Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8
Author Kedi Ganapati
Shloka 8:1
किं तद्ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम ।
अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते ॥ ८:१ ॥
kim tad brahma kim adhyatmam kim karma purushottama
adhibhutam cha kim proktam adhidaivam kim uchyate
Translation
Arjuna said: O Supreme Person, what is Brahman? What is the Self (Adhyatma)? What is Karma? What is declared to be Adhibhuta, and what is called Adhidaiva?
Conversation
Shloka 8:2
प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः ॥ ८:२ ॥
prayana-kale cha katham jneyo 'si niyatatmabhih
Translation
O Madhusudana, who is Adhiyajna in this body, and how does He dwell here? And how are You to be known by the self-controlled at the time of death?
Conversation
Shloka 8:3
अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते ।
भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः ॥ ८:३ ॥
aksharam brahma paramam svabhavo 'dhyatmam uchyate
bhuta-bhavodbhava-karo visargah karma-samjnitah
Translation
The Blessed Lord said: The Imperishable Supreme is Brahman. One's own essential nature is called Adhyatma, and the offering that causes the creation of beings is known as Karma.
Conversation
Shloka 8:4
अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर ॥ ८:४ ॥
adhiyajno 'ham evatra dehe deha-bhritam vara
Translation
Adhibhuta is the perishable world of beings; Adhidaiva is the Cosmic Person; and I alone am Adhiyajna here in this body, O best of embodied beings.
Conversation
Shloka 8:5
यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः ॥ ८:५ ॥
yah prayati sa mad-bhavam yati nasty atra samshayah
Translation
Whoever departs from the body at the time of death remembering Me alone attains My divine nature. Of this there is no doubt.
Conversation
Shloka 8:6
तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः ॥ ८:६ ॥
tam tam evaiti kaunteya sada tad-bhava-bhavitah
Translation
Whatever state of being one remembers at the time of death while leaving the body, O Kaunteya, that state alone one attains, having always been absorbed in it.
Conversation
Shloka 8:7
मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयम् ॥ ८:७ ॥
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir mam evaishyasy asamshayam
Translation
Therefore, remember Me at all times and also perform your duty of fighting. With your mind and intellect dedicated to Me, you shall surely attain Me.
Conversation
Shloka 8:8
परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन् ॥ ८:८ ॥
paramam purusham divyam yati parthanuchintayan
Translation
With the mind disciplined through constant practice of yoga and not wandering elsewhere, one who continuously meditates upon the Supreme Divine Person attains Him, O Partha.
Conversation
Shloka 8:9
सर्वस्य धातारमचिन्त्यरूपमादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् ॥ ८:९ ॥
sarvasya dhataram achintya-rupam aditya-varnam tamasah parastat
Translation
One should meditate upon the Supreme Person, who is the omniscient, the ancient, the ruler of all, subtler than the subtlest, the sustainer of everything, inconceivable in form, self-effulgent like the sun, and beyond all darkness.
Conversation
Shloka 8:10
भ्रुवोर्मध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्यक् स तं परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् ॥ ८:१० ॥
bhruvor madhye pranam avesya samyak sa tam param purusham upaiti divyam
Translation
At the time of death, one who, with an unwavering mind, devotion, and the power of yoga, fixes the life-breath between the eyebrows and remembers the Supreme Divine Person attains Him.
Conversation
Shloka 8:11
यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति तत्ते पदं सङ्ग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये ॥ ८:११ ॥
yad icchanto brahmacharyam charanti tat te padam sangrahena pravakshye
Translation
I shall now briefly explain to you that imperishable goal which the knowers of the Vedas declare, into which the self-controlled and detached sages enter, and desiring which people practice celibacy.
Conversation
Shloka 8:12
मूर्ध्न्याधायात्मनः प्राणमास्थितो योगधारणाम् ॥ ८:१२ ॥
murdhny adhayatmanah pranam asthito yoga-dharanam
Translation
Controlling all the senses, fixing the mind in the heart, and establishing the life-breath at the crown of the head, one should remain steadfast in the practice of yoga.
Conversation
Shloka 8:13
यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम् ॥ ८:१३ ॥
yah prayati tyajan deham sa yati paramam gatim
Translation
Whoever departs from the body while uttering the one-syllable Brahman, Om, and remembering Me, attains the supreme destination.
Conversation
Shloka 8:14
तस्याहं सुलभः पार्थ नित्ययुक्तस्य योगिनः ॥ ८:१४ ॥
tasyaham sulabhah partha nitya-yuktasya yoginah
Translation
O Partha, I am easily attainable by that yogi who always remembers Me with an undivided mind and remains constantly united with Me.
Conversation
Shloka 8:15
नाप्नुवन्ति महात्मानः संसिद्धिं परमां गताः ॥ ८:१५ ॥
napnuvanti mahatmanah samsiddhim paramam gatah
Translation
Having attained Me, the great souls do not take birth again in this temporary world of suffering, for they have reached the highest perfection.
Conversation
Shloka 8:16
मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ॥ ८:१६ ॥
mam upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate
Translation
O Arjuna, all worlds up to the realm of Brahma are subject to repeated birth and death. But having attained Me, O Kaunteya, there is no rebirth.
Conversation
Shloka 8:17
रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः ॥ ८:१७ ॥
ratrim yuga-sahasrantam te 'ho-ratra-vido janah
Translation
Those who understand the nature of day and night know that a day of Brahma lasts for a thousand yugas, and his night also extends for a thousand yugas.
Conversation
Shloka 8:18
रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके ॥ ८:१८ ॥
ratry-agame praliyante tatraivavyakta-samjnake
Translation
At the beginning of Brahma's day, all manifested beings arise from the unmanifest, and at the arrival of his night, they dissolve back into the unmanifest.
Conversation
Shloka 8:19
रात्र्यागमेऽवशः पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे ॥ ८:१९ ॥
ratry-agame 'vashah partha prabhavaty ahar-agame
Translation
O Partha, this multitude of beings repeatedly comes into existence and is dissolved again at the arrival of night, only to reappear when the day begins.
Conversation
Shloka 8:20
यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति ॥ ८:२० ॥
yah sa sarveshu bhuteshu nashyatsu na vinashyati
Translation
Yet beyond this unmanifest is another eternal, transcendental unmanifest reality, which does not perish even when all beings perish.
Conversation
Shloka 8:21
यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ॥ ८:२१ ॥
yam prapya na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama
Translation
That unmanifest and imperishable reality is called the supreme destination. Having attained it, one never returns; that is My supreme abode.
Conversation
Shloka 8:22
यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि yeन सर्वमिदं ततम् ॥ ८:२२ ॥
yasyantah-sthani bhutani yena sarvam idam tatam
Translation
O Partha, that Supreme Person, within whom all beings dwell and by whom this entire universe is pervaded, is attained only through exclusive devotion.
Conversation
Shloka 8:23
प्रयाता यान्ति तं कालं वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ ॥ ८:२३ ॥
prayata yanti tam kalam vakshyami bharatarshabha
Translation
O best of the Bharatas, I shall now explain the times at which departing yogis either do not return or return again to this world.
Conversation
Shloka 8:24
तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः ॥ ८:२४ ॥
tatra prayata gachchhanti brahma brahma-vido janah
Translation
Those who know Brahman and depart during the path of fire, light, daytime, the bright fortnight, and the six months of the sun's northern course attain Brahman.
Conversation
Shloka 8:25
तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते ॥ ८:२५ ॥
tatra chandramasam jyotir yogi prapya nivartate
Translation
The yogi who departs during the path of smoke, night, the dark fortnight, and the six months of the sun's southern course reaches the lunar light and returns again.
Conversation
Shloka 8:26
एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययावर्तते पुनः ॥ ८:२६ ॥
ekaya yaty anavrittim anyayavartate punah
Translation
These two paths, the bright and the dark, are considered the eternal ways of the world. By the one, a person does not return; by the other, one returns again.
Conversation
Shloka 8:27
तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन ॥ ८:२७ ॥
tasmat sarveshu kaleshu yoga-yukto bhavarjuna
Translation
O Partha, knowing these two paths, no yogi is ever deluded. Therefore, O Arjuna, remain steadfast in yoga at all times.
Conversation
Shloka 8:28
अत्येति तत्सर्वमिदं विदित्वा योगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाद्यम् ॥ ८:२८ ॥
atyeti tat sarvam idam viditva yogi param sthanam upaiti chadyam
Translation
The yogi who understands this teaching transcends all the merits declared to arise from the study of the Vedas, sacrifices, austerities, and charity, and attains the supreme eternal abode.
Conversation
Note: Every interpretation published here is the original work of Kedi Ganapati alone. No other author, commentator, or interpreter has contributed to these explanations. These interpretations are based on Kedi Ganapati's own understanding of the Bhagavad Gita's verses through personal study, research, wisdom, and experience.
