Everything visible arises from the unseen.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
अव्यक्ताद् व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे |रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके ||८-१८||
avyaktād vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ prabhavantyaharāgame . rātryāgame pralīyante tatraivāvyaktasaṃjñake ||8-18||
Use this verse when change feels chaotic.
Meaning
At the arrival of day, all manifest beings arise from the unmanifest; at night, they dissolve back into that same unmanifest.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Manifest life arises from and returns to the unmanifest.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna describes the rhythm of manifestation and dissolution. Everything visible has a hidden source and a hidden return. This can help people process change: beginnings and endings are part of a deeper cycle, not random chaos.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna describes the great rhythm of cosmic creation and dissolution. When Brahma's day dawns, all manifested beings (vyaktayah) emerge from the unmanifested (avyakta) source; when his night falls, they dissolve back into that same unmanifested state. Creation breathes out and breathes in, again and again.
This is the cosmic counterpart to the cycle of birth and death we know in our own lives. Just as individuals are born, live, and pass away, so entire universes arise and return to their seed-state. The unmanifested is like the deep ground from which all forms blossom and into which they fade — neither truly created nor truly destroyed, but cyclically expressed and withdrawn.
By revealing this pattern, Krishna shows that the visible world, for all its apparent solidity, is a temporary phase within an endless rhythm. Recognizing this helps the seeker hold the world more lightly and look toward what stands beyond all cycles.
In daily life
Accept beginnings and endings as part of a larger rhythm.
A project may launch, grow, close, and still contribute to a deeper learning cycle.
Try this today
Reflect on one change without labeling it only as loss.
I trust the rhythm of manifestation and return.Reflect
What ending can I view as part of a larger cycle?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘प्रभवन्ति अहरागमे’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on dissolution, in other chapters
- Verse 7.6All that is born and all that dissolves rests in the one Source — so meet creation and loss alike with steady trust.
- Verse 9.7Creation moves in vast cycles of dissolution and renewal — what looks like an ending is a return to source, never true loss.
- Verse 11.2 · ArjunaGrasping how all things rise and dissolve naturally awakens a deeper longing to witness the Source directly.
- Verse 3.10Giving and contributing are woven into the design of life — live as part of the great cycle of offering, and your true needs are met.
Swipe left for 8.19 · Unconscious repetition keeps beings bound.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 8.18
Who says Bhagavad Gita 8.18, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 8.18, in Chapter 8, Aksara Brahma Yoga (Aksara Brahma Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 8.18 mean?
At the arrival of day, all manifest beings arise from the unmanifest; at night, they dissolve back into that same unmanifest. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 8.18 for daily life?
Accept beginnings and endings as part of a larger rhythm. A project may launch, grow, close, and still contribute to a deeper learning cycle.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 8.18 mean?
अव्यक्तात् — from the Unmanifested; व्यक्तयः सर्वाः — all the manifested beings; प्रभवन्ति अहरागमे — come forth at the coming of day; रात्र्यागमे — at the coming of night; प्रलीयन्ते — they dissolve.
Where does verse 8.18 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 18 of 28 in Chapter 8, Aksara Brahma Yoga. The next verse is 8.19.