श्लोकः
अर्जुन उवाच
किं तद्ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम ।
अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते ॥ 1 ॥
Meaning
अर्जुनः उवाच — Arjuna said; किम् — what; तत् — that; ब्रह्म — Brahman; किम् — what; अध्यात्मम् — the self; किम् — what; कर्म — fruitive activities; पुरुष-उत्तम — O Supreme Person; अधिभूतम् — the material manifestation; च — and; किम् — what; प्रोक्तम् — is called; अधिदैवम् — the demigods; किम् — what; उच्यते — is called.
Translation
Arjuna inquired: O my Lord, O Supreme Person, what is Brahman? What is the self? What are fruitive activities? What is this material manifestation? And what are the demigods? Please explain this to me.
श्लोकः
अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन ।
प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः ॥ 2 ॥
Meaning
अधियज्ञः — the Lord of sacrifice; कथम् — how; कः — who; अत्र — here; देहे — in the body; अस्मिन् — this; मधुसूदन — O Madhusūdana; प्रयाण-काले — at the time of death; च — and; कथम् — how; ज्ञेयः असि — You can be known; नियत-आत्मभिः — by the self-controlled.
Translation
Who is the Lord of sacrifice, and how does He live in the body, O Madhusūdana? And how can those engaged in devotional service know You at the time of death?
श्लोकः
श्रीभगवानुवाच
अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते ।
भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्गः कर्मसंज्ञितः ॥ 3 ॥
Meaning
श्री-भगवान् उवाच — Bhagavan Sri Krishna said; अक्षरम् — indestructible; ब्रह्म — Brahman; परमम् — transcendental; स्वभावः — eternal nature; अध्यात्मम् — the self; उच्यते — is called; भूत-भाव-उद्भव-करः — producing the material bodies of the living entities; विसर्गः — creation; कर्म — fruitive activities; संज्ञितः — is called.
Translation
Bhagavan Sri Krishna said: The indestructible, transcendental living entity is called Brahman, and his eternal nature is called adhyātma, the self. Action pertaining to the development of the material bodies of the living entities is called karma, or fruitive activities.
श्लोकः
अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम् ।
अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर ॥ 4 ॥
Meaning
अधिभूतम् — the physical manifestation; क्षरः — constantly changing; भावः — nature; पुरुषः — the universal form, including all the demigods, like the sun and moon; च — and; अधिदैवतम् — called adhidaiva; अधियज्ञः — the Supersoul; अहम् — I (Kriṣṇa); एव — certainly; अत्र — in this; देहे — body; देह-भृताम् — of the embodied; वर — O best.
Translation
O best of the embodied beings, the physical nature, which is constantly changing, is called adhibhūta [the material manifestation]. The universal form of the Lord, which includes all the demigods, like those of the sun and moon, is called adhidaiva. And I, the Supreme Lord, represented as the Supersoul in the heart of every embodied being, am called adhiyajña [the Lord of sacrifice].
श्लोकः
अंतकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् ।
यः प्रयाति स मद्भआवं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः ॥ 5 ॥
Meaning
अंत-काले — at the end of life; च — also; माम् — Me; एव — certainly; स्मरन् — remembering; मुक्त्वा — quitting; कलेवरम् — the body; यः — he who; प्रयाति — goes; सः — he; मत्-भावम् — My nature; याति — achieves; न — not; अस्ति — there is; अत्र — here; संशयः — doubt.
Translation
And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body remembering Me alone at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.
श्लोकः
यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यंते कलेवरम् ।
तं तमेवैति कौंतेय सदा तद्भआवभावितः ॥ 6 ॥
Meaning
यं यम् — whatever; वा अपि — at all; स्मरन् — remembering; भावम् — nature; त्यजति — gives up; अंते — at the end; कलेवरम् — this body; तं तम् — similar; एव — certainly; एति — gets; कौंतेय — O son of Kuntī; सदा — always; तत् — that; भाव — state of being; भावितः — remembering.
Translation
Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kuntī, that state he will attain without fail.
श्लोकः
तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च ।
मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयः ॥ 7 ॥
Meaning
तस्मात् — therefore; सर्वेषु — at all; कालेषु — times; माम् — Me; अनुस्मर — go on remembering; युध्य — fight; च — also; मयि — unto Me; अर्पित — surrendering; मनः — mind; बुद्धिः — intellect; माम् — unto Me; एव — surely; एष्यसि — you will attain; असंशयः — beyond a doubt.
Translation
Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Kriṣṇa and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt.
श्लोकः
अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना ।
परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिंतयन् ॥ 8 ॥
Meaning
अभ्यास-योग — in the practice of meditation; युक्तेन — being engaged; चेतसा — by the mind and intelligence; न अन्य-गामिना — without their being deviated; परमम् — the Supreme; पुरुषम् — Personality of Godhead; दिव्यम् — transcendental; याति — one achieves; पार्थ — O son of Prithā; अनुचिंतयन् — constantly thinking of.
