Akshara Brahma Yoga: Shlokas 5 to 10
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, 1 to 4 of chapter 8 here. Please go through that to get a better understand and maintain continuity in your learning.
You can also listen to all the episodes through my Spotify Portal.
Verses 8.5 to 8.10
अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् | य: प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशय: || 5||
anta-kāle cha mām eva smaran muktvā kalevaram yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ yāti nāstyatra sanśhayaḥ
अन्तकाले (Antakāle) – at the end of life; च (ca) – and; माम् (mām) – me; एव (eva) – certainly; स्मरन् (smaran) – remembering; मुक्त्वा (muktva) – leaving behind; कलेवरम् (kalevaram) – the body; यः (yaḥ) – whoever; प्रयाति (prayāti) – goes; स (sa) – he; मद्भावं (madbhāvaṃ) – My nature; याति (yāti) – attains; न (na) – not; अस्ति (asti) – is; अत्र (atra) – here; संशयः (saṃśayaḥ) – doubt.
Whoever, at the end of their life, quits their body remembering Me alone, attains Me. Of this, there is no doubt.
यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् | तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावित: || 6||
yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajatyante kalevaram taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ
यं यं (Yaṃ yaṃ) – whatever; वा (vā) – or; अपि (api) – also; स्मरन् (smaran) – remembering; भावं (bhāvaṃ) – nature; त्यजति (tyajati) – leaves; अन्ते (ante) – at the end; कलेवरम् (kalevaram) – the body; तं तम् (taṃ tam) – that very; एव (eva) – indeed; एति (eti) – attains; कौन्तेय (kaunteya) – O son of Kunti; सदा (sadā) – always; तद्भावभावितः (tadbhāvabhāvitaḥ) – absorbed in that state.
Whatever one remembers when they quit their body, that state they will attain without fail. And that state depends on what they were mostly absorbed in or thinking about during their lifetime.
तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च | मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयम् || 7||
tasmāt sarveṣhu kāleṣhu mām anusmara yudhya cha mayyarpita-mano-buddhir mām evaiṣhyasyasanśhayam
तस्मात् (Tasmāt) – therefore; सर्वेषु (sarveṣu) – in all; कालेषु (kāleṣu) – times; माम् (mām) – me; अनुस्मर (anusmara) – remember; युध्य (yudhya) – and fight; च (ca) – also; मयि (mayi) – in me; अर्पित (arpita) – dedicated; मनोबुद्धिः (manobuddhiḥ) – mind and intelligence; माम् (mām) – me; एव (eva) – certainly; एष्यसि (eṣyasi) – you will attain; असंशयम् (asaṃśayam) – without doubt.
Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Krishna 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.
अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना | परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन् || 8||
abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena chetasā nānya-gāminā paramaṁ puruṣhaṁ divyaṁ yāti pārthānuchintayan
अभ्यासयोग (Abhyāsayoga) – by the practice of meditation; युक्तेन (yuktena) – engaged; चेतसा (cetasā) – with the mind; न (na) – not; अन्यगामिना (anyagāminā) – deviating; परमं (paramaṃ) – the Supreme; पुरुषं (puruṣaṃ) – Personality; दिव्यं (divyaṃ) – divine; याति (yāti) – attains; पार्थ (pārtha) – O son of Pritha; अनुचिन्तयन् (anucintayan) – constantly thinking.
With practice, O Partha, when you constantly engage the mind in remembering Me, the Supreme Divine Personality, without deviating, and by meditating on the Supreme Personality of Godhead with undivided mind, you will certainly attain Me.
कविं पुराणमनुशासितार मणोरणीयांसमनुस्मरेद्य: | सर्वस्य धातारमचिन्त्यरूप मादित्यवर्णं तमस: परस्तात् || 9||
kaviṁ purāṇam anuśhāsitāram aṇor aṇīyānsam anusmared yaḥ sarvasya dhātāram achintya-rūpam āditya-varṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt
प्रयाणकाले मनसाचलेन भक्त्या युक्तो योगबलेन चैव | भ्रुवोर्मध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्यक् स तं परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् || 10||
prayāṇa-kāle manasāchalena bhaktyā yukto yoga-balena chaiva bhruvor madhye prāṇam āveśhya samyak sa taṁ paraṁ puruṣham upaiti divyam
कविं (Kaviṃ) – the sage; पुराणम् (purāṇam) – ancient; अनुशासितारम् (anuśāsitāram) – the controller; मणोरणीयांसम् (maṇoraṇīyāṃsam) – smaller than the atom; अनुस्मरेद् (anusmared) – one should remember; यः (yaḥ) – who; सर्वस्य (sarvasya) – of all; धातारम् (dhātāram) – the sustainer; अचिन्त्यरूपम् (acintyarūpam) – inconceivable form; आदित्यवर्णं (ādityavarṇaṃ) – effulgent like the sun; तमसः (tmasaḥ) – darkness; परस्तात् (parastāt) – beyond.
