Spiritual direction matters.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः |प्रयाता यान्ति तं कालं वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ ||८-२३||
yatra kāle tvanāvṛttimāvṛttiṃ caiva yoginaḥ . prayātā yānti taṃ kālaṃ vakṣyāmi bharatarṣabha ||8-23||
Use this verse to check the direction of your habits.
Meaning
O best of Bharatas, I will explain the times by which yogis depart and attain either non-return or return.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Krishna introduces the two paths after departure.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
This verse prepares the teaching of bright and dark paths. The deeper practical point is that direction matters: consciousness can move toward liberation or return, clarity or repetition.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna turns to a new theme: the 'times' or paths of departure. He promises to tell Arjuna the conditions under which yogis, after death, either return to rebirth or pass beyond return. This introduces the well-known teaching of the two paths — the bright path of no-return and the dark path of return.
The word kala here refers not merely to clock-time but to the quality of one's departure — the inner and outer conditions that accompany the soul's exit from the body. Krishna addresses Arjuna as Bharatarshabha, 'best of the Bharatas,' encouraging him to receive this subtle knowledge worthily.
What follows is symbolic and has been variously interpreted, but its purpose is clear: to show that the trajectory of consciousness after death is not arbitrary. It reflects the spiritual condition cultivated in life — distinguishing those who have realized the imperishable from those still bound to return.
In daily life
Ask whether your life habits lead toward freedom or repetition.
Daily choices can create a bright path of clarity or a dark path of unconscious habit.
Try this today
Sort one habit into freedom-giving or repetition-creating.
I choose the path that leads to freedom.Reflect
Which direction are my current habits taking me?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘भरतर्षभ’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on destiny, in other chapters
- Verse 11.32We are not the ultimate authors of life and death; freed from that illusion, we can act from duty, not guilt.
- Verse 14.14How you habitually live shapes how you leave — cultivate clarity and peace now, for they become your soul's onward direction.
- Verse 2.72The path described in Chapter 2 leads to a state from which there is no falling back — steady, clear, and ultimately free.
- Verse 16.6Understanding the patterns of the lower nature is the first step to recognising and rooting them out within yourself.
Swipe left for 8.24 · Light and knowledge guide the soul upward.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 8.23
Who says Bhagavad Gita 8.23, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 8.23, in Chapter 8, Aksara Brahma Yoga (Aksara Brahma Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 8.23 mean?
O best of Bharatas, I will explain the times by which yogis depart and attain either non-return or return. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 8.23 for daily life?
Ask whether your life habits lead toward freedom or repetition. Daily choices can create a bright path of clarity or a dark path of unconscious habit.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 8.23 mean?
यत्र काले — at which time; तु अनावृत्तिम् — non-return; आवृत्तिम् च एव — and return; योगिनः प्रयाताः — the yogis who have departed; यान्ति — attain.
Where does verse 8.23 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 23 of 28 in Chapter 8, Aksara Brahma Yoga. The next verse is 8.24.