Aksara Brahma Yoga
Aksara Brahma Yoga • 28 verses
Krishna teaches about the nature of the imperishable Brahman, the process of dying and rebirth, and the ultimate truth that those who remember him at the moment of death attain him. The chapter reveals the significance of the final thought at death.
Chapter Overview
Chapter 8 explores the cosmic dimensions of Krishna's teaching — the vast cycles of creation and dissolution, the pathways after death, and the ultimate reality of the imperishable Brahman.
The chapter opens with Arjuna asking seven questions about fundamental concepts: What is Brahman? What is karma? What is adhyatma? What is adhibhuta? What is adhidaiva? What is adhiyajna? What happens at the time of death?
Krishna's answer moves from the immediate to the cosmic. On the personal level, he teaches the crucial principle: 'Whatever state of being one remembers at the time of leaving the body, that state one attains.' This is the teaching of the final thought — that the quality of consciousness at death shapes the next birth.
This teaching contains a profound practical implication: our moment-to-moment habits of mind create the default patterns that will arise in the vulnerable moments of life, including its last moments. The practice of remembering the divine throughout life is therefore not merely devotional habit but preparation for the ultimate passage.
On the cosmic level, Krishna describes the vast day and night of Brahma — cycles of creation and dissolution spanning billions of years — within which individual human lives occur. This cosmic perspective loosens our grip on the urgency of short-term concerns.
Krishna also describes two paths after death: the lunar path (pitriyana) by which most souls return to rebirth, and the solar path (devayana) by which the enlightened soul reaches the ultimate and does not return.
Key Verses
अर्जुन उवाच | किं तद् ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम | अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते ||८-१||
arjuna uvāca . kiṃ tad brahma kimadhyātmaṃ kiṃ karma puruṣottama . adhibhūtaṃ ca kiṃ proktamadhidaivaṃ kimucyate ||8-1||
Swami Sivananda did not comment on this sloka
अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन | प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः ||८-२||
adhiyajñaḥ kathaṃ ko.atra dehe.asminmadhusūdana . prayāṇakāle ca kathaṃ jñeyo.asi niyatātmabhiḥ ||8-2||
8.2 Who and how is Adhiyajna here in this body, O destroyer of Madhu (Krishna)? And how at the time of death, art Thou to be known by the self-controlled?
श्रीभगवानुवाच | अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते | भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः ||८-३||
śrībhagavānuvāca . akṣaraṃ brahma paramaṃ svabhāvo.adhyātmamucyate . bhūtabhāvodbhavakaro visargaḥ karmasaṃjñitaḥ ||8-3||
8.3 The Blessed Lord said Brahman is the Imperishable, the Supreme; Its essential nature is called Self-knowledge; the offering (to the gods) which causes existence and manifestation of beings and which also sustains them is called action.
अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम् | अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर ||८-४||
adhibhūtaṃ kṣaro bhāvaḥ puruṣaścādhidaivatam . adhiyajño.ahamevātra dehe dehabhṛtāṃ vara ||8-4||
8.4 Adhibhuta (knowledge of the elements) pertains to My perishable Nature and the Purusha or the Soul is the Adhidaiva; I alone am the Adhiyajna here in this body, O best among the embodied (men).
अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् | यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः ||८-५||
antakāle ca māmeva smaranmuktvā kalevaram . yaḥ prayāti sa madbhāvaṃ yāti nāstyatra saṃśayaḥ ||8-5||
8.5 And whosoever, leaving the body, goes forth remembering Me alone, at the time of death, he attains My Being: there is no doubt about this.