Akshara Brahma Yoga: Shlokas 19 to 28
If you have not already done so, I would request you to review the Chapter 7, Jnana Vijnana Yoga before studying chapter 8 as that would help set the right context.
You can find the explanation of the previous set of shlokas, 11 to 18 of chapter 8 here. Please go through that to get a better understand and maintain continuity in your learning.
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The explanation for this set of shlokas culminates in a description on how to learn the Bhagavad Gita, by Swami Prabhupada. Shri Krishna revisits topics like the sthula sharira, sukshma sharira, karana sharira and the Absolute Brahman along with the various aspects of the game of manifesting and un-manifesting in the Universe..
Verses 8.19 to 8.28
भूतग्राम: स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते | रात्र्यागमेऽवश: पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे || 19||
bhūta-grāmaḥ sa evāyaṁ bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate rātryāgame ’vaśhaḥ pārtha prabhavatyahar-āgame
भूतग्राम: (Bhūtagrāmaḥ) – multitude of beings; स (Sa) – he; एव (Eva) – indeed; अयम् (Ayaṁ) – this; भूत्वा (Bhūtvā) – having been; भूत्वा (Bhūtvā) – having been; प्रलीयते (Pralīyate) – dissolves; रात्र्यागमे (Rātryāgame) – at the arrival of night; अवश: (Avaśaḥ) – helplessly; पार्थ (Pārtha) – O son of Pritha, Arjuna; प्रभवत्यहरागमे (Prabhavatyaharāgame) – comes into being at the arrival of day;
At the advent of the cosmic night, all manifest beings helplessly merge into the unmanifested aspect of nature; at the dawn of the cosmic day, they emerge again. This multitude of beings, repeatedly taking birth, dissolve at the approach of cosmic night and re-emerge at the approach of cosmic day, O Partha.
परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातन: | य: स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति || 20||
paras tasmāt tu bhāvo ’nyo ’vyakto ’vyaktāt sanātanaḥ yaḥ sa sarveṣhu bhūteṣhu naśhyatsu na vinaśhyati
परस्तस्मात् (Parastasmāt) – beyond that; तु (Tu) – indeed; भाव: (Bhāvaḥ) – existence; अन्य: (Anyaḥ) – another; अव्यक्त: (Avyaktaḥ) – unmanifested; अव्यक्तात् (Avyaktāt) – from the unmanifest; सनातन: (Sanātanaḥ) – eternal; य: (Yaḥ) – who; स (Sa) – that; सर्वेषु (Sarveṣu) – in all; भूतेषु (Bhūteṣu) – beings; नश्यत्सु (Naśyatsu) – upon destruction; न (Na) – not; विनश्यति (Vinaśyati) – perishes;
Transcendental to this manifest and unmanifest creation, there exists another eternal unmanifest dimension beyond the nature we perceive. This realm remains imperishable and does not cease, even when all others do.
अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहु: परमां गतिम् | यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम || 21||
avyakto ’kṣhara ityuktas tam āhuḥ paramāṁ gatim yaṁ prāpya na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama
अव्यक्त: (Avyaktaḥ) – unmanifest; अक्षर (Akṣara) – imperishable; इत्युक्त: (Ityuktaḥ) – thus declared; तम् (Tam) – that; आहु: (Āhuḥ) – they say; परमां (Paramāṁ) – the supreme; गतिम् (Gatim) – destination; यं (Yaṁ) – which; प्राप्य (Prāpya) – having reached; न (Na) – not; निवर्तन्ते (Nivartante) – return; तत् (Tat) – that; धाम (Dhāma) – abode; परमं (Paramaṁ) – supreme; मम (Mama) – My;
This unmanifested, imperishable realm is said to be the ultimate destination. Those who reach it do not return to this cycle of birth and death. This supreme abode is My highest state.
पुरुष: स पर: पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया | यस्यान्त:स्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् || 22||
puruṣhaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyas tvananyayā yasyāntaḥ-sthāni bhūtāni yena sarvam idaṁ tatam
पुरुष: (Puruṣaḥ) – the Supreme Person; स (Sa) – He; पर: (Paraḥ) – transcendental; पार्थ (Pārtha) – O son of Pritha, Arjuna; भक्त्या (Bhaktyā) – by devotion; लभ्य: (Labhyaḥ) – can be attained; त्वनन्यया (Tvananyayā) – undistracted; यस्य (Yasya) – whose; अन्त:स्थानि (Antaḥsthāni) – within; भूतानि (Bhūtāni) – all beings; येन (Yena) – by whom; सर्वम् (Sarvam) – all; इदं (Idaṁ) – this; ततम् (Tatam) – pervaded;
The Supreme Divine Personality, O Partha, is greater than all that exists and all beings dwell in Him. This entire universe is pervaded by Him, yet despite His all-pervading nature, He can be known and reached only through exclusive devotion.
यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिन: | प्रयाता यान्ति तं कालं वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ || 23||
yatra kāle tvanāvṛittim āvṛittiṁ chaiva yoginaḥ prayātā yānti taṁ kālaṁ vakṣhyāmi bharatarṣhabha
यत्र (Yatra) – where; काले (Kāle) – time; त्वनावृत्तिम् (Tvanāvṛttim) – non-return; आवृत्तिं (Āvṛttiṁ) – and return; च (Ca) – and; एव (Eva) – indeed; योगिन: (Yoginaḥ) – the yogis; प्रयाता (Prayātā) – having departed; यान्ति (Yānti) – go; तं (Taṁ) – that; कालं (Kālaṁ) – time; वक्ष्यामि (Vakṣyāmi) – I shall describe; भरतर्षभ (Bharatarṣabha) – O best of the Bharatas;
Now, I will explain to you, O best of the Bharatas, the times at which yogis departing from this world, do or do not return.
अग्निर्ज्योतिरह: शुक्ल: षण्मासा उत्तरायणम् | तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जना: || 24||
agnir jyotir ahaḥ śhuklaḥ ṣhaṇ-māsā uttarāyaṇam tatra prayātā gachchhanti brahma brahma-vido janāḥ
अग्नि: (Agniḥ) – fire; ज्योति: (Jyotiḥ) – light; अह: (Ahaḥ) – day; शुक्ल: (Śuklaḥ) – the bright fortnight; षण्मासा (Ṣaṇmāsā) – six months; उत्तरायणम् (Uttarāyaṇam) – the northern path of the sun; तत्र (Tatra) – there; प्रयाता (Prayātā) – those who have departed; गच्छन्ति (Gacchanti) – go; ब्रह्म (Brahma) – to Brahman; ब्रह्मविदो (Brahmavido) – the knowers of Brahman; जना: (Janāḥ) – people;
Those who know the Supreme Brahman, the yogis who depart from this world during the bright part of the day, the bright fortnight of the moon, and the six months of the sun’s northern course, truly attain the supreme destination. This path, illuminated by the fire of knowledge, leads them to the eternal Brahman, ensuring they do not return to the cycle of birth and death.
धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्ण: षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम् | तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते || 25||
dhūmo rātris tathā kṛiṣhṇaḥ ṣhaṇ-māsā dakṣhiṇāyanam tatra chāndramasaṁ jyotir yogī prāpya nivartate
धूम: (Dhūmaḥ) – smoke; रात्रि: (Rātriḥ) – night; तथा (Tathā) – and; कृष्ण: (Kṛṣṇaḥ) – the dark fortnight; षण्मासा (Ṣaṇmāsā) – six months; दक्षिणायनम् (Dakṣiṇāyanam) – the southern path of the sun; तत्र (Tatra) – there; च (Ca) – and; आन्द्रमसं (Āndramasaṁ) – moonlit; ज्योति: (Jyotiḥ) – light; योगी (Yogī) – the yogi; प्राप्य (Prāpya) – having attained; निवर्तते (Nivartate) – returns;
The practitioners of Vedic rituals, who pass away during the night, the time of smoke, the dark fortnight of the moon, and the six months of the sun’s southern course, attain the celestial abodes. This path, marked by its temporal phases, guides them to lunar light, symbolizing a realm of return, where they experience the results of their actions before embarking on the cycle of rebirth.
शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगत: शाश्वते मते | एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययावर्तते पुन: || 26||
śhukla-kṛiṣhṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śhāśhvate mate ekayā yātyanāvṛittim anyayāvartate punaḥ
शुक्लकृष्णे (Śuklakṛṣṇe) – white and black; गती (Gatī) – paths; हि (Hi) – indeed; एते (Ete) – these; जगत: (Jagataḥ) – of the world; शाश्वते (Śāśvate) – eternal; मते (Mate) – in opinion; एकया (Ekayā) – by one; यात्यनावृत्तिम् (Yātyanāvṛttim) – goes to no return; अन्यया (Anyayā) – by the other; आवर्तते (Āvartate) – returns; पुन: (Punaḥ) – again;
After enjoying celestial pleasures, individuals who depart during the darker temporal phases, such as the night, the time of smoke, the dark fortnight of the moon, and the six months of the sun’s southern course, inevitably return to the earth. These experiences highlight the existence of two eternal paths in this world: the bright path and the dark path.
नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन | तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन || 27||
naite sṛitī pārtha jānan yogī muhyati kaśhchana tasmāt sarveṣhu kāleṣhu yoga-yukto bhavārjuna
न (Na) – not; एते (Ete) – these; सृती (Sṛtī) – paths; पार्थ (Pārtha) – O son of Pritha, Arjuna; जानन् (Jānan) – knowing; योगी (Yogī) – the yogi; मुह्यति (Muhyati) – is bewildered; कश्चन (Kaścana) – any; तस्मात् (Tasmāt) – therefore; सर्वेषु (Sarveṣu) – in all; कालेषु (Kāleṣu) – times; योगयुक्तो (Yogayukto) – engaged in yoga; भव (Bhava) – be; अर्जुन (Arjuna) – Arjuna;
Yogis who understand the secret of these two eternal paths, the bright leading to liberation and the dark leading to rebirth, O Parth, are never bewildered by the cycle of life and death. Therefore, it is essential at all times to remain engaged in Yoga, or union with God, grasping the profound truth that guides one towards the ultimate destination beyond the realms of celestial pleasures and earthly returns.
वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तप:सु चैव दानेषु यत्पुण्यफलं प्रदिष्टम् | अत्येति तत्सर्वमिदं विदित्वा योगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाद्यम् || 28||
vedeṣhu yajñeṣhu tapaḥsu chaiva dāneṣhu yat puṇya-phalaṁ pradiṣhṭam atyeti tat sarvam idaṁ viditvā yogī paraṁ sthānam upaiti chādyam
वेदेषु (Vedeṣu) – in the Vedas; यज्ञेषु (Yajñeṣu) – in sacrifices; तप:सु (Tapaḥsu) – in penances; च (Ca) – and; एव (Eva) – indeed; दानेषु (Dāneṣu) – in charities; यत् (Yat) – which; पुण्यफलं (Puṇyaphalaṁ) – meritorious result; प्रदिष्टम् (Pradiṣṭam) – is prescribed; अत्येति (Atyeti) – transcends; तत् (Tat) – that; सर्वम् (Sarvam) – all; इदं (Idaṁ) – this; विदित्वा (Viditvā) – having known; योगी (Yogī) – the yogi; परं (Paraṁ) – supreme; स्थानम् (Sthānam) – abode; उपैति (Upaiti) – attains; च (Ca) – and; आद्यम् (Ādyam) – primeval;
The yogis who grasp this profound secret, understanding the dual paths of light and darkness, gain merits far surpassing the fruits obtained through Vedic rituals, the study of the Vedas, performance of sacrifices, austerities, and charities. By remaining steadfast in their union with God and discerning the essence of these eternal paths, they transcend the cycle of rebirth and celestial pleasures. Such enlightened yogis ultimately reach the Supreme Abode, attaining liberation and the highest state of existence beyond all temporal bounds.
Manifestation through the unmanifested
In the previous verses we discussed how even Brahma is born and will die. We also discussed that Brahma’s one day and one night equals 8.64 billion earth years. When Brahma’s day ends, all living entities get unmanifest and stay in the body of Maha Vishnu. Their gross (sthūl) and subtle (sūkṣhma) body dissolve, but their causal body (kāraṇ sharīr) stays. When Brahma’s night ends and day starts, these souls are reborn or manifest again based on their past karmas and past sanskāras, which the soul’s causal body stores and carries with it.
This is another reminder that our sanskāras and karmic account follows us during all our births. They do not get destroyed even when our subtle bodies are destroyed as they are attached to our causal bodies which don’t get destroyed until we get liberated and get united with God.
Shri Krishna uses the word avaśhaḥ, which means helpless or without any say. What that means is that when it is time for us to get unmanifest at the end of Brahma’s day, it happens without our consent, regardless of whether we want or don’t want to. This should help us understand how we are all under the control of Prakriti. We may think that we have free will however that is only a very limited freedom. We are all bound by the laws of the Universe and there is no escaping that.
It is important to realize that everything that is manifested was unmanifested at some time and will again become unmanifested at some time in the future. This is what is contained in the Vedantic concept that creation is merely the manifestation of the unmanifest. In a modern analogy, consider the concept of “innovation” in technology. A software developer can create a revolutionary new app using the programming languages that already exist. The potential for the app was always inherent in the programming languages although it had to become manifested. This is similar to how the potential to become a pot exists in mud, but the transformation into something tangible, like turning code into an app or mud into pot, requires an actor or creator and a process and medium.
To further illustrate this with everyday life, imagine four individuals with different careers: a teacher, an engineer, a musician, and a painter, all sharing a workspace. When they are deeply focused on their work, their unique talents and skills are not immediately visible; they might all seem simply as professionals in a shared space. However, once they begin to engage in their specific tasks, the unique qualities within each person manifest distinctly. The engineer solves complex problems with logic, the musician creates harmony with sound, the painter brings canvases to life with color, and the teacher enlightens minds with knowledge. This transition from potential to action reflects the broader cosmic dance of creation and dissolution, where everything originates from an unmanifest state, only to manifest according to its inherent nature and tendencies.
Just as our actions and thoughts in the present are the results of past inclinations and choices, so too is the universe at large a product of its inherent vasanas (tendencies) becoming manifest. This concept invites us to reflect on the nature of our actions and thoughts, recognizing that we are not just shaped by our past but are also shaping our future through our present choices. The idea that we cannot suddenly transform our essence overnight without laying the groundwork through consistent effort and alignment with our higher potentials serves as a reminder of the importance of mindfulness and intentionality in our lives.
In essence, both on the cosmic scale and in our daily lives, the journey from the unmanifest to the manifest reveals the interconnectedness of all things, the cyclical nature of existence, and the power of latent potentials waiting to be realized. Understanding this cycle not only provides insight into the cosmic order but also empowers us to live more consciously, recognizing our role in shaping the fabric of reality through our thoughts, actions, and creations.
Brahman is beyond the cycle of birth and death
This cycle of manifesting and un-manifesting applies to all the worlds and universes that God created using His yogamaya. These are the material realms. Shri Krishna explains that these cycles of manifesting and un-manifesting do not apply to His spiritual realm. That is the realm that we reach when we get liberation and unite with God.
Let’s again take the example of a smartphone, which many of us use every day. Throughout the day, we may use it for a variety of different things. In the morning, we may check the weather app to decide if we need to carry an umbrella. Later, we may use a map app to find the best route to a new mall. Then, we switch to a social media app to catch up with what our friends are doing. And at night, maybe we read a book or watch a video on it. Each app changes the screen and what you can do with the phone, but the smartphone itself doesn’t change. It’s the same phone running all those different apps.
Through this example, we can try to understand the concept of manifestation and the universe. Think of the smartphone as the unchanging foundation beneath all the apps (the changing aspects of our lives). Just like the smartphone runs all kinds of apps without being altered by any of them, there’s something fundamental in the universe that remains constant, even as everything around us changes.
This constant thing is hard to pin down because it’s not something we can see or touch directly, just like you can’t really “see” the operating system of your phone when you’re using an app, but you know it’s there because that’s what makes the apps work. Some people call this constant foundation the “Truth” or “Self” — it’s the core of everything, the reason things can exist and change, but it itself doesn’t change.
Sometimes, we get so caught up in the “apps” of our lives — our daily activities, feelings, and thoughts — that we forget about the “operating system” underneath, the real foundation. Forgetting about this or not realizing its importance is like being unaware of how our smartphone works to run all our favorite apps. So, here’s the big question: If there’s this unchanging foundation under everything, is that the ultimate thing we should care about? Or is there something even more important, something that is the true goal of our lives? This question makes us think deeper about what’s really important and what we should focus on amid the constantly changing “apps” of our life experiences.
The Other Unmanifest
Continuing from the idea of the smartphone analogy, let’s think of “The Other Unmanifest,” which represents the eternal existence that is indestructible, as the operating system of our smartphone – something like the iOS or Android platform. This platform, or operating system, is what allows all the apps to function. It’s always there, whether you’re actively using an app or not, and it doesn’t get destroyed or disappear when you switch apps or even when you turn off your phone. It’s the foundation that makes everything else on your phone possible.
Now, this operating system depends on something even more fundamental beneath it, the intelligent processor hardware that makes it possible for the operating system to run. In the context we’re discussing, this “intelligent processor” is similar to what we call the Brahman in Vedantic philosophy. It’s the ultimate basis for the entire universe, the deepest layer of reality that gives existence to everything else. When we meditate on OM, we get to connect with that foundation of all foundations, the supreme Brahman.
Just like the apps on our phone need the operating system to run, everything in the manifested world – our activities, behaviors, and the entire physical universe – relies on this deeper reality, the Brahman or the Self, to exist. This Pure Awareness or Consciousness is what animates everything, from the smallest atom to the vast galaxies.
Some people say that they don’t believe in the absolute Brahman because they can’t see him anywhere. It is like a person saying that they don’t believe in the existence of an intelligent processor because they cannot see it anywhere. The fact is that they can never see the intelligent processor as long as they keep searching for it within their map app or other app. The intelligent processor is beyond all these apps. Just like that, we cannot perceive the supreme Brahman as long as we are searching for Him in the material plane using our materially conditioned senses. We have to raise our awareness and rise above the material plane in order to perceive Him.
Achieving an understanding or realization of this Eternal Unmanifested Brahman, the Imperishable Self, is considered the highest goal for humankind. It’s like realizing that we are not just using apps on a phone but understanding how the phone works on the most fundamental level. And just as sleep is not the end but a pause that refreshes us for new activities, death is not the end of existence but a pause before entering into new forms of life.
Vasanas and the cycle of birth and death
The cycle of birth and rebirth is driven by our unfulfilled desires and cravings (vasanas). Just as we may return to an app to continue playing a game where we left off, the soul returns to physical existence to fulfill its unresolved desires. However, the ultimate fulfillment comes not from endlessly cycling through births and deaths but from transcending this cycle altogether – achieving a state where there’s no need to return because we have realized our true nature as the Self, beyond all limitations.
Asking why someone who has realized the Self doesn’t return to the cycle of birth and death is like asking why a person who has never committed a crime isn’t in jail; it misses the point. The question shouldn’t be why we don’t fall back into limitation but why we experience limitation in the first place.
Just as a young child can’t understand the complexities of adult life but grows to comprehend them with maturity, an individual immersed in the material world may find it hard to grasp the vastness of spiritual reality. However, through meditation and self-inquiry, as suggested in the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, one can gradually detach from limiting identifications and awaken to a broader, more profound reality. Once the soul is liberated and reaches Goloka, it receives a divine body and participates in the divine pastimes and activities of the Lord.
In the previous chapters, Shree Krishna has repeatedly emphasized upon the need for bhakti to know God and attain Him. Here, He explicitly adds the term ananyayā, which means “by no other path” can one know God. Krishna is saying that the only way to know Him and reach His abode is through Bhakti.
Although karma, jnana, and raja yoga are also pathways to God-realization, all these require the support of bhakti for their fulfillment.
Devotion here is not a mere affection or attachment to a deity or concept; it is a profound, selfless identification with the Supreme Brahman. It’s an inspired commitment to recognize oneself not as a separate entity, but as a part of the vast, interconnected reality. This level of devotion is achievable only when one learns to detach from the transient – the body, mind, and intellect’s distractions – and develops an attachment to the Real, the Permanent.
The analogy of mud-pots provides a tangible example. All pots, irrespective of their form, reside in the essence of mud, and it is mud that pervades them all. Similarly, every being and phenomenon in the universe abides in Pure Awareness, and it is this Awareness that pervades everything and is the essence of all unmanifested and manifested existence.
The two paths for the soul
Shri Krishna’s teachings explain that there are two paths from the manifest back to the unmanifest: one leading to a state from which beings return (rebirth) and another to a state of no return (liberation). The latter is achieved through the realization of one’s true essence as Pure Awareness. This journey is marked by a profound understanding that behind the veil of physical and mental diversity lies a singular, unchanging reality. By dedicating oneself entirely to this realization, through detachment from the false and attachment to the Real, a seeker can transcend the cycle of birth and death, achieving eternal union with the Supreme Purusha. This ultimate destination, once reached, offers no return, for it is the realization of one’s everlasting oneness with the essence of all that is.
The pure devotees of the Supreme Lord, who are totally surrendered souls, leave everything in Kṛṣṇa’s hands and so easily and happily return to Godhead. But those who are not pure devotees and who depend instead on karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga and raja-yoga must precisely calculate the time when they need to leave their body. They have to leave their body at a suitable time in order to ensure that they do not return back to the material plane.
If the yogī is perfect, they can select the perfect time for leaving their body. If they make a mistake then they will again land up in the material plane. This was the reason Bhishma was very particular about when he wanted to leave his body. He chose the auspicious day of Uttarayana, i.e. on the day when the Lord Surya started moving towards Northward after completing the six-month period of Dakshiyana. This is the day Bhishma decided to leave his body. The day Bhishma left his body known as Bhishma Ashtami (Magha Shukla Ashtami).
In the next verse, Krishna explains the suitable times at which one can leave their body to ensure that they do not return back to the material plane. In the previous verse, Krishna had explained that people who depend on various types of yoga other than pure bhakti, have to very carefully plan the time they leave their body to ensure that they do not return to the material cycles of life and death again. Whereas, people who are pure devotees and have fully surrendered to Krishna do not have to worry about this as Krishna will take care of their liberation.
Shri Krishna then explains the time when it is auspicious to leave the body. He explains that there are two paths, the path of light and the path of darkness. The bright daylight, the moonlit fortnight of śhuklaḥ or the bright ascending moon, and the uttarayan, the northern course of the sun, are all considered the time of light. The God-conscious yogis who detach from worldly attachments and depart by the path of light attain God. They are liberated from the cycle of life and death, and reach the divine Abode of God.
The ignorant souls who are attached to the material world and have forgotten their relationship with God, depart by the path of darkness. Hence, continue to rotate in the cycle of life and death. Ultimately all humans born on earth, upon death, have to pass along either of the two paths, the path of light or the path of darkness. Pure devotees don’t have to worry about when they leave their body as Krishna takes care of their liberation. Perfected Yogis will make sure that they leave their bodies during the period of light as described by Krishna. For everyone else, how and when they leave their body is determined by their karma.
The yogi who passes away from this world during the dark period, 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.
The limitations of ritualistic practices
In the Third Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it is mentioned that those who are expert in fruitive activities and sacrificial methods on earth attain to the moon at death. These elevated souls live on the moon for about 10,000 years and enjoy life by drinking soma-rasa. They eventually return to earth. This means that on the moon there are higher classes of living beings, though they may not be perceived by the gross senses.
This is the reason Krishna had previously stated that we should not get attached to the various vedic rituals performed for material gains, because they can give us only temporary pleasures and we will keep cycling through life and death. The only true way to gain liberation is by pure bhakti and total surrender. Let us remember again that Krishna is explaining both the options. Option 1 is to follow various types of yoga, realizing the self and leaving the body at the right time. Option 2 is to totally surrender to God and follow the path of pure bhakti, whereby it will be possible for us to remember Krishna during our antakale and when we leave the body remembering Krishna, He has promised to take care of our souls and liberate them.
Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī advises, anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ: one should be unattached in material affairs and do everything in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By this system, which is called yukta-vairāgya, one attains perfection. Therefore the devotee is not disturbed by these descriptions, because he knows that his passage to the supreme abode is guaranteed by devotional service.
In the Ramcharitmanas, it is stated:
बेद पुरान सब ग्रंथन्ह केरे, कर्म कांड रहित भगति फेरे।
Veda Purana sab granthanh kere, karma kand rahit bhakti phere.
All the Vedas, Puranas, and scriptures circulate around, but devotion circumvents the rituals of karmakanda.
The right way to learn the Bhagavad Gita
We should understand the instructions given by Śrī Kṛṣṇa in this chapter and the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. We should try to understand these chapters with the intent of developing our bhakti and purifying ourselves. And we should hear and learn these teachings in association with devotees. I would like to quote Swami Prabhupada for his concluding notes on the 8th chapter:
“One who has a little faith in the Bhagavad Gita should learn Bhagavad Gita from a devotee, because in the beginning of the Fourth Chapter it is stated clearly that Bhagavad Gita can be understood only by devotees; no one else can perfectly understand the purpose of Bhagavad Gita. One should therefore learn Bhagavad Gita from a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, and not from mental speculators.
This is a sign of faith. When one searches for a devotee and fortunately gets a devotee’s association, one actually begins to study and understand Bhagavad Gita. By advancement in the association of the devotee one is placed in devotional service, and this service dispels all one’s misgivings about Kṛṣṇa, or God, and Kṛṣṇa’s activities, form, pastimes, name and other features. After these misgivings have been perfectly cleared away, one becomes fixed in one’s study. Then one relishes the study of Bhagavad Gita and attains the state of feeling always Kṛṣṇa conscious. In the advanced stage, one falls completely in love with Kṛṣṇa. This highest perfectional stage of life enables the devotee to be transferred to Kṛṣṇa’s abode in the spiritual sky, Goloka Vṛndāvana, where the devotee becomes eternally happy”.
Thus ends the eighth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. You can find the start of chapter 9 here.
Hare Krishna.
kṛṣṇadaasa
Servant of Krishna
Aka +Vinayak Raghuvamshi