प्रयाणकाले (Prayāṇakāle) – at the time of death; मनसा (manasā) – with the mind; अचलेन (acalena) – unwavering; भक्त्या (bhaktyā) – with devotion; युक्तो (yukto) – endowed; योगबलेन (yogabalena) – by the power of yoga; च (ca) – and; एव (eva) – indeed; भ्रुवोः (bhruvoḥ) – between the eyebrows; मध्ये (madhye) – in the middle; प्राणम् (prāṇam) – the life air; आवेश्य (āveśya) – placing; सम्यक् (samyak) – completely; स (sa) – he; तं (taṃ) – that; परं (paraṃ) – supreme; पुरुषम् (puruṣam) – person; उपैति (upaiti) – attains; दिव्यम् (divyam) – divine.
The Supreme Divine Personality of Godhead, is all-knowing, the most ancient of all, the ultimate controller, more subtle than the subtlest, the foundation of everything, with a form beyond human comprehension. He shines brighter than the sun, transcending the darkness of ignorance. At the moment of death, one who, through the disciplined practice of Yoga, calms their mind and focuses their life energy (prana) at the point between the eyebrows, and who, with unwavering devotion, remembers this Divine Lord, will without doubt reach Him.
We can revisit a very insightful story to set the stage for Shri Krishna’s emphasis on the importance of time and the impermanence of life and all things in the material world.
Adi Shankaracharya was once walking through the holy city of Kashi (Varanasi). He came across an old man who was focusing very hard and struggling, trying to learn the rules of Sanskrit grammar. The sight of this elderly man spending his remaining years on such an endeavor struck Shankaracharya deeply. He saw a profound misplacement of priorities, where the immediate concern should have been the liberation of the soul and realization of God, especially at an advanced age when life’s impermanence becomes more apparent.
Moved by this scene, Shankaracharya approached the elderly man with compassion and concern. He advised the man that at his stage in life, it would be far more beneficial to focus on understanding the nature of God and seeking spiritual liberation rather than spending his limited time on the technicalities of the language. This encounter inspired Shankaracharya to compose a set of verses that famously came to be known as “Bhaja Govindam.”
“Bhaja Govindam” is also affectionately known as “Moha Mudgara” or the remover of delusions. The composition is a profound call to devotion and a reprimanding of the folly of prioritizing worldly knowledge and desires over spiritual enlightenment. The stanza “Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam, Govindam Bhaja Mudhamate” translates to “Worship Govinda, Worship Govinda, Worship Govinda, you of ignorant intellect! (foolish)” This is a direct call to action for individuals to focus on devotion to God (Govinda) rather than getting lost in intellectual pursuits and material attachment.
The verses of “Bhaja Govindam” are a mix of critique and wisdom, pointing out the various ways in which people get entangled in the world and lose sight of the ultimate goal of life, which should be Moksha or liberation. Shankaracharya, through this poetic work, emphasizes the importance of devotion (Bhakti), knowledge (Jnana), and ethical living (Dharma) as means to realize the ultimate truth.
This story and the resulting composition of “Bhaja Govindam” highlight Shankaracharya’s teachings on the importance of directing one’s efforts towards spiritual growth and understanding the transient nature of worldly pursuits. It serves as a timeless reminder of the value of devotion and the pursuit of spiritual wisdom.
I encourage everyone to read the complete poem which is available online through various sites, specifically https://shankaracharya.org/bhaja_govindam.php
One of the profound recommendations made by Shankaracharya for the welfare, evolution and preparation of our last moments is:
भगवद्गीता किञ्चिदधीता गङ्गा जललव कणिका पीता |
सकृदपि येन मुरारी समर्चा क्रियते तस्य यमेन न चर्चा ‖ 21 ‖
bhagavadgītā kiñcidadhītā gaṅgā jalalava kaṇikā pītā
sakṛdapi yena murārī samarcā kriyate tasya yamena na carcā
Let a person read but a little from Bhagavad-gītā, drink just a drop of Gaṅgā-water, worship but once murāri, the enemy of ‘Murā’ (Lord Kṛṣṇa); they then will have no confrontation with Yama, the Lord of death.
