- 8.1अर्जुन उवाचArjuna asked: O Lord of Lords! What is that which people call the Supreme Spirit, what is humanity's spiritual nature, and what is the law? What is matter and what is divinity?
- 8.2अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन।Who rules the spirit sacrifice in many, and how may those who have learned self-control come to the knowledge of Thee at the time of death?
- 8.3श्री भगवानुवाचThe Lord Shri Krishna replied: The Supreme Spirit is the Highest Imperishable Self, and Its nature is spiritual consciousness. The worlds have been created and are sustained by an emanation from the Spirit, which is called the Law.
- 8.4अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम्।Matter consists of forms that perish; Divinity is the Supreme Self; and He who inspires the spirit of sacrifice in man, O noblest of their race, is I Myself, Who now stand in human form before thee.
- 8.5अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम्।Whosoever, at the time of death, thinks only of Me and, thinking thus, leaves the body and goes forth, will assuredly know Me.
- 8.6यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम्।Whatever sphere of being the mind of a man is intent on at the time of death, to that he will go.
- 8.7तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च।Therefore, always meditate on Me and fight; if your mind and reason are fixed on Me, you will surely come to Me.
- 8.8अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना।He whose mind does not wander, and who is engaged in constant meditation, attains the Supreme Spirit.
- 8.9कविं पुराणमनुशासितारWhoso meditates on the Omniscient, the Ancient, more minute than an atom, yet the Ruler and Upholder of all, Unimaginable, Brilliant like the Sun, Beyond the reach of darkness;
- 8.10प्रयाणकाले मनसाऽचलेनHe who leaves the body with an unmoved mind, filled with devotion, and by the power of his meditation gathers his whole vital energy between his eyebrows, attains the Supreme.
- 8.11यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्तिNow, I will briefly speak of the imperishable goal, proclaimed by those who are versed in the scriptures, which the mystic attains when free from passion, and for which they are content to undergo the vow of continence.
- 8.12सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च।Closing the gates of the body, drawing the forces of his mind into the heart, and, by the power of meditation, concentrating his vital energy in the brain;
- 8.13ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन्।Repeating Om, the symbol of eternity, and holding Me always in remembrance, he who thus leaves his body and goes forth reaches the Supreme Spirit.
- 8.14अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः।To him who constantly thinks of Me and nothing else, to such an ever-faithful devotee, O Arjuna, I am ever accessible.
- 8.15मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम्।Coming to Me in this way, these great souls no longer go to the misery and death of earthly life, for they have achieved perfection.
- 8.16आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन।The worlds, along with the entire realm of creation, come and go; but, O Arjuna, whoever comes to Me, for them there is no rebirth.
- 8.17सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद्ब्रह्मणो विदुः।Those who understand the cosmic day and night know that one day of creation is a thousand cycles, and that the night is of equal length.
- 8.18अव्यक्ताद्व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे।At the dawn of that day, all objects in manifestation stream forth from the Unmanifest, and when evening falls, they are dissolved back into it again.
- 8.19भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते।The same multitude of beings, which have lived on earth so often, all are dissolved as the night of the universe approaches, to issue forth anew when morning breaks. Thus, it is ordained.
- 8.20परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः।In truth, therefore, there is the eternal, unmanifest, which is beyond and above the unmanifest spirit of creation, and which is never destroyed when all these beings perish.
- 8.21अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम्।The wise say that the Unmanifest and Indestructible is the highest goal of all; when once that is reached, there is no returning. That is my blessed home.
- 8.22पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया।O Arjuna! That Highest God, in Whom all beings abide, and Who pervades the entire universe, is reached only by wholehearted devotion. *He is the one who determines the course of worldly events and the destiny of all living beings.*
- 8.23यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः।Now, I will tell you, O Arjuna, the times at which, if the mystics go forth, they do not return, and at which they go forth only to return.
- 8.24अग्निर्ज्योतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम्।If the sage, knowing the Supreme Spirit, goes forth with fire and light during the day, in the fortnight of the waxing moon, and in the six months before the Northern summer solstice, he will attain the Supreme.
- 8.25धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम्।But if he departs in gloom, at night, during the fortnight of the waning moon and in the six months before the winter solstice, then he reaches only lunar light and he will be reborn.
- 8.26शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते।These bright and dark paths out of the world have always existed. Whoever takes the former, does not return; he who chooses the latter, returns.
- 8.27नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन।O Arjuna! The saint, knowing these paths, is not confused; therefore, meditate perpetually.
- 8.28वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैवThe sage who knows this passes beyond all merit that comes from the study of the scriptures, from sacrifice, from austerities, and from charity, and reaches the Supreme Primeval Abode.