Translation
He who meditates on Me as Supreme Lord, his mind constantly engaged in remembering Me, undeviated from the path, he, O Pārtha, is sure to reach Me.
श्लोकः
कविं पुराणमनुशासितार-
मणोरणीयांसमनुस्मरेद्यः ।
सर्वस्य धातारमचिंत्यरूप-
मादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् ॥ 9 ॥
Meaning
कविम् — the one who knows everything; पुराणम् — the oldest; अनुशासितारम् — the controller; अणोः — than the atom; अणीयांसम् — smaller; अनुस्मरेत् — always thinks of; यः — one who; सर्वस्य — of everything; धातारम् — the maintainer; अचिंत्य — inconceivable; रूपम् — whose form; आदित्य-वर्णम् — luminous like the sun; तमसः — to darkness; परस्तात् — transcendental.
Translation
One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows everything, as He who is the oldest, who is the controller, who is smaller than the smallest, who is the maintainer of everything, who is beyond all material conception, who is inconceivable, and who is always a person. He is luminous like the sun, and He is transcendental, beyond this material nature.
श्लोकः
प्रयाणकाले मनसाचलेन
भक्त्यआ युक्तो योगबलेन चैव ।
भ्रुवोर्मध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्य-
क्स तं परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् ॥ 10 ॥
Meaning
प्रयाण-काले — at the time of death; मनसा — by the mind; अचलेन — without its being deviated; भक्त्या — in full devotion; युक्तः — engaged; योग-बलेन — by the power of mystic yoga; च — also; एव — certainly; भ्रुवोः — the two eyebrows; मध्ये — between; प्राणम् — the life air; आवेश्य — establishing; सम्यक् — completely; सः — he; तम् — that; परम् — transcendental; पुरुषम् — Personality of Godhead; उपैति — achieves; दिव्यम् — in the spiritual kingdom.
Translation
One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between the eyebrows and, by the strength of yoga, with an undeviating mind, engages himself in remembering the Supreme Lord in full devotion, will certainly attain the spiritual kingdom.
श्लोकः
यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदंति
विशंति यद्यतयो वीतरागाः ।
यदिच्छंतो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरंति
तत्ते पदं संग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये ॥ 11 ॥
Meaning
यत् — that which; अक्षरम् — syllable oM; वेद-विदः — persons conversant with the Vedas; वदंति — say; विशंति — enter; यत् — in which; यतयः — great sages; वीत-रागाः — in the renounced order of life; यत् — that which; इच्चंतः — desiring; ब्रह्म-चर्यम् — celibacy; चरंति — practice; तत् — that; ते — unto you; पदम् — situation; संग्रहेण — in summary; प्रवक्ष्ये — I shall explain.
Translation
Persons who are learned in the Vedas, who utter oM-kāra, and who are great sages in the renounced order enter into Brahman. Desiring such perfection, one practices celibacy. I shall now briefly explain to you this process by which one may attain salvation.
श्लोकः
सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च ।
मूध्न्र्याधायात्मनः प्राणमास्थितो योगधारणाम् ॥ 12 ॥
Meaning
सर्व-द्वाराणि — all the doors of the body; संयम्य — controlling; मनः — the mind; हृदि — in the heart; निरुध्य — confining; च — also; मूर्ध्नि — on the head; आधाय — fixing; आत्मनः — of the soul; प्राणम् — the life air; आस्थितः — situated in; योग-धारणाम् — the yogic situation.
Translation
The yogic situation is that of detachment from all sensual engagements. Closing all the doors of the senses and fixing the mind on the heart and the life air at the top of the head, one establishes himself in yoga.
श्लोकः
ॐ इत्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन् ।
यः प्रयाति त्यजंदेहं स याति परमां गतिम् ॥ 13 ॥
Meaning
ॐ — the combination of letters OM (OM-kāra); इति — thus; एक-अक्षरम् — the one syllable; ब्रह्म — absolute; व्याहरन् — vibrating; माम् — Me (Kriṣṇa); अनुस्मरन् — remembering; यः — anyone who; प्रयाति — leaves; त्यजन् — quitting; देहम् — this body; सः — he; याति — achieves; परमाम् — the supreme; गतिम् — destination.
Translation
After being situated in this yoga practice and vibrating the sacred syllable OM, the supreme combination of letters, if one thinks of the absolute Brahman and quits his body, he will certainly reach the spiritual planets.
श्लोकः
अनन्यचेताः सततं यो मां स्मरति नित्यशः ।
तस्याहं सुलभः पार्थ नित्ययुक्तस्य योगिनः ॥ 14 ॥
Meaning
अनन्य-चेताः — without deviation of the mind; सततम् — always; यः — anyone who; माम् — Me (Kriṣṇa); स्मरति — remembers; नित्यशः — regularly; तस्य — to him; अहम् — I am; सु-लभः — very easy to achieve; पार्थ — O son of Prithā; नित्य — regularly; युक्तस्य — engaged; योगिनः — for the devotee.
Translation
For one who always remembers Me without deviation, I am easy to obtain, O son of Prithā, because of his constant engagement in devotional service.
श्लोकः
मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम् ।
नाप्नुवंति महात्मानः संसिद्धिं परमां गताः ॥ 15 ॥
Meaning
माम् — Me; उपेत्य — achieving; पुनः — again; जन्म — birth; दुःख-आलयम् — place of miseries; अशाश्वतम् — temporary; न — never; आप्नुवंति — attain; महा-आत्मानः — the great souls; संसिद्धिम् — perfection; परमाम् — ultimate; गताः — having achieved.
Translation
After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.
श्लोकः
आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन ।
मामुपेत्य तु कौंतेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ॥ 16 ॥
Meaning
आ-ब्रह्म-भुवनात् — up to the Brahmaloka planet; लोकाः — the planetary systems; पुनः — again; आवर्तिनः — returning; अर्जुन — O Arjuna; माम् — unto Me; उपेत्य — arriving; तु — but; कौंतेय — O son of Kuntī; पुनः जन्म — rebirth; न — never; विद्यते — takes place.
Translation
From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again.
श्लोकः
सहस्रयुगपर्यंतमहर्यद्ब्रह्मणो विदुः ।
रात्रिं युगसहस्रांतां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः ॥ 17 ॥
Meaning
सहस्र — one thousand; युग — millenniums; पर्यंतम् — including; अहः — day; यत् — that which; ब्रह्मणः — of Brahmā; विदुः — they know; रात्रिम् — night; युग — millenniums; सहस्र-अंताम् — similarly, ending after one thousand; ते — they; अहः-रात्र — day and night; विदः — who understand; जनाः — people.
Translation
By human calculation, a thousand ages taken together form the duration of Brahmā’s one day. And such also is the duration of his night.
श्लोकः
अव्यक्ताद् व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवंत्यहरागमे ।
रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयंते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके ॥ 18 ॥
Meaning
अव्यक्तात् — from the unmanifest; व्यक्तयः — living entities; सर्वाः — all; प्रभवंति — become manifest; अहः-आगमे — at the beginning of the day; रात्रि-आगमे — at the fall of night; प्रलीयंते — are annihilated; तत्र — into that; एव — certainly; अव्यक्त — the unmanifest; संज्ञके — which is called.
Translation
At the beginning of Brahmā’s day, all living entities become manifest from the unmanifest state, and thereafter, when the night falls, they are merged into the unmanifest again.
श्लोकः
भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते ।
रात्र्यागमेऽवशः पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे ॥ 19 ॥
Meaning
भूत-ग्रामः — the aggregate of all living entities; सः — these; एव — certainly; अयम् — this; भूत्वा भूत्वा — repeatedly taking birth; प्रलीयते — is annihilated; रात्रि — of night; आगमे — on the arrival; अवशः — automatically; पार्थ — O son of Prithā; प्रभवति — is manifest; अहः — of daytime; आगमे — on the arrival.
Translation
Again and again, when Brahmā’s day arrives, all living entities come into being, and with the arrival of Brahmā’s night they are helplessly annihilated.
श्लोकः
परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः ।
यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति ॥ 20 ॥
Meaning
परः — transcendental; तस्मात् — to that; तु — but; भावः — nature; अन्यः — another; अव्यक्तः — unmanifest; अव्यक्तात् — to the unmanifest; सनातनः — eternal; यः सः — that which; सर्वेषु — all; भूतेषु — manifestation; नश्यत्सु — being annihilated; न — never; विनश्यति — is annihilated.
Translation
Yet there is another unmanifest nature, which is eternal and is transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is supreme and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that part remains as it is.
श्लोकः
अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम् ।
यं प्राप्य न निवर्तंते तद्धाम परमं मम ॥ 21 ॥
Meaning
अव्यक्तः — unmanifested; अक्षरः — infallible; इति — thus; उक्तः — is said; तम् — that; आहुः — is known; परमाम् — the ultimate; गतिम् — destination; यम् — which; प्राप्य — gaining; न — never; निवर्तंते — come back; तत् — that; धाम — abode; परमम् — supreme; मम — My.
Translation
That which the Vedāntists describe as unmanifest and infallible, that which is known as the supreme destination, that place from which, having attained it, one never returns – that is My supreme abode.
श्लोकः
पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्यआ लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया ।
यस्यांतःस्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् ॥ 22 ॥
Meaning
पुरुषः — the Supreme Personality; सः — He; परः — the Supreme, than whom no one is greater; पार्थ — O son of Prithā; भक्त्या — by devotional service; लभ्यः — can be achieved; तु — but; अनन्यया — unalloyed, undeviating; यस्य — whom; अंतः-स्थानि — within; भूतानि — all of this material manifestation; येन — by whom; सर्वम् — all; इदम् — whatever we can see; ततम् — is pervaded.
Translation
The Supreme Personality, who is greater than all, is attainable by unalloyed devotion. Although He is present in His abode, He is all-pervading, and everything is situated within Him.
श्लोकः
यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः ।
प्रयाता यांति तं कालं वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ ॥ 23 ॥
Meaning
यत्र — at which; काले — time; तु — and; अनावृत्तिम् — no return; आवृत्तिम् — return; च — also; एव — certainly; योगिनः — different kinds of mystics; प्रयाताः — having departed; यांति — attain; तम् — that; कालम् — time; वक्ष्यामि — I shall describe; भरत-ऋषभ — O best of the Bhāratas.
Translation
O best of the Bhāratas, I shall now explain to you the different times at which, passing away from this world, the yogī does or does not come back.
श्लोकः
अग्नइर्ज्योतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम् ।
तत्र प्रयाता गच्छंति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः ॥ 24 ॥
Meaning
अग्निः — fire; ज्योतिः — light; अहः — day; शुक्लः — the white fortnight; षट्-मासाः — the six months; उत्तर-अयनम् — when the sun passes on the northern side; तत्र — there; प्रयाताः — those who pass away; गच्चंति — go; ब्रह्म — to the Absolute; ब्रह्म-विदः — who know the Absolute; जनाः — persons.
Translation
Those who know the Supreme Brahman attain that Supreme by passing away from the world during the influence of the fiery god, in the light, at an auspicious moment of the day, during the fortnight of the waxing moon, or during the six months when the sun travels in the north.
श्लोकः
धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम् ।
तत्र चांद्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते ॥ 25 ॥
Meaning
धूमः — smoke; रात्रिः — night; तथा — also; कृष्णः — the fortnight of the dark moon; षट्-मासाः — the six months; दक्षिण-अयनम् — when the sun passes on the southern side; तत्र — there; चांद्रमसम् — the moon planet; ज्योतिः — the light; योगी — the mystic; प्राप्य — achieving; निवर्तते — comes back.
Translation
The mystic who passes away from this world during the smoke, the night, the fortnight of the waning moon, or the six months when the sun passes to the south reaches the moon planet but again comes back.
श्लोकः
शउक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते ।
एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययावर्तते पुनः ॥ 26 ॥
Meaning
शुक्ल — light; कृष्णे — and darkness; गती — ways of passing; हि — certainly; एते — these two; जगतः — of the material world; शाश्वते — of the Vedas; मते — in the opinion; एकया — by one; याति — goes; अनावृत्तिम् — to no return; अन्यया — by the other; आवर्तते — comes back; पुनः — again.
Translation
According to Vedic opinion, there are two ways of passing from this world – one in light and one in darkness. When one passes in light, he does not come back; but when one passes in darkness, he returns.
श्लोकः
नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन ।
तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन ॥ 27 ॥
Meaning
न — never; एते — these two; सृती — different paths; पार्थ — O son of Prithā; जानन् — even if he knows; योगी — the devotee of the Lord; मुह्यति — is bewildered; कश्चन — any; तस्मात् — therefore; सर्वेषु कालेषु — always; योग-युक्तः — engaged in Kriṣṇa consciousness; भव — just become; अर्जुन — O Arjuna.
Translation
Although the devotees know these two paths, O Arjuna, they are never bewildered. Therefore be always fixed in devotion.
श्लोकः
वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैव
दानेषु यत्पुण्यफलं प्रदिष्टम् ।
अत्येति तत्सर्वमिदं विदित्वा
योगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाद्यम् ॥ 28 ॥
Meaning
वेदेषु — in the study of the Vedas; यज्ञेषु — in the performances of yajña, sacrifice; तपःसु — in undergoing different types of austerities; च — also; एव — certainly; दानेषु — in giving charities; यत् — that which; पुण्य-फलम् — result of pious work; प्रदिष्टम् — indicated; अत्येति — surpasses; तत् सर्वम् — all those; इदम् — this; विदित्वा — knowing; योगी — the devotee; परम् — supreme; स्थानम् — abode; उपैति — achieves; च — also; आद्यम् — original.
Translation
A person who accepts the path of devotional service is not bereft of the results derived from studying the Vedas, performing sacrifices, undergoing austerities, giving charity or pursuing philosophical and fruitive activities. Simply by performing devotional service, he attains all these, and at the end he reaches the supreme eternal abode.
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