Antakale – the last moment of one’s life
These verses present a dialogue that transcends the immediate context of war, touching upon universal truths and the soul’s journey through existence. Lord Krishna’s dialogue with Arjuna serves as a spiritual manual, addressing the profoundest questions of life, death, and beyond.
As the first part of the answer to Arjuna’s eighth question, Shri Krishna says that “Whoever, at the end of their life, quits their body remembering Me alone, attains Me. Of this, there is no doubt”.
When Shri Krishna promises that thinking of Him at the end guarantees unity with the Divine, it encourages us to contemplate on the nature of life’s final moments and the culmination of a spiritual journey. This promise might seem to offer a simple solution to the complex issue of salvation or liberation, yet it encourages us to perform a deeper exploration of the principles that govern the soul’s evolution.
The last moment of one’s life is called ‘antakale’.
Anta-kāle cha mām eva smaran, muktvā kalevaram yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ yāti nāstyatra sanśhayaḥ
Here, Lord Krishna is promising that whoever thinks of Him and meditates upon Him during their last moments, will definitely reach Him.
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa explained this idea using a simple example of an elephant that has just taken a bath. Right after the bath, it throws dirt on itself. That’s just what elephants do. In the same way, even after we think of God and feel spiritually purified, we often start engaging in impure or sinful activities soon after. But Sri Ramakrishna also said, if you keep the elephant in a stable after its bath, it won’t get dirty again. When we die, it’s like we’re put in the stable; we can’t engage in impure or sinful activities anymore. Our bodies are gone, and we’re left pure. He taught that at the moment we leave our bodies, we’re in our purest form and we reach the highest state.
The body is just a temporary home for the soul
Many religions talk about this idea. So, the moment we die is very important. We shouldn’t be scared of death. If we really understand the teachings of Shri Krishna, we’ll see death as just a step to something greater, because our true self, the soul, doesn’t die. We’re all part of something much bigger and eternal. That’s why, in Hindustan, since ancient times, people have burned the bodies of the deceased.
The body is like a temporary home for the soul, and once the soul has left the body, we should help it disconnect from its attachment to the body as quickly as possible and return the body back to nature as soon as possible. The body served its purpose. It was like a lab for life. Once it’s no longer needed, we respectfully dispose of it by burning, reducing it back to basic elements through fire. This way of thinking about death is very advanced and not common everywhere.
Many philosophies only talk about life and ignore death. But to truly understand life, we need to understand death too. In Hindustan, even from the times of the Rig Veda, people studied death as well as life. They said the ultimate reality, or Brahman, is like a light that casts shadows of life and death. This means life and death are just different forms of the same truth.
The idea of time, or ‘kala’, is also linked to death. Everything in this world is bound by time and will face death. This is part of the divine plan. Understanding this can help us avoid fear of death. Of course, nobody likes the idea of dying, but knowing more about it can make us less afraid. Ancient Greek culture, for example, loved life and action but couldn’t come to terms with death. This fear weakened them. Socrates, one of the wisest Greeks, knew that the soul is immortal and only the body dies, but his fellow Greeks couldn’t accept this. They made him drink poison because they thought he was leading people astray. This shows they didn’t grasp the true nature of death. Understanding death, seeing it as a friend, makes us stronger.
Embracing death fearlessly
Swami Vivekananda said only those who can embrace death truly understand life. We need to balance understanding both life and death to live fully. Vedanta teaches us this balance, showing us life and death are two sides of the same coin. Swami Vivekananda worked to bring this understanding to the whole world, combining the strengths of Eastern and Western thoughts. This balance is crucial for a complete understanding of life.
As for the process of dying, Vedantic philosophy offers a unique perspective. We believe in living a full life, but we also see death as a natural part of life. When someone dies, we perform rituals to honor their journey to the next stage. This respect for the cycle of life and death is deeply rooted in vedic tradition. The practice of cremation, the belief in the soul’s immortality, and the understanding that we’re all part of a divine reality help us face death without fear. This wisdom, rooted in the Vedas, teaches us to see life and death as a continuous journey, guiding us toward eternal unity with the divine.
A child’s curiosity
I used to attend Gita sessions conducted by a Swami Ji at another devotee’s house many years ago. My youngest son, who was 8 years old at that time, used to accompany me often. When this particular shloka about remembering Shri Krishna at the time of death was discussed, he seemed a bit confused and disturbed. Upon questioning, he mentioned that he could not comprehend this particular promise of Shri Krishna. He said “are you saying that people can do all bad things in their lives and just have to think of Krishna at the time of death and they just reach Krishna? This doesn’t seem fair to all the good people who are always being good boys in their lives”.
He had this look in his eyes that seemed to ask “why do you ask me to be a good boy all the time? I can just think of Lord Krishna at the time of my death and then I would become all good”.
What a wonderful question indeed. I told him to have a little bit of patience because Lord Krishna is explaining that very thing in the next shloka . The fact is that, during one’s last moments, a person can only think of things that they have been attached to in their life. A miser will think of money, a hunter may think of some animal, a politician may think of power, etc.
Shri Krishna says Mayyarpita mano buddhiḥ māmevaiṣyasya samśayaḥ, which means ‘one whose mind (manas) is fixed on Me and whose intellect (buddhi) is fixed on Me, reach Me only’. There is no doubt about this. As your thoughts are, so will your life be.
Swami Prabhupada gives the example of the great king Bharata. Although he was wise and an ethical king, he was very attached to a beautiful deer and he thought of that deer during his last moments, and accordingly attained the body of a deer during his next birth.
Avoiding Iccha and Dvesha
As discussed in the 7th chapter, we should be careful to avoid iccha and dvesha because they keep playing on our minds constantly, preventing us from focusing on the Lord.
Krishna further confirms that Whatever one remembers when they quit their body, that state they will attain without fail. And that state depends on what they were mostly absorbed in or thinking about during their lifetime.
Our thoughts have a powerful impact on our lives, shaping our reality in profound ways. This concept holds true, especially when it comes to how we see ourselves and our connection to the Divine. Sri Ramakrishna emphasized this, saying that if you constantly believe you’re a sinner, that’s what you’ll become. But if you see yourself as a child of the Divine, you’ll grow closer to that divinity.
Our minds have a significant role in directing our lives toward one path or another. For instance, if we keep telling ourselves, “I’m sick, I’m sick,” eventually, we might really end up feeling unwell because we have convinced ourselves of it. The mind has this incredible ability to influence our future. That’s why it’s crucial to focus on positive thoughts rather than negative ones. The most uplifting thought we can hold is that of the Divine residing within us all, the never-changing in the midst of the ever-changing.
Devotion in action – revisited
In verse 8.7, Shri Krishna summarizes nishkama karma yoga and bhakti yoga in one line: “Do your duty with your body, and keep your mind attached to Me”.
Some people disregard their worldly duties and responsibilities with the excuse that they want to lead a spiritual life. We also have people who give an excuse of their worldly duties and hectic schedules for not practicing spirituality. Both are incorrect. According to Krishna, we should perform our worldly duties and we can practice spirituality even while performing our worldly duties by constantly engaging our mind on Him.
This famous couplet by Saint Kabir beautifully expresses this concept:
सुमिरन की सुधि यों करो, ज्यों गागर पनिहार बोलत डोलत सुरति में, कहे कबीर विचार
sumiran kī sudhi yoṅ karo, jyauṅ gāgar panihāra bolat dolat surati meṅ, kahe kabīra vichār
Remember God just as the village woman remembers the water pot on her head. She speaks with others and swings and walks, but she never loses the focus on the pot and never lets it fall from her head.
So how do we achieve this state of constant focus on the Lord?
Shree Krishna uses the word abhyāsa, which means to practice. He says that we must train our mind and form a habit of always meditating upon and focusing our mind on God. This practice is to be done continuously as part of our daily life alongside our worldly activities, throughout the day.
When one is continuously engaging in devotion, with complete surrender to God, their purified mind will gradually get fully absorbed in God-consciousness. Such souls receive the divine grace of God that liberates them from the bondage of maya. It is these people who will be able to think of Shri Krishna during their antakale, attain liberation and reach Him.
We can meditate upon God in several ways. The Names, Forms, Leelas (Pastimes), Associates, and Abodes of God. There is no difference among all these aspects of God. Therefore, one can meditate on any one or all of them. Such meditation, where we attach our mind to the Supreme Divinity, takes our mind to the divine realm, and as a result, it purifies us.
There are many divine aspects of the Lord, such as being ‘subtler than the subtlest’, ‘knower of past-present-future’, etc.
For example, think about the sun in our solar system. It reaches every corner, lighting up everything, so in a way, it “knows” all parts of the solar system. In the same way, Brahman is like the ultimate light, shining on and knowing everything because It is in everything. That’s why we say the Divine is all-knowing.
The Upaniṣads, which are full of wisdom, often use poetic language to describe these deep truths. For example, they talk about Brahman as the “Light of all lights”. This means that while we have many sources of light in our world—the sun, the reflective moonlight, human made lights, etc, there is a greater Light that makes all these lights visible to us. This Light doesn’t come from the sun or the moon but from Brahman, the ultimate reality that lights up the entire universe.
Eight divine aspects of the Supreme Brahman
Here, Shri Krishna has mentioned eight such divine aspects of that supreme Brahman, each of which helps us meditate on a profound aspect of the divine:
- कविम् – Kavim (Omniscient): The Divine, described as ‘Kavim,’ embodies the essence of omniscience, possessing an all-encompassing knowledge that spans the past, present, and future. This attribute emphasizes the unbounded awareness of the Divine, a consciousness that transcends time and space, offering a glimpse into the interconnectedness of all existence. The omniscience of the Divine assures us that there is a deeper purpose and order to the universe, urging us to trust in the unseen guidance that orchestrates our lives.
- पुराणम् – Purāṇam (Beginningless or the Oldest): ‘Purāṇam’ highlights the timeless existence of the Divine, uncreated and eternal. This aspect reveals the Divine as the primordial essence from which all of creation springs, yet Itself remains unchanged and unchanging. Reflecting on the Divine as ‘Purāṇam’ invites us to ponder the mystery of our own limited existence within the unlimited universe, instilling a sense of humility and awe in the face of the infinite.
- iii. अनुशासितारम् – Anuśäsitāram (The Controller of Everything): As ‘Anuśäsitāram,’ the Divine is recognized as the supreme orchestrator and controller of the cosmos. This control is not tyrannical but a harmonious guiding force that maintains the cosmic order. It reflects a profound balance and intelligence underlying the universe, reassuring us that despite apparent chaos, there is an underlying order and purpose guided by divine wisdom.
- अणोः अणीयांसम् – Anoh aniyamsam (Smaller than the Smallest): This attribute signifies the Divine’s presence in even the minutest aspects of creation, emphasizing the omnipresence of the Divine in forms both vast and subtle. It teaches us that the sacred can be found in the smallest details of life, prodding us to seek the Divine not just in grandeur but in the simplicity and intricacy of everyday existence.
- सर्वस्य धातारम् – Sarvasya dhātāram (The Maintainer of Everything): Here, the Divine is seen as the sustainer of all life and existence. This nurturing aspect of the Divine ensures the continuation and well-being of the cosmos. Contemplating the Divine as ‘Sarvasya dhātāram’ encourages us to recognize the interconnectedness of life and the care with which the universe is upheld, fostering a sense of gratitude and responsibility towards all forms of life.
- अचिन्त्य – Acintya (Inconceivable): The Divine, described as ‘Acintya,’ is beyond human comprehension, reminding us of the limits of our understanding and the vastness of the mystery that is the Divine. This attribute makes us get into a state of humility and openness, encouraging us to embrace the unknown with faith and wonder, acknowledging that the essence of the Divine transcends our intellectual grasp.
- vii. रूपम् – Rupam (With a Beautiful Personal Form): While transcendent and beyond form, the Divine also manifests in forms that are accessible and relatable to us, displaying an inherent beauty that captivates the heart and soul. This duality of formlessness and form helps us experience the Divine in personal and intimate ways, fostering a relationship with the Divine that is both loving and transformative.
- viii. आदित्यवर्णम् – Aditya-varnam (Luminous Like the Sun and Self-Revealing): The Divine is self-illuminating, shining with the brilliance of a thousand suns, yet it is the source of its own light. This luminosity represents the self-revealing nature of the Divine, which illuminates the path for seekers and dispels the darkness of ignorance. Reflecting on ‘Aditya-varnam’ inspires us to seek the inner light that guides us towards truth and enlightenment.
Together, these attributes sketch a portrait of the Divine that is vast, intimate, mysterious, and accessible, inviting us on a journey of exploration, devotion, and ultimately, unity with the ultimate reality.
As you can see, Krishna has provided us with so many choices for remembering and focusing upon Him. We can use any one of them or multiple of them according to our nature and sanskārs (tendencies). For example, Jnanis may like to focus on his omniscience (knowledge of past, present and future) while Bhaktas may like to focus on his rupam. Regardless of which aspect we are focusing on, it will reach the Lord.
You can find the explanations for the next set of shlokas, 8.11 to 8.18 over here:
Hare Krishna.
kṛṣṇadaasa
Servant of Krishna
Aka +Vinayak Raghuvamshi