return from that supreme abode of Mine [i.e., one remains in Akshar Brahmin in full Sat Chit Ananda or Eternal Being-Consciousness-Bliss.]
8:22: Arjuna [O son of Partha], this Supreme Person Who dwells within all beings and by Whom all this is pervaded, can only be attained through unalloyed devotion [bhakti].
8:23 -28: I will now describe the times in which if a yogi departs the body, he or she will or will not return, O best of the Bharatas.
Those who know Brahman and pass away during the influence of the fire, the light of day, the bright fortnight, or the six months when the sun passes to the north go to Brahman.
The yogi who passes away during the influence of smoke, night, the dark fortnight, or the six months when the sun passes to the south goes to the moon and then returns.
Light and Dark are indeed believed to be the ways of the perpetual universe. By one of these, the soul goes and does not return; by the other, the living entity returns.
Arjuna [O son of Partha], knowing these two paths, a true yogi is not deluded. Therefore, O Arjuna, at all times, be yoked to the yoga system.
The yogi who knows this transcends whatever fruits of holiness are declared in all the Vedas, in performing sacrifices, in austerities, or in giving charities and achieves the supreme, primeval abode.
On this important point, one of my teachers, His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami, wrote:
The unalloyed devotees of the Supreme Lord, who are totally surrendered souls, do not care when they leave their bodies or by what method. They leave everything in Krsna's hands and so easily and happily return to Godhead. But those who are not unalloyed devotees and who depend instead on such methods of spiritual realization as karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, hatha-yoga, etc., must leave the body at a suitable time and thereby be assured whether or not they will return to the world of birth and death.
If the yogi is perfect, he can select the time and place for leaving this material world, but if he is not so perfect, then he has to leave at nature's will. The most suitable time to leave the body and not return is being explained by the Lord in these verses. According to Acarya Baladeva Vidyabhusana, the Sanskrit word kala used herein refers to the presiding deity of time.
The spiritual science being shared in the Gita is quite broad, and yet Sri Krishna always ends at the same point: Those with bhakti or devotion to God have no cause for fear.
Here Ends Chapter Eight
Go to: Chapter Nine.
Go to: Notes and References.
Go to: Cover Page